5 State Department Grad Fellowships

 Are you interested in joining the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State, USAID, or Department of Agriculture? Do you want to make a positive change in the world? 

IMPORTANT: These 5 State Dept. and 1 Dept. of Agriculture programs seek applications from students and recent graduates who are U.S. citizens, and encourage applications from women and those who are members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service. All programs seek applicants with a history of receiving, or qualifying for, NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID. 

**Four UMD students won these Foreign Service awards just this year! Read about them here and here.**

1. The Pickering and Rangel Graduate Fellowships provide financial support through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities leading to an appointment in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. 

2. The Payne International Development Fellowship provides similar support through two years leading to an appointment with the USAID Foreign Service.  

3. The Clarke Diplomatic Security Fellowship Program is intended for talented students who want to pursue a master’s degree and a career as a Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent in the Foreign Service. 

4. The Foreign Affairs IT (FAIT) Fellowship is a two-year program that provides academic funding for an IT-related degree, internships, professional development and mentorship – culminating in an appointment in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State as an Information Management Specialist (IMS). The fellowship may be used for the final two years of a bachelor's program or for the full two years of a master's program. 

5. The Dept. of Agriculture FAS International Agricultural Fellowship provides financial support through two years of graduate study in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics or related field, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities leading to an appointment in the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the USDA.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER FOR AN INFO SESSION!

Thursday, June 20, 3:00 - 3:45 pm

Friday, June 21, 12:00 - 12:45 pm

DEADLINES

Exact dates are TBD: Pickering & Rangel - September 2024; Payne - October 2024; FAIT - February 2025; Clarke - April 2025

SERVICE REQUIREMENT: Recipients of the graduate programs must complete a minimum five-year term of service as a Foreign Service Officer (three years for the Clarke program).

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants for the Pickering, Rangel, Payne, and FAS programs must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2025 (fall 2026 for Clarke) for a two-year program at a U.S. university in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service.
• Applicants may be rising seniors or recent college graduates. For the FAIT program applicants must be at least rising Sophomores, and should be majoring in an IT-related field.
• Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.