Tomorrow’s Leaders Graduate (TLG) students program is a joint effort between the US Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA/AC), and AUC. TLG equips academically qualified and economically deserving students with the professional qualifications and experience needed to advance knowledge and contribute to the achievement of socially relevant outcomes through organized graduate study and research that furthers the professionalization of emerging leaders and proposes local solutions to shared problems in the MENA region.
TLG offers students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) a unique opportunity to pursue higher education and earn a master's degree at The American University in Cairo (AUC)
The TLG students program is awarded for two years, in addition to any academic English language remedial courses that might be needed, with a review every semester for satisfactory academic performance.
The American University in Cairo Information
Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo is a non-profit private higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of New Cairo (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Cairo. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a small (uniRank enrollment range: 5,000-5,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. The American University in Cairo (AUC) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation degrees), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 100 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.
Eligibility Criteria
- The students who are eligible to join should be nationals/citizens of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, the West Bank, and Gaza.
- Meet AUC graduate admission requirements
- Strong academic potential with a bachelor's degree of a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent
- Proficiency in written and spoken English
- Possess maturity, flexibility, and leadership potential demonstrated in a combination of extracurricular activities, recommendations, and interviews.
- Financial need
Research requirement:
Applicants to the TLG students program must commit to pursuing their graduate thesis research in one of the following research projects:
- Master of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa's topics: Contemporary Urbanisms; Activism; Women and Work.
- Master of Arts in International and Comparative Education's topics: Emotional intelligence in school leadership; Commitment to educational reform; Female employment after graduation; Gender and science education; Teachers’ professional development challenges; Education for sustainable development through K-20; Policies to promote educational sustainability among disadvantaged communities.
- Master of Arts in Migration and Refugee Studies' topics: Poverty and inequality among migrants and refugees; The effect of Covid 19 on migrants and refugees; The Post-Ukrainian conflict and its effects; Gender issues among migrants and refugees.
- Master of Arts in Economics in International Development's topics: Female economic empowerment; The effectiveness of labor market policies; entrepreneurship and MSME support; Public health; NGOs and civil society organizations; Poverty; Migration & refugees; Climate change and the environment.
- Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication's topics: Public diplomacy, media and public opinion; The leader as a brand and influencer on social media; SDG communications; Climate change communication.
- Master of Public Policy's topics: Social Protection Policies in Egypt and the Middle East; Data analytics for public policy; Urban policies and the planning of the city; Governance, accountability and stakeholder negotiations in the Middle East; Governance and the policy formation process; Program impact evaluation and learning; Higher education policy in Egypt and the Middle East.
- Master of Public Administration's topics: Governance and innovation in public and non-profit organizations; Nonprofit management and resource mobilization; Program monitoring, evaluation, learning and data analytics; Social and environmental governance; Public Policy analysis and evaluation; Human resource management, diversity and organizational behavior; Strategic management for public and non-profit organizations.
- MA in Middle East Studies' topics: Middle East Public Policy in the Global Context; Middle East Anthropology Sociology; Religious and Cultural Heritage of the Middle East.
- Master of International Human Rights Law' topics: Democratization, Authoritarianism, Civil and Political Rights, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Development, Refugees Rights, Regional perspectives on human rights law (Middle East and Africa), Gender and Human Rights and International Human Rights Law and the Global South.
- Master of Science in Sustainable Development's topics: Green Technologies, Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Communities.
- Master of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology's topics: Topics: Gender studies, displacement and mobility; urban studies and cities; ecology and environment; visual anthropology; history and memory; political and social movements; labor; and political economy.
- Master of Arts in Political Science's topics: Topics: State-society relations, Political Behavior, Political Economy, Political Economy of equality and inequality, Peace and Security, Civil Wars and conflict.
- Master of Science in Biotechnology's topics: Health Care, and Environmental Sustainability and Protection.
- Master of Science in Environmental Engineering's topics: Water and water waste treatment, Waste management and recycling, Remediation of contaminated sites.
Responsibilities of TLG Students
- Students must maintain full-time status throughout their graduate studies
- Students are expected to complete their degrees within two years from their date of admission
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2
- Commit to the chosen research projects
- Successfully complete a TLG academic English writing course
- Successfully complete leadership/civic engagement workshops assigned throughout the program
- Take part in the TLG graduate student conferences
- Commit to all activities as described in the TLG program manual
Offered Benefits
The TLG students program covers:
- Full tuition fees for the fall and spring semesters
- Medical insurance
- A monthly stipend
- Student Housing
- Laptop during the duration of the program
- Internship/practicum opportunity, including local transportation costs if needed
- Opportunity to attend one conference to present research findings, applied to and awarded competitively, as per the guidelines for Graduate Student Support Grants
- Two annual round-trip economy air tickets from home to campus; or housing and living stipend to continue approved program activities on campus during breaks for students unable to return home because of circumstances outside of their control
- 9. Book allowance
Application Process
Go to American University in Cairo (AUC) on www.tomorrowsleadersprogram.org to apply
- Must apply to the FHI360 application.
- Must submit the AUC TLG graduate admission application
The deadline to receive the AUC graduate application for consideration for fall 2024 is November 30, 2023.
For inquiries, send an email to .
Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo is a non-profit private higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large town of New Cairo (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Cairo. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a small (uniRank enrollment range: 5,000-5,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. The American University in Cairo (AUC) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation degrees), bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 100 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.