Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for a fellowship, you must:

	Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
	Be a teacher, or plan to become a teacher, of American history, American government, or social studies at the secondary school level (grades 7-12).
	Possess a bachelor’s degree or plan to receive a bachelor’s degree no later than August 31 of the year in which you are applying.
	Wait at least three years from the time that any previous graduate degree was awarded before applying for a James Madison Fellowship.

Professional Teaching Obligation

After earning a master’s degree, each James Madison Fellow must teach American history, American government, or social studies in grades 7-12 for no less than one year for each full academic year of study under the fellowship.

Financial Aspects of the Award

The maximum amount of each award is $24,000, prorated over the individual period of study, thus making the James Madison Fellowship the leading award for secondary level teachers undertaking study of the Constitution. Fellowship payments cover the actual costs of tuition, required fees, books, and room and board but cannot exceed $12,000 per academic year. Normally, Fellows receive less than these maximum amounts.

Failure to complete the program requirements in a timely manner will necessitate repayment to the Foundation of all funds paid to the Fellow or on his or her behalf, plus interest.

Types of Fellowships

The Foundation offers two types of fellowships:

	Junior Fellowships are awarded to students who are about to complete, or have completed, their undergraduate course of study and plan to begin graduate work on a full-time basis. Junior Fellows have two years to complete their degree.
	Senior Fellowships are awarded to teachers who wish to undertake work for a graduate degree on a part-time basis through summer and evening classes. Senior Fellows have up to five years to complete their degree.

Choice of Graduate School and Degree

The fellowships are intended exclusively for graduate study leading to a master’s degree. James Madison Fellows may attend any accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Each individual entering the James Madison Fellowship Program will be expected to pursue and complete a master’s degree in one of the following (listed in order of the Foundation’s preference):

	Master of Arts (MA) in American history or in political science (also referred to as "government and politics" or as "government");
	Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) concentrating on either American Constitutional history (in a history department) or American government, political institutions, and political theory (in a political science department);
	Master of Education (MEd) or the Master of Arts or Master of Science in Education with a concentration in American history or American government, political institutions, and political theory.

Constitutional Coursework

The Fellow’s proposed plan of graduate study should contain substantial constitutional coursework. Fellows are encouraged to choose institutions that offer courses that closely examine the origins and development of the U.S. Constitution, the evolution of political theory and constitutional law, the effects of the Constitution on society and culture in the United States, or other such topics directly related to the Constitution.

Whatever institution and whichever degree a Fellow selects, at least 12 semester credits (or 18 quarter credits) of constitutional study must be part of the Fellow’s program. Six of these semester credits will be earned at Georgetown University by the Fellow at the Foundation’s Summer Institute on the Constitution.

James Madison Foundation’s
Summer Institute on the Constitution

As part of the James Madison Fellowship program, each Fellow attends the four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution held in July at Georgetown University. Fellows attend the Institute once they have been accepted to graduate school and they have taken several graduate courses.

The academic focus of the Institute is a graduate course entitled "The Foundations of American Constitutionalism." Taught by constitutional scholars, this course is a study of the principles, framing, ratification, and implementation of constitutional government in the United States.

A feature of the Institute is the occasional trips to sites associated with the Constitution, in and around Washington.

One of the informal benefits of attending the Institute is the opportunity for interaction with a wide range of individuals whose varied interests can lead to enduring friendships and professional associations.

Expenses for the Summer Institute are included in the fellowship.

"What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable, than that of Liberty & Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?"      –  James Madison, Jr.