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Carnegie Mellon University Forms Strategic Partnership With William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship

PITTSBURGH – Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and the William D. Clarke Sr. Diplomatic Security (Clarke DS) Fellowship are partnering to offer a full scholarship to four of Heinz College’s professional master’s degree programs.clarke-ds-fellowship.png

The Clarke DS Fellowship is now one of Heinz College’s strategic partners. Each year, Heinz College will provide Clarke DS Fellows with scholarship support that, combined with the Fellowship funding, will cover 100 percent of Heinz College tuition.

“We are proud to partner with the Clarke DS Fellowship,” said David Eber, the Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Heinz College. “The Fellows’ unique experiences and backgrounds will enrich our student body, and we are proud to help educate the next generation of diplomatic security leaders in the Foreign Service.”

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Clarke DS Fellowship is a two-year graduate fellowship program designed for individuals who want to pursue a master’s degree and a career as a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent in the Foreign Service. DSS Special Agents are sworn federal law enforcement officers. 

“The generous scholarship provided by Heinz College supports the Clarke DS Fellowship’s diversity goals as it opens the opportunity for fellows to enroll in an eligible master’s degree program they otherwise may not have been able to afford,” said Shannan Spisak, Executive Director of Federal Initiatives for The Washington Center, which administers the Clarke DS Fellowship. “We’re very excited that Heinz College is the Clarke DS Fellowship’s first financial partner.”

The Clarke DS Fellowship is a high-profile State Department diversity recruitment program that aims to attract qualified candidates to the DSS who represent ethnic, racial, gender, social and geographic diversity. Women, members of minority groups underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and those with financial need are encouraged to apply. 

The Clarke DS Fellowship provides up to $24,000 annually in tuition for a two-year, full-time master’s program and up to $18,000 annually for room, board and academic expenses. Heinz College will provide the difference between its tuition and the Clarke DS Fellowship tuition assistance. Fellows will also receive a living stipend, funded by the State Department, as part of the partnership.

Clarke DS Fellows are eligible to enroll in the following master’s degree programs offered by Heinz College:

  • Master of Science in Information Security Policy and Management (MSISPM)
  • Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM)
  • Master of Science in Public Policy and Management - Data Analytics Pathway (MSPPM-DA)
  • Master of Science in Public Policy and Management – Washington, DC Pathway (MSPPM-D.C.)

Upon successful completion of the fellowship program and Foreign Service entry requirements, Clarke DS Fellows receive an appointment as a Foreign Service Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent. Fellows agree to a three-year commitment in the Foreign Service as a DSS Special Agent. Once appointed, DSS Special Agents are required to successfully pass a rigorous training program.

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About Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized graduate-level institutions at Carnegie Mellon University: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. This unique colocation combined with its expertise in analytics set Heinz College apart in the areas of cybersecurity, health care, the future of work, smart cities, and arts & entertainment. In 2016, INFORMS named Heinz College the #1 academic program for Analytics Education. For more information, please visit www.heinz.cmu.edu.