Siam Cement Group (SCG) Foundation Scholarship Program

The SCG Foundation is pleased to grant up to 7 full scholarships for individuals wishing to study at the Master of Arts Program in International Development Studies (MAIDS) at Chulalongkorn University for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year.

Please note that prospective SCG Foundation scholars (with the exception of Thailand) must be full-time government employees or civil servants of their respective governments. You do not qualify for the scholarship program if you are currently a student or government contract worker. Therefore, you must be a permanent full-time staff member of a government ministry or institution.
Scholarship Program Advertisement
Project Document

1. Eligibility (7 Scholarships)
Category I
1 scholarship is open to government or non-profit sector employees from Thailand
Category II
2 scholarships are open to government employees from Vietnam
Category III
1 scholarship is open to government employees from each of the following four Southeast Asian Countries: (1) Cambodia (2) Laos (3) Indonesia (4) Philippines

2. Scholarship Coverage
I) Living Expenses
- Roundtrip airfare (up to 25,000 baht)
- Housing (5,000 baht/month)
- Food (8,000 baht/month)
2) Education Costs
- Tuition Fees (Thai Scholar: 252,000 baht; International Scholar: 337,500 baht)
- Workshop and/or Fieldtrips (15,000 baht)
Total Scholarship Value
- Thai Scholarship: 464,800 baht/scholarship
- International Scholarship: 575,300 baht/scholarship

3. Scholarship Conditions:
I) Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for MAIDS admission AND be admitted to the MAIDS program.
II) SCG Foundation Scholars are expected to graduate within the prescribed 12 month period (excluding the pre-session course). Students who are required to enroll in additional semester(s) will have to bear the additional cost of living and tuition fees.
III) SCG Foundation Scholars must not be employed - either part-time or full-time - during their studies/scholarship tenure.
IV) Following graduation, SCG Foundation Scholars are expected to return to work for their home governments for a period of two years.

4. MAIDS Program Admission Requirements:
I) Entry Requirements
- Applicants should possess a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in the social sciences with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
- Applicants should also have 2 years work experience in a related field. Mature students, junior to mid-level government officials with experience in development are encouraged to apply.
II) English Language Requirements
Candidates will be required to demonstrate an acceptable level of language proficiency. Applicants should have achieved an English language score of at least 6.0 on the British Council IELTS, 550 in the paper-based TOEFL, 213 in the computer-based TOEFL, or 550 in CU-TEP (Chulalongkorn University Test of English Proficiency). These three above-mentioned tests are the only ones excepted by Chulalongkorn University. Please also note English tests scores must be less than two years old at the time of application.
Please note that these scores, although a minimum requirement for admission, do not guarantee successful admission or completion of the program. The candidate should feel comfortable writing graduate-level academic essays and participating in class discussions in English.

5. Recruitment Procedure:
I) Application Deadline: April 30th, 2009
II) Preliminary Applicant Screening: May 2009
III) Short-listed Candidate Interviews: May/June 2009
IV) Final Selection: June 2009
V) Pre-session Course for Selected Students: August/September 2009
VI) Program Commencement: October 2009

6. Application Procedure:
I) Application period
As stated above, MAIDS scholarship applications are due April 30th, 2009.
II) Required Materials
Students applying for the Master of Arts Program in International Development Studies must submit the following materials:
• Application Form:
The application form for the SCG Foundation Scholarship Program is slightly different than the regular application form for MAIDS program admission. Therefore, please complete the revised application form below either by typing or writing clearly in block letters.
Application Form.doc
• Photocopy of ID Card (for Thai applicants) or Passport (for non-Thai applicant) .
• Two photographs:
Applicants must submit two recent one inch photos.
• Application fee:
Applicants must pay the 800 baht application fee to be considered for the program and scholarship.
• Transcripts:
Applicants must submit an original or certified copy of their transcript from the college or university previously attended. Transcripts that are not in Thai or English must be translated and certified in the English language.
• English Language Test Scores:
The program accepts photocopies of English test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, CU-TEP) for the application process. Please note, however, that students admitted will have to present their original score record to Chulalongkorn University as soon as possible.
Alternatively, the student can have ETS, the company that administers TOEFL, send the score directly to the program. Chulalongkorn University's TOEFL institutional code is 0227. The MAIDS program does not have a departmental code registered with ETS, so make sure to write clearly “M.A. in International Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science” on the score report request form.
• Letters of Recommendation:
Applicants are required to submit two sealed letters of recommendation with letterhead and original signatures. One letter should be from the applicant's current employer and the second should be a former university professor who is familiar with their work. Please also provide the following reference form to your referees and ask them to fill it out:
Student Reference Form.doc
Please pass along the above form to your referees and ask for a confidential reference to be returned to you in a signed and sealed envelope. Please return the unopened envelope to the MAIDS Office with your complete application form. The referee also has the option of sending the reference directly to the MAIDS Office.
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume:
The resume must provide information on current and past employment, academic awards and scholarships, international travel, publications, and extracurricular activities, including volunteer work.
• Statement of Purpose:
The statement of purpose should be between 600 and 1000 words, and include the following elements:
1. Describe your most valued experience or accomplishment.2. Describe your research interests, and outline a tentative topic for your M.A. thesis. 3. Describe your career expectations (personal and professional objectives), and explain how the M.A. in International Development Studies at Chulalongkorn will help you achieve these goals.4. Please clearly outline how your studies at the MAIDS program will contribute to your work in your home country.
• Writing Sample:
As of March 6th, 2006 the MAIDS program requires all applicants to submit a sample of their critical or analytical writing. This may be a paper written for an undergraduate course, a published academic or journalistic article, or another appropriate writing sample. Applicants should briefly explain - using a separate document - the context in which the sample was originally written, including information on the nature of the publication in which it appeared, and the date of publication.
The objective of the sample writing is to assess the applicants' analytical and writing skills. The ability to write clearly in English - both for native and non-native speakers - is essential to fulfill the written requirements for this M.A. program in International Development Studies.

7. New Requirements:
I) Student Interviews
Short-listed candidates will be required to attend an interview either in person or by phone. The purpose of the interview is to ensure that students have an adequate understanding of development issues combined with an appropriate level of English language proficiency to complete their M.A. degree within the prescribed 12-month period.
II) Introductory Pre-session
SCG Foundation Scholarship Awardees who are accepted to the MAIDS program may also be required to participate in a four-week intensive introductory session in Bangkok prior to the beginning of classes in October 2009. The date for this introductory session has not yet been confirmed but will occur in August and/or September 2009.
It will include classes in three core areas:
1. English language
2. Introduction to Research Methods
3. Introduction to Development Studies
Reminder of Documents to Enclose in your Application
1) Completed Application Form (see the above application form) 2) 2 photographs (2 x 1 inch) 3) Official transcript from the college or university previously attended 4) 2 letters of recommendation (one letter from a former university professor; the second from the applicant's current employer) 5) Curriculum Vitae/resume 6) Statement of purpose 7) One paper/report/article previously written by the applicant 8) Photocopy of ID card (for Thai applicants) OR Photocopy of passport (for non-Thai students) 9) English proficiency language test results (IELTS, TOEFL or CU-TEP) 10) Application Fee (800 baht; please visit our admission page for payment details)
When complete, please sign, date and send a hard copy enclosing all necessary documentation to:
Master of Arts Program in International Development Studies (MAIDS) Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University Henry-Dunant Road, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 , THAILAND Tel: (+66) 2-218-7313 Fax: (+66) 2-252-6277 E-mail: maids@chula.ac.th http://www.ids.polsci.chula.ac.th/SiamCementFoundationScholarshipProgram.htm
Acceptance of Admission

Successful scholars will be notified whether or not they must attend the pre-session at the same time they are notified of their scholarship status (see above timeline). If the pre-session is not required, scholars may come to Thailand in early September 2009 to settle in Bangkok. The MAIDS program will begin the first week of October 2009.
*If you have any further questions regarding the MAIDS program or the SCG Foundation Scholarship Program, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information – maids@chula.ac.th