The Rotary Peace Fellowship, administered by The Rotary Foundation, develops experienced peace and development professionals through graduate study, applied field work, and a global alumni network. Fellows train at one of the Rotary Peace Centers hosted by partner universities and join a community of more than 1,800 alumni working in over 140 countries.
Applicants choose one of two tracks: a master’s degree program (15–24 months) or a one-year professional development certificate program for mid-career professionals. The Foundation awards up to 170 funded fellowships each year.
Benefits & funding
- Fully funded: tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses
- Master’s track: up to 50 fellowships per year, including a two- to three-month self-designed field study
- Certificate track: up to 120 fellowships per year (40 at each of three peace centers); blended format with a two-week online course, a ten-week on-site course with field studies, a nine-month social change initiative, and a one-week capstone seminar
- Membership in a global network of Rotary Peace Fellow alumni
Eligibility
- Open to applicants worldwide; proficiency in English required
- Hold a bachelor’s degree
- Master’s track: at least three years of full-time relevant experience in peace or development work, with at least a three-year gap between the most recent degree and the fellowship start
- Certificate track: at least five years of full-time relevant experience; arrive with a social change initiative aligned with Rotary’s mission
- Strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and demonstrated leadership potential
- Cannot study in your home country; current undergraduate/graduate students, active Rotary members, and Rotary employees are ineligible; former fellows must wait three years before reapplying
- Certificate peace centers prioritize candidates from or working in their region (Makerere — Africa; Bahçeşehir — Middle East/North Africa; Symbiosis — Asia)
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor
Experience required
≥ 3 yrs
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Application process
- 1Confirm eligibility and choose the master’s or certificate track, then complete the online application at my.rotary.org during the open window (1 February – 15 May).
- 2Applications are reviewed and endorsed by local Rotary districts before final selection by The Rotary Foundation.
- 3Selected fellows are notified of their assigned Peace Center and enroll for the following academic year.
Program timeline
2027-28 applications open
Feb 1, 2026
2027-28 application deadline
May 15, 2026
2026-11
2027-28 fellows notified of assigned Peace Center
2027-02
2028-29 application cycle opens