Term Length: 2 Years
Financial Need
US Citizenship Required
Minimum GPA: 3.2

• Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2023 for a two-year program at a U.S. university in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by June 2023, or they can be college graduates.
• Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen.

A panel of individuals with experience in the U.S. Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Rangel 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 Rangel selection panel will choose approximately 60 finalists by the end of October. The Rangel Program staff will communicate decisions by email to both successful and unsuccessful applicants by the end of October. Candidates selected for final consideration will be invited to Washington, D.C. for interviews (from continental U.S. points only) and to prepare a writing sample. Finalists will be in D.C. for one full day in November. The program will pay the cost of accommodations and travel to Washington, DC from within the continental United States, Hawaii, and Alaska. The program will strive to complete the selection process and make offers to 30 fellows by Late November 2022.

FELLOWSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDIES  The Rangel Program plans to award fellowships of up to $42,000 annually towards tuition, room, board, books and mandatory fees for completion of two-year master’s degrees. At the conclusion of two years of study, the Rangel Fellow is expected to have obtained a degree in international affairs or another area of relevance to the work of the Foreign Service (See curriculum below) at a graduate or professional school approved by the Rangel Program. Awardees are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 throughout their period of study.

ORIENTATION New Rangel Fellows will participate in an orientation at Howard University in mid-May, shortly after their selection. The purposes of this orientation are to familiarize the Fellows with all aspects of the fellowship and to enhance their understanding of, and skills for, Foreign Service careers.

INTERNSHIP (CAPITOL HILL AND OVERSEAS AT U.S. EMBASSIES) Rangel Fellows will participate in two internships. The first, an internship working on international issues for Members of Congress in Washington, D.C., will occur in the summer after being selected and before the first year of graduate study. The second will be an overseas internship in a U. S. Embassy that takes place during the summer between the first and second years of graduate study.  The Rangel Program provides a stipend, airline travel, and emergency medical insurance for this internship and reimburses for certain internship-related expenses, such as visas.

MENTORING Each Fellow will receive mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer throughout the duration of the fellowship as well as during his/her early employment at the State Department.

CURRICULUM Fellows must obtain graduate degrees in international affairs or a related subject such as public administration, public policy, international relations, business administration, economics, history, political science, communications, or foreign languages at a graduate or professional school approved by the Rangel Program. Studies in law do not satisfy this requirement.  Applicants apply to two-year graduate programs at U.S. universities simultaneously with their application to the Rangel Program.

EMPLOYMENT/CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS Fellows who successfully complete the Rangel Program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers in the U.S. Department of State. Fellows are required to obtain medical, security, and suitability clearances in order to remain in the program.  Each Rangel Fellow who obtains a master’s degree is committed to a minimum of five years of service as a Foreign Service Officer. Candidates who do not successfully complete the Rangel Program and the subsequent five year service obligation may be subject to a reimbursement obligation.