Eligibility Requirements for the Clarke DS Fellowship
The Clarke DS Fellowship is designed as a two-year cohort model. The application for the 2025 cohort is open February 12, 2024, to April 29, 2024, at 11:59 pm (EDT). To apply for the 2025 cohort, you must meet the eligibility requirements 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 2025 at a U.S.-based accredited institution.
- Be on a timeline to graduate with your master’s degree in spring 2027, after attending four full-time (fall and spring) semesters during your two years of the fellowship.
- Hold a minimum cumulative 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale (from college/university-level courses) at the time of application and maintain this GPA throughout the program.
If you are selected as a finalist, you must:
- Take the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) as a baseline.
- Have a valid U.S. driver’s license.
As a Clarke DS Fellow, you must:
- Receive and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
- Maintain eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
- Meet a minimum medical qualification standard, including supplemental physical qualification standards specific to Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agents.
- Pass a Suitability Review
- 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.
- Pass a pre-employment Physical Readiness Test (PRT) prior to receiving a final offer of employment and onboarding as a DSS Special Agent.
- Take the Diplomatic Security Special Agent Test (DSSAT) and the Foreign Service Specialist Assessment (FSSA), and pass these by the end of your three-year commitment 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.
- 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 as a DSS Special Agent, you will be required to successfully undergo and pass a rigorous training program, including:
- Criminal investigative training and certification.
- Firearm training and qualification.
- Physical readiness standards and tests.
- Specialized driving tactics and defensive techniques.
- Specialized training in the protection of dignitaries, diplomatic facilities and sensitive information.