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

o be eligible to apply for the 2024 cohort, you must meet all the criteria below:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be at least 19 years old and no older than 32 years old (except for preference-eligible veterans).
• Be planning to begin a two-year full-time master’s degree program starting in fall 2024 at a U.S.-based accredited institution.
• Be on a timeline to graduate with your master’s degree after attending four full-time (fall and spring) semesters during your two years of the fellowship.
• Hold a minimum 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale at the time of application and maintain this GPA throughout the program.
• Pass the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) if selected as a finalist for the fellowship.
• Have a valid U.S. driver’s license if selected as a finalist for the fellowship.

• As a Clarke DS Fellow, you must:
  • Meet a minimum medical qualification standard, including supplemental physical qualification standards specific to Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agents; receive and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI); pass a Physical Readiness Test (PRT), and pass a Suitability Review.
  • Maintain physical fitness standards to ensure you can pass the final PRT prior to onboarding as a DSS Special Agent.
  • Agree to a three-year commitment with the Foreign Service as a DSS Special Agent upon successful completion of the program and the State Department’s requirements.
  • Fulfill the two summer practicum obligations (the first one in the summer after selection, the second one in the summer after your first year of graduate school).
  • Maintain your status as a full-time student (fall and spring semesters) in your approved degree program.
  • Maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA and stay on the two-year timeline to graduate with your degree.
  • Be prepared to enter the Foreign Service as a DSS Special Agent immediately after successful completion of the fellowship program and Foreign Service entry requirements.

  Once appointed, DSS Special Agents:

  • Are required to successfully pass a rigorous training program, including firearms training.
  • Are required to carry a firearm and use it if necessary.
  • Are required to take and pass specialized driving training.

The Clarke DS Fellowship is your path to a career as a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security – the federal law enforcement and security bureau of the U.S. Department of State.

When you successfully complete the fellowship program and Foreign Service entry requirements, you will receive an appointment as a DSS Special Agent. This appointment is a three-year commitment upon entry into the Foreign Service.

What is the Diplomatic Security Service?

The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. diplomacy and conducting transnational criminal investigations around the world. DSS is a leader in mitigating terrorist threats to U.S. personnel and facilities, generating innovations in cybersecurity, and engineering physical and technical security systems.

DSS has the largest global reach of any U.S. federal law enforcement agency, with offices in over 30 U.S. cities and in more than 270 locations around the world. DSS has more than 2,500 special agents, security engineering officers, security technical specialists, and diplomatic couriers working and traveling worldwide.

What Do DSS Special Agents Do?

DSS Special Agents play a critical role in leading and managing U.S. security programs stateside and overseas. They are available for assignment anywhere in the world at any time – always ready for a new and exciting opportunity. Throughout their career, DSS Special Agents are responsible for: leading and managing U.S. diplomatic mission security programs, conducting counterintelligence and counterterrorism investigations, implementing programs that safeguard classified information, assessing security threats, and leading security training and training assistance programs.

DSS Special Agents:

• Serve as the senior security and law enforcement advisor to U.S. ambassadors at 270+ diplomatic missions around the world.
• Manage a team of security experts at U.S. embassies and consulates, including security engineering officers, security technical specialists, U.S. Seabees, Marine Security Guards, local guard force members, and others.
• Have managed and implemented U.S. State Department Antiterrorism Assistance Program training in multiple countries for nearly 40 years.
• Have a century of experience investigating transnational criminal investigations.
• Are federal law officers with authority to conduct investigations and make arrests.
• Are members of the federal Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, and Anti-Trafficking Task Forces in several U.S. cities.
• Train thousands of foreign law enforcement, immigration, and other personnel to recognize fraudulent documents, leading to the revocation or denial of hundreds of thousands of visas and the arrest of well over 50,000 individuals by host nation partners for visa and passport-related charges.

Additional Benefits

As a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service, DSS Special Agents are eligible for:

• Education and training opportunities to learn new skills such as foreign languages, protective security operations, criminal law and investigations, security management, and U.S. embassy operations.
• Generous federal benefits, including a federal retirement plan, vacation and sick leave, and life and health insurance.
• Special pay and incentives related to law enforcement status and overseas assignments, such as, 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay, danger pay, moving expenses, rest and recuperation leave, paid housing or a housing allowance, and paid education for dependent children (K-12).

Plus, this career presents unique opportunities to make a positive impact while experiencing new cultures.

You can find more information about the DSS Special Agent career on the State Department website.

Your application must include:

• Proof of U.S. Citizenship
  • U.S. passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers
• Transcript
  • An unofficial copy for any universities/colleges you attended for more than two semesters
• A personal statement
  • Explain why you want to pursue a career in the Foreign Service (750 words max.):
    • Highlight your motivations, as well as your background, experiences and skills that will help you succeed.
    • Read the article Tips for Writing an Impactful Personal Statement
• Resume
• Most recent financial aid award letter
  • If you received financial aid during the most recent academic year, you are required to submit a Financial Aid Letter listing grants or loans.
• Most recent student aid report (SAR)
  • If you received financial aid during the most recent academic year, you are required to submit your SAR form.
  • If you did not receive financial aid during the most recent academic year, you must complete the FAFSA to generate an SAR.
• Statement of financial need
  • Use this as an opportunity to address any financial hardship or impactful adversity you may have experienced that affects your overall financial standing. You may also include:
    • Assistance you received during your undergraduate studies
    • Your overall education-related debt
    • Your ability/plans to pay for graduate school
• One letter of recommendation
  • Select recommenders who can explain why you are uniquely qualified for the fellowship.
    • If you were enrolled in a degree-granting program within the last two years, the letter must be from a professor or faculty member who knows you.
    • If you have been in an online program, you may select an individual who is familiar with your academics, professional work, or volunteer/community activities.
    • If you are returning to graduate school after a couple of years, choose someone who is familiar with your academics, professional work, or volunteer/community activities.