Funding

Partial / Stipend

Master's ScholarshipUSA · New York

The Thomas R. Pickering Scholarship

New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

Application Deadline

Rolling admission

Official Page

NYU Wagner offers this scholarship to selected Thomas R. Pickering Fellows who are admitted to its Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning programs. Recipients undertake full-time study in New York.

Applicants use the regular NYU Wagner admission application and do not submit a separate scholarship essay. The underlying Pickering Fellowship is administered by Howard University with the U.S. Department of State and prepares fellows for Foreign Service careers.

Benefits & funding

  • Scholarship funding equal to 50% of NYU Wagner tuition for two years of full-time study.
  • NYU Wagner waives the admission application fee for applicants affiliated with the Pickering Fellowship, regardless of entry semester.

Eligibility

  • Be a selected Pickering Fellow and gain admission to NYU Wagner.
  • Enroll full time in an eligible Master of Public Administration or Master of Urban Planning program.
  • Pickering Fellow status carries the fellowship’s U.S. citizenship requirement; its published eligibility also specifies a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.
  • The Pickering program has postponed its 2026 fellowship application cycle pending State Department guidance, so this NYU scholarship does not provide a separate route into Pickering.

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.

  • Eligible nationalities

    USA

  • Education required

    Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor

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Application process

  1. 1
    Confirm existing selection or affiliation with the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship.
  2. 2
    Create an account in the NYU Wagner application portal and apply to an eligible full-time MPA or MUP program.
  3. 3
    Submit every required admission component by the deadline for the chosen intake; no additional scholarship essay is required.
  4. 4
    NYU Wagner considers eligible admitted applicants for the scholarship.

Program timeline

  1. October 12, 2026

    Next published Spring 2027 application deadline for MPA and MUP programs.

  2. December 1, 2026

    Fall 2027 Early Action and Priority Scholarship deadline for MPA and MUP programs.

  3. March 2, 2027

    Published Fall 2027 admission decision date associated with the priority-scholarship timetable.

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