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Description
The Pickering Fellowship is designed to prepare outstanding candidates for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State and selects 10 fellows annually through a merit-based national competition.
Selected fellows complete two years of intensive graduate study in a , engage in interagency national security coursework—including a mandatory seminar at the National Defense University (NDU)—complete domestic and overseas internships, and receive direct mentorship from seasoned Foreign Service Officers. Upon successful completion of the fellowship and Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, serving in Washington, D.C. and at U.S. embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions across the globe. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Outreach, Fellowships, and Internships (OFI) division of the Bureau of Human Resources via a cooperative agreement.
The Pickering Program plans to award 10 fellowships of up to $55,000 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 $27,000 per semester for tuition and mandatory fees and an academic year stipend of $33,000 ($16,500 per semester).
Eligibility
This is a highly selective program. To be eligible to participate, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Must possess a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and maintain at least a 3.2 GPA throughout graduate study.
- Must be seeking admission to enter an approved two-year, full-time master’s degree program in the upcoming fall semester at a Department-approved university in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in an academic field relevant to the Foreign Service. Applicants may be college graduates or undergraduate seniors who will complete their degree by June in the year following the application deadline.
- Must take and pass both the multiple-choice and writing assessment components of the revised Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). Applications without passing scores attached will not be considered.
- Must agree to execute a minimum five-year service commitment as a Foreign Service Officer upon successful completion of the program and entry requirements.
Selection Criteria
A panel of individuals with experience working with the U.S. Foreign Service makes selections for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program. A candidate’s community, academic, extracurricular, and leadership activities will be considered during the selection process. Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need.
The selection panel will choose approximately 50 finalists. The Pickering Program staff will communicate decisions by email to both successful and unsuccessful applicants. Candidates selected for final consideration will participate in an interview and a written exercise. The program expects to award 10 fellowships per cycle.
Application Procedure
Visit the website for application information. The deadline is typically in late fall.