Deadline: January 12, 2018
Applications are now open for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program 2018. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them academically and professionally for a career in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service.
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is named in honor of one of the most distinguished and capable American diplomats of the latter half of the 20th century.
Ambassador Pickering served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1997-2000) and as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan. He also was the U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations in New York, where he led the U.S. effort to build a coalition in the UN Security Council during and after the first Gulf War. He has held additional positions in Tanzania, Geneva, and Washington, including as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans, Environmental and Scientific Affairs and as Special Assistant to Secretaries of State William P. Rogers and Henry A. Kissinger
Benefits
- Fellows receive up to $37,500 annually for tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees and some travel expenses for a two-year master’s degree in fields related to the Foreign Service such as business administration, economics, public policy, international affairs, and other relevant fields.
- Up to $21,500 will be provided each academic year for two years for a Fellow’s tuition
- Up to $16,000 stipend per academic year for two years for room and board, books/laboratory fees, and travel between the Fellow’s residence and university location (not to exceed $600 per academic year)
- Two summer internships, one at a domestic office of the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The program provides stipends, transportation and housing for these internships.
- Orientation to the Program and the Foreign Service at the Department of State.
- Mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer throughout the duration of the fellowship.
- Employment in the Department of State Foreign Service for those who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy.
Eligibility
- Only individuals who are United States citizens can apply;
- Applicants must be seeking admission to a U.S. graduate school beginning in fall 2018;
- Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application and this grade point average must be maintained throughout participation in the program;
- Applicants must enroll in a two-year, full-time master’s degree program, at U.S. based graduate institutions only, 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) and be prepared to enter the Foreign Service in Summer 2020;
- Applicants must be able to attend June 2018 orientation in Washington, D.C. if selected;
- Applicants must be available to fulfill the summer internship obligations (summer 2019 & summer 2020)
Application
- Are you eligible and ready to apply? Then learn how to apply here!
Timeline
- January 12, 2018: Pickering Application Deadline
- April 2018: Pickering Selection Interviews
- April 2018: Notification of Selection as a Fellow
- April 2018: Deadline for Accepting Fellowship Offer
- June 2018: Orientation for 2018 Pickering Fellows
- August 2018: Begin first Pickering-funded year of school
- Summer 2019: Domestic Internship
- August 2019: Begin second Pickering-funded year of school
- Summer 2020: Overseas Internship
- September 2020: Enter Foreign Service
For more information, visit Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship.
