Education · 1 of 5
The path
A long selection process rather than a school. No specific degree is required.
- 1
High school diploma
Grade 12
You must be a United States citizen and available to serve anywhere in the world. Start a second language now, because it never stops helping.
- 2
Bachelor's degree in anything
4 years
Most officers hold one, in subjects from history to engineering to accounting, but no degree is legally required. Pick a cone, meaning a career track, while you study: consular, economic, management, political or public diplomacy.
- 3
Sit the entrance test
1 day
The written Foreign Service Officer Test covers job knowledge, English expression and a written essay, together with a biographic questionnaire about what you have actually done.
- 4
Personal narratives and the oral assessment
Months
A panel reviews written narratives about your experience. Those who pass are invited to a full day of group exercises, a structured interview and a written case study.
- 5
Clearances and the register
1 to 2 years
A top secret security clearance, a medical clearance for worldwide service, then a ranked hiring list. You wait there until an offer comes, and the place on it can expire.