Department of State Pickering Fellowship for Foreign Service

Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of fellowship and Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows have the opportunity to work as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Department of State, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy, serving in Washington, DC and at U.S. embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions around the globe.

Award

The Pickering Program plans to award 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.

Eligibility

Currently enrolled students cannot apply for this award to cover their current program. Only prospective students are eligible.

To be eligible to participate, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.
• Seek admission to a two-year, full-time, on-campus, master’s degree program at a U.S.-based graduate institution to begin in the fall of 2025 in an academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service (public policy, international affairs, public administration, business, economics, political science, management science, organizational development/leadership, sociology, or regional studies).