Careers in Diplomacy
Many students and alumni from the School of Politics and Global Studies pursue careers in diplomacy, work for government agencies and complete prestigious fellowships. The school helps prepare students for these opportunities through newsletters, events, internships, coursework, mentorship and more.
Opportunities available to you
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program
Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them academically and professionally for a career in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service.
Payne International Graduate Fellowship
The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding young people who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development provides an opportunity to advance U.S. foreign policy interests and reflect the American people's compassion and support of human dignity.
Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship
The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program will select 30 outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and helps support them through two years of graduate study, internships and professional development activities, and entry into the Foreign Service.
Boren Awards for International Study
The Boren Awards provide up to $30,000 to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The program focuses fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security, broadly defined to include a wide range of global challenges.
Gilman International Scholarship
Provides support to undergraduate students who have been underrepresented in study abroad, including students with high financial need, first-generation college students, students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, those in underrpresented fields of study such as STEM, students with disabilities and students of non-traditional age.
U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program (USFSIP)
Spend two summers in an experiential-learning program designed to expose undergraduate students to U.S. diplomacy and the work of the Department of State. Established in 2014, this merit and needs-based opportunity is available to undergraduate sophomore and junior students with a 3.2 GPA or higher who are available to participate in two consecutive summer internships as rising juniors and seniors.
Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab
The school works closely with the LDNS Lab on multiple educational offerings. The Lab advances character-driven leadership, diplomacy, and national security education and training in support of the full range of university enterprises. Led by diplomatic and national security professionals, The Lab dedicates itself to learner-centered solutions and thought leadership through a global network of partners employing state of the art learning tools.
Interested in getting connected? Contact Ambassador Roderick Moore at Roderick.Moore@asu.edu.
ASU Ambassador-in-Residence
The ASU Ambassador-in-Residence provides international affairs support across the full range of ASU enterprises, starting and ending with our students. Ambassador Polt is available for monthly student career counseling sessions, teaches masterclasses in diplomatic skills and key foreign affairs subjects, and supports ASU global outreach initiatives. As a founding member of the LDNS Lab, the Ambassador answers questions on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy through the “Ask an Ambassador” portal on the Lab website.
Policy Design Studio and Internship Program
The PDS Program provides students the opportunity to play the role of a U.S. embassy official through a semester long simulation led by a former Ambassador. Students also gain real-world experience though pursuing an internship in Washington, D.C.
International Affairs and Leadership, MA
The Master of Arts in International Affairs and Leadership is an online program that empowers students to be future leaders in the global area. Students learn directly from senior international affairs professionals from the public and private sectors.
Diplomat in Residence
The school holds events with the U.S. Department of State's Diplomat in Residence Southwest each semester to discuss internship, fellowship and career opportunities.
All majors and backgrounds are welcome. If you cannot attend and are interested in careers with the U.S. Department of State, please visit careers.state.gov or email our current DIR at DIRSouthwest@state.gov.
Model United Nations at ASU
Model United Nations is an organization in which students meet to discuss international affairs, research complex global issues, and simulate the United Nations. Members of SunMUN acquire a keen eye for international affairs, develop crucial research, writing, and public speaking skills, and become adept at the art of diplomacy.
SunMUN provides information on the United Nations and other international organizations, arms students with employable skills in related fields, and promotes involvement in Model United Nations events and conferences.
For more information please visit their website or follow on Instagram.
Faculty Advisor: Mily Kao | Mily.Kao@asu.edu