Georgetown University M.S. in Foreign Service Program (MSFS)

MSFS offers funding to support students’ professional development. First-year MSFS student Lam Tran used this opportunity to attend Strait Talk, a multinational dialogue workshop that convenes young professionals to transform cross-Strait relations. This experience allowed Lam to apply theories and skills she learnt from her coursework in a real-world setting, enriching her academic journey at MSFS. 📚🌎

Read more about her experience at the link in our bio 🔗

Navigating the grad school application process as a first-generation student? Muna Sultana (MSFS’26) from the Georgetown University M.S. in Foreign Service Program (MSFS) offers her perspective. Don’t forget, the priority deadline for merit scholarship consideration is January 15!

Read more: https://bit.ly/4fv4XdK

If you are applying for Fall 2025 make sure to submit your application by January 15th for merit based scholarship consideration.

If you are interested in also being considered for the Hinrich Global Trade Leadership Development scholarship make sure to fill out the additional application (linked in comments).

Looking to elevate your trade career and make a meaningful impact? Explore our Hinrich Global Trade Leader Scholarship to support your MS in Foreign Service studies at Georgetown University, located in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Take your expertise to the next level to navigate complex global issues and make an impact through trade. Plus, scholars are invited to join the exclusive Hinrich Foundation Alumni Association global community of trade-focused professionals.

Don’t miss out! More scholarship details here:
https://tinyurl.com/3uk6w85w
Georgetown University M.S. in Foreign Service Program (MSFS)

Meet the 2024-25 Reps - First Year Reps!

1️⃣Deontae Brown
🏠Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
📚Concentration: Global Politics and Security (GPS)
Prior to MSFS, Deontae graduated Summa Cum Laude with bachelor's degrees in anthropology and political science at Ohio University in 2024. As a MSFS Rep, he hopes to help create an engaging and fun community amongst the cohort that persists even after graduation.

2️⃣Rachel Kern
🏠Hometown: Morton, Illinois
📚Concentration: International Development (IDEV)
Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Indiana University, where she also minored in French, African Languages and Cultures, and Religious Studies. Before MSFS, Rachel spent two years at the International Republican Institute (IRI). As a Rep, Rachel hopes to foster a vibrant community within the MSFS program by engaging with students, faculty, and alumni.

3️⃣Yoshihiro Komori
🏠Hometown: Tokyo, Japan & Xi’an, China
📚Concentration: IDEV
Yoshihiro earned his Bachelor of Arts in Asia Pacific Affairs from Australian National University and Bachelor of Arts in Global Liberal Arts from Ritsumeikan University in 2024. Before coming to MSFS, Yoshihiro interned with the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

4️⃣Lily Nguyen
🏠Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
📚Concentration: Science, Technology and International Affairs (STIA)
Lily graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in Global and International Affairs and East Asian Languages and Culture. After graduating, she moved to Kamiamakusa, Kumamoto, Japan through the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program, where she taught English to five elementary schools and one junior high school.

5️⃣Muna Sultana
🏠Hometown: New York City, New York
📚Concentration: GPS
Muna graduated with a B.A. in Government and International Studies with a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Franklin and Marshall College where she served as the Student Body President and is excited to serve the MSFS community! Her goal as a first-year Rep is to ensure that every student in the MSFS program feels as if they belong and are empowered to be the best version of themselves, in and out of the classroom.

Meet the 2024-2025 Second Year Reps! 

1️⃣ Clari Guglielmelli
🏠Hometown: Mountainview, California
📚Concentration: Science, Technology and International Affairs (STIA)
Before coming to Georgetown, Clari studied political science and history at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. In her free time, Clari enjoys running, watching and playing soccer, and cooking. She is excited to continue on Reps for her second year, to plan fun events, and foster community within the cohort.

2️⃣Angelo Paule
🏠Hometown: Barrigada, Guam
📚Concentration: STIA
Angelo studied Political Science at the University of Guam. He has worked at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam, as well as on Indo-Pacific-focused reporting and analysis, and served as an Economic Section Fellow focused on tech policy in the U.S. Embassy New Delhi. Angelo became a Rep to become more involved in the MSFS program, including leveraging our program's reputation to open opportunities for MSFS students. 

3️⃣Zach Slotkin
🏠Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
📚Concentration: STIA
Zach graduated from George Washington University in 2019 with a B.A. in international affairs. Before joining MSFS, he worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia and as a Public Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a Student Rep, he hopes to build more community across the two cohorts.

4️⃣Eleni Zervos
🏠Hometown: Arlington, VA
📚Concentration: Global Politics and Security (GPS)

Eleni received an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Modern History from the University of St. Andrews in 2021. Before joining MSFS, she worked as a government consultant for Aptive Resources. Eleni chose to become a Rep to be more involved in the MSFS community and organize events!

5️⃣Alex B
🏠Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina & Paris, France
📚Concentration: GPS

Prior to joining MSFS, Alex worked for a global consulting firm with projects in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, where he focused on dispute resolution, risk mitigation, and project management for public and private clients. He holds a B.A. in Achitecture from the University of Westminster, London.

🍂🍂Here's a recap of September's MSFS events!

1️⃣ 2nd-year MSFS/STIA students Kamal Aubakirov and Zhuoyi Liu and the SFS Energy Club hosted Constellation Energy's Kathleen Barron (Executive VP and Chief Strategy Officer) and Katie Ott (VP for Sustainability and Climate Strategy) for a coffee chat. Constellation, the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the U.S., sparked a discussion on nuclear power, AI-driven advancements, and the role of the private sector in clean energy development.

2️⃣ MSFS IDEV and SFS Global Human Development hosted Lant Pritchett, a professor at the London School of Economics, and the co-founder and research director at Labor Mobility Partnerships. Mr. Pritchett shared some of his research as a development economist and engaged in a dialogue with MSFS students on the topic of growth and development in his seminar titled “To Achieve Big Development Goals, National Development is Necessary - and May Be Sufficient.”

3️⃣ MSFS students engaged in the first PiR session of the year with the Honorable David Trachtenberg, Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy, Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an off-the-record conversation.

4️⃣ Professor David Wallis began his regular Financial Fluency chats, meant to push students’ understanding of business and economic concepts and their impacts on international relations.

5️⃣ Lastly, MSFS is always lucky to host colleagues from abroad. 2nd-year MSFS Student Philipp Sandmann organized a visit to campus for 20 young journalists from the RTL Journalism School in Germany. Philipp hosted a panel discussion in which the journalists engaged with MSFS program Director George Shambaugh, the former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James B. Story, Senior State Department Fellow Christopher Klein, and current 2nd year student Veronica Pacheco. The discussion revolved around the upcoming U.S. election as well as U.S. foreign policy.

Please look forward to our events in October as well! 🎃🎃

2024 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards Join our annual awards ceremony to honor extraordinary women leaders who are creating a more peaceful and secure world for all. Celebrating Women’s Courageous Leadership Tuesday, October 1, 2024 10:00am – 11:30am Gaston Hall, Georgetown University This event is open to current Georgetown Univers...

Today, we’re happy to announce our three Practitioners in Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year!

Practitioner in Residence, or PiR, sessions are meant to allow a small group of students to ask off-the-record questions and have critical dialogue that they would otherwise be unable to have with experts in different fields.

This year, our three outstanding PiRs are:

1️⃣ David J. Trachtenberg- Vice President of the National Institute for Public Policy, Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Policy

2️⃣ Joyce Msuya- Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) in the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

3️⃣ Vivian Walker- Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s MSFS Degree Program, Former Executive Director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Please join us in giving them a warm welcome to our MSFS Community. Read more about our PiRs on the MSFS Practitioners in Residence page (msfs.georgetown.edu/about/careers/practitioners)

Are you ready to take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT)? Register for our prep session on Sept. 18 from 7-8 PM ET.

U.S. Citizens – if you’ve already applied to take the FSOT or want to take the test in the future, join our virtual session where Foreign Service Officers will discuss tips and how to best prepare for success.

Join us and learn how to become one step closer to becoming a U.S. Diplomat!

Register here:

Yello Yello Enterprise

We spoke with rising second-year Pranav Agarwal about his incredible experience as a Rosenthal Fellow. Since 1977, the fellowship has provided about 20 graduate students the opportunity to spend a summer working on international relations in a congressional or executive branch of the U.S. government.

On his fellowship, Pranav said:
"My summer as a Harold Rosenthal Fellow was deeply enriching. The Fellowship complemented MSFS’s academic training and being a part of the amazing Fellows cohort enhanced my multicultural competence while reenforcing my commitment to global public service.

I supported the Inter-American Foundation (IAF)’s External and Government Affairs team in their work on the developmental aspects of the crisis in Haiti. We organized a ‘Haiti Donor Convening’ to streamline collaboration between developmental donors in Haiti and champion ‘Ayiti Kapab’ (Haiti Can), IAF’s Community Action Fund. We also organized an Inter-American Indigenous Exchange at the U.S. Congress, which provided a forum to U.S. Tribal Nations and Latin American Indigenous communities to exchange ideas and foster collaborations. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work."

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/doscareers_doscareers-careersatstate-hbcu-activity-7228037966550478848-pkpe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

www.linkedin.com

We are proud to announce that Georgetown University was Ranked #1 again on the list of the best master's programs in the world for students pursuing a career in international relations. The rankings are based on a survey of over 1,500 IR scholars, think tank staff, and policymakers. 🎉

Fall 2025 applications are now open! Get an application fee waiver by completing an application by December 1st. Become a part of the 100-year legacy of the flagship Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program. Start early!

If you haven't heard, it's NATO week in DC and of course MSFS students have always engaged with NATO at the highest level. Our rising 2nd year student, Burcu Sahmali, even met the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoletenberg. She spent the summer participating in an intensive learning and training program at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Latvia🇱🇻, the NATO Defense College in Italy🇮🇹, and the NATO HQ in Belgium🇧🇪. She also visited military bases and Joint Force Commands.

Congratulations, Class of 2024! 🎓 We enjoyed celebrating all of your accomplishments and are so proud of you! We will continue to cheer you on as you take what you learned, and the connections you made, to positively change the world.
Hoya Saxa💙 More photos and memories to come!

Lining up for Tropaia 2024!

We look forward to celebrating all of our graduates! Congratulations and Hoya Saxa!

To the Class of 2024... - Georgetown University Home To the Class of 2024… To the Class of 2024… We are proud of you, excited to recognize all of your accomplishments and looking forward to celebrating you at a commencement celebration we hope you always remember.