Fellowships
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships
The Fellowship attracts and prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State by funding two years of graduate study. The Fellowship welcoming the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the State Department, women, and those with financial need.
The Pickering Fellowship Program finances 45 fellowships of up to $42,000 annually for a two-year period for tuition, room, board, books, and mandatory fees for completion of two-year master’s degrees. This includes up to $24,000 per year for tuition and mandatory fees and an academic year stipend of $18,000. It also provides two summer internships, offers mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer, and provides other professional development activities.
Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree (does not include law school) program and fulfillment of Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows have the opportunity to work as Foreign Service Officers in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy, serving in Washington, DC and at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or diplomatic mission around the globe. Fellows also agree to a minimum five-year service commitment in the Department of State’s Foreign Service. The five-year service commitment begins upon entry into the Foreign Service.
Fellowship website: https://pickeringfellowship.org/
Level of study: Graduate
General location of study: Domestic
Specific location, if applicable (country and/or institution): Various
Requires campus endorsement/nomination?: No
Campus application deadline (if applicable): N/A
Final application deadline (check fellowship website for specific yearly date): Mid September
General fields of study/professional interests: Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages, Public Service
Other specific criteria: Must be a U.S. citizen with a 3.2+ GPA and seek admission to a two-year, full-time, on-campus, master’s degree program at a U.S.-based graduate institution in an academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service (public policy, international affairs, public administration, business, economics, political science, sociology, or foreign languages).