William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship

What William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship does

The William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship is a two-year graduate fellowship program funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC), a nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C. Established in 2022, the program recruits U.S. citizens aged 19–32 who want to pursue a master's degree and a career as a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent in the Foreign Service. Each cohort selects 8 fellows, who receive up to $42,000 annually in academic funding (up to $24,000 in tuition and up to $18,000 in room, board, books, and travel), plus two summer practicums — one domestic in Washington, D.C. with DSS and one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate — with stipends, housing, and travel allowances. Fellows commit to three years of service as DSS Special Agents upon completion.

The core offering is a single, unified fellowship product packaged with academic funding, hands-on practicum experience, mentorship, and a guaranteed federal law enforcement career pathway. The program does not sell a product or technology; "revenue" is sourced entirely from a U.S. Department of State grant, and the program distributes funds outward to fellows. Distribution is conducted through an online application portal, supported by a multi-channel marketing mix (webinars, articles, video content, email newsletter, and social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn) and referral partnerships with universities. The program's customer segment is narrowly defined: U.S. citizen prospective graduate students, with a minimum 3.2 GPA threshold, who meet DSS physical readiness and security clearance requirements.

The business model is structured as a government-funded talent pipeline rather than a commercial operation. The Washington Center provides administrative and personalized support services to fellows, while university partners (including George Washington University's Elliott School, Tufts' Fletcher School, Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College, the University of Denver's Korbel School, Penn State's School of International Affairs, UNLV, and Sam Houston State University) provide aligned master's degree programs and supplemental scholarships to close the tuition gap beyond the fellowship's $42,000 annual cap. With 5 employees, no commercial pricing, and no external investors, the program's scale is intentionally small and tied to federal recruiting quotas rather than market-driven growth.

Name

William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship

Legal name

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

Website

https://clarkedsfellowship.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship is a U.S. Department of State–funded two-year graduate fellowship, administered by The Washington Center, that selects 8 U.S. citizen fellows per cohort to pursue master's degrees and become DSS Special Agents in the Foreign Service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Fellowship Program

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

Keywords

• Graduate fellowship program
• Diplomatic security training
• Foreign service recruitment
• Law enforcement scholarship
• Federal career pathway

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Funding (Outbound): The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and provides financial support to fellows including tuition coverage (up to $24,000 annually), living expenses (up to $18,000 annually), summer practicum stipends with housing and travel allowances, and mentorship. This represents outgoing financial support rather than revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A two-year graduate fellowship funded by the U.S. Department of State that provides selected U.S. citizen fellows with up to $24,000 annually in tuition, up to $18,000 annually in living expenses, and two summer practicums (one domestic with DSS in Washington, D.C. and one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate) in exchange for a three-year commitment as a Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent in the Foreign Service upon completion. The program is administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) and partners with multiple U.S. universities to deliver eligible master's degree pathways.

Product overview

The William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship is a single, unified fellowship program that provides academic funding (up to $24,000 annually for tuition and up to $18,000 annually for room and board), two summer practicums (one in Washington D.C. with DSS, one overseas at a U.S. embassy), personalized mentoring, and professional development. Upon successful completion, fellows receive appointment as DSS Special Agents with a three-year commitment. The fellowship partners with several universities including George Washington University (Elliott School), Tufts University (Fletcher School), Carnegie Mellon University (Heinz College), University of Denver (Korbel School), Penn State (School of International Affairs), and UNLV.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship A two-year graduate fellowship program funded by the U.S. Department of State, administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, providing up to $24,000 annually for tuition, up to $18,000 annually for room and board, and two summer practicums (one domestic with DSS in Washington, D.C., one overseas at a U.S. embassy or consulate), preparing fellows for careers as DSS Special Agents in the Foreign Service with a three-year service commitment upon completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 fellows selected per cohort
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered financial partner, supporting and core.

• Penn State School of International Affairsfinancial partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2024Financial Partner providing funding for tuition and living expenses for Clarke DS Fellows. Benefits include waived application fee, scholarship to cover tuition difference, and funding for living expenses during four semesters of graduate study. Eligible program: Master of International Affairs.
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)financial partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2024Financial Partner waiving out-of-state tuition for Clarke DS Fellows. Clarke DS Fellowship tuition assistance covers in-state tuition with no out-of-pocket tuition expense. Additional benefits include scholarship for Graduate Student Health insurance and 90-meal Commuter Plan. Eligible programs: MS in Management Information Systems, MS in Computer Science, MS in Cybersecurity.
• Sam Houston State University (SHSU)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Supporting Partner identifying 13 eligible master's degree programs for Clarke DS Fellowship. Clarke DS Fellowship tuition assistance fully covers tuition cost. Waives application fee for candidates. Programs include MS in Homeland Security, Criminal Justice, Victim Services Management, Forensic Science, Project Management, Computing and Data Science, Digital Forensics, Information Assurance & Cybersecurity, Mathematics, Statistics, and Geographic Information Systems.
• The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Washington Center administers the Clarke DS Fellowship program, providing personalized guidance and support to all participants. TWC has helped more than 60,000 young people translate their college majors into career paths.
• Elliott School of International Affairs - George Washington Universityfinancial partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial Partner providing scholarships to Clarke DS Fellows covering the difference between tuition and Clarke DS Fellowship academic funding. Eligible programs include M.A. Asian Studies, M.A. Middle East Studies, M.A. Security Policy Studies, M.A. in Global Communications, M.A. in International Affairs, M.A. in International Development Studies, M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy.
• The Fletcher School at Tufts Universityfinancial partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial Partner providing fully funded master's degree opportunities for Clarke DS Fellows. Offers scholarships covering tuition amounts not funded by the fellowship. Benefits include waived application fees, visitation events with up to $300 travel stipends, waived deposit fee, and waived health services fee. Eligible programs: Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) and Master of International Business (MIB).
• Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon Universityfinancial partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial Partner. Eligible programs include 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-DC).
• Josef Korbel School of International Studies - University of Denverfinancial partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial Partner offering $65 application fee waiver, scholarships of up to 40% of annual tuition, deposit fee waiver of $500, and scholarships to cover required health insurance fee. Eligible programs include M.A. in Global Economic Affairs, Global Environmental Sustainability, International Development, International Human Rights, International Security, International Studies, and Public Policy.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe program is funded by the U.S. Department of State. DSS Special Agents serve as sworn federal law enforcement officers responsible for security of U.S. Department of State personnel, property, and sensitive information around the world. Provides summer practicums and eventual employment as DSS Special Agents.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship: The Payne Fellowship funds graduate study and USAID Foreign Service careers, sharing the Clarke DS model of federal funding plus academic support plus a guaranteed Foreign Service placement pathway for graduate students.
• Boren Scholarships and Fellowships: Boren Awards are federally funded scholarships/fellowships for students studying regions, languages, and critical languages abroad, with a federal service payback requirement, making Boren a structurally comparable government-funded international education fellowship.
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship: The Rangel Fellowship is another State Department-funded graduate fellowship for future Foreign Service Officers, with parallel financial support, internships, and career-conversion design, serving a closely comparable talent pipeline into the Foreign Service.
• Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship: The Pickering Fellowship is also a U.S. Department of State-funded graduate fellowship targeting future Foreign Service Officers, with comparable structure of academic funding, summer internships, and a service commitment, making it the closest direct peer in mission and design.

Broad incumbents

• Fulbright Program: The Fulbright Program is a U.S. government-funded international exchange and study fellowship with substantially broader scope, audience, and brand recognition, representing the broad incumbent in the federal international education fellowship space.
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP): NSF GRFP is a federally funded graduate research fellowship providing multi-year stipend and tuition support across STEM and select social science fields, sharing the structural model of competitive, federally funded graduate fellowships.

Emerging players

• CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program: The CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program is an intelligence community pipeline that funds undergraduate study in exchange for CIA employment, sharing the federal-funding-plus-career-conversion model with the Clarke DS Fellowship but targeting a different agency.
• Truman Scholarship Foundation: The Truman Scholarship is a federal-affiliated graduate fellowship for public service careers, with comparable graduate funding structure and a public service career pathway, though oriented toward policy careers broadly rather than a single agency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClarkeDSFellows
• Facebookfacebook.com/clarkedsfellows
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarkedsfellowship
• Instagraminstagram.com/clarkedsfellowship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about William D. Clarke, Sr. Diplomatic Security Fellowship