Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA)

The PPIA Junior Summer Institute (JSI) Fellowship Program is a rigorous, academic graduate level preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers. The program was started to address the lack of diversity across the spectrum of professional public service, including government, nonprofits, public policy institutions, and international organizations. The purpose of the JSI Fellowship is to prepare students to obtain a Master’s or joint degree, in public policy, public administration, international affairs, or a related field.

This fully-funded opportunity equips fellows with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in graduate school and ultimately, in influential roles serving the public good. Once a student has successfully completed their JSI, they join an alumni network of more than 4,000 leaders. In addition to the opportunities that this network provides for mentoring and career development, our alumni network has the opportunity to receive financial support for their graduate school education if they attend one of the programs in our Graduate School Consortium.

The JSI curriculum includes economics, statistics, domestic/international policy issues and leadership topics, all designed to sharpen the students’ quantitative, analytic and communication skills. The successful completion of a summer institute is a requirement for PPIA Fellows to qualify for graduate school benefits, including a one-time $5,000 scholarship at a PPIA graduate school if admitted for a Master’s degree ad fee waiver when applying to schools that are members of the PPIA Graduate School Consortium.

Website: https://ppiaprogram.org

Application Deadline: November

Eligibility Requirements:

  • U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or DACA recipient
  • International students are eligible for select JSIs – Carnegie Mellon and Princeton – and must be enrolled in a U.S. based institution.
  • Applicants must be undergraduate juniors
  • Must be committed to pursuing a Master’s Degree in public policy and/or international affairs at one of the PPIA Consortium graduate schools.
  • Must be committed to and demonstrate an interest in pursuing a professional career associated with public service such as government, nonprofits, and humanitarian and international organizations.
  • Must be interested in contributing to the diversity of perspectives present in the PPIA Junior Summer Institute Program. You must specifically demonstrate involvement in working to improve historically underserved or underrepresented communities, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Latins, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.