Thomas R. Pickering
Graduate Foreign Affairs Program
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program will open soon. Review the eligibility requirements and application instructions and submit your application through the Pickering application portal.
Notice to prospective applicants: Due to the timing of 2026 test availability and the relaunch of the program, for the 2027 cycle only, conditional offers will be extended pending successful completion of the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and the written exercise component of the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA).
Advancing American Interests: Train as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State prepares principled leaders for high-impact careers in the U.S. Foreign Service. The program develops an elite diplomatic corps dedicated to putting American national interests first, protecting economic prosperity, and projecting American strength to secure peace.
Note: For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.
Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
- Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, OR
- Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins. Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.
Overview & Eligibility
How to Apply
Application Tips
Graduate Program
The Pickering Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to promote positive change in the world. Upon successful completion of a Department-approved two-year master’s degree 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.
About the Program
The Program provides graduate fellowships to qualified college seniors and college graduates committed to joining the Foreign Service. The fellowship helps finance Department-approved two-year graduate programs, provides two summer internships, offers mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer, and provides other professional development activities. The program continues to ensure that the Foreign Service reflects the face of America to foreign audiences and provides a source of trained women and men who are dedicated to pursuing Foreign Service careers with the Department of State and representing America’s interests abroad.
Where Are Our Fellows Now?
The Pickering Program has made, and continues to make, an important contribution to the State Department Foreign Service.
Once completing the fellowship, alumni of the Pickering Program will represent the United States in countries around the world, in areas such as Africa, East Asia, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Eurasia. They are promoting human rights, assisting American citizens overseas, enhancing prosperity and development, deepening ties between the United States and people around the world, and supporting U.S. global values and interests in many different ways.
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