Pepperdine's Master of Middle East Policy Studies Named Official Partner for Esteemed Pickering, Rangel, and Payne Fellowships

The Pepperdine Master of Middle East Policy Studies program has been designated an approved graduate program for the respected Thomas R. Pickering, Charles B. Rangel, and Donald M. Payne Fellowships.

On October 22, 2026, the US Department of State announced its reimagined flagship foreign service pathway program titled "America's Next Great Diplomats," along with a short list of department-approved Washington, DC-based graduate programs. The highly competitive program selects students dedicated to serving American interests abroad and invests in their educational and professional future by funding their master’s education at one of the approved programs. Chosen students commit to a five-year agreement within the department following a successful graduation.

“It is an extraordinary honor for the Department of State to trust Pepperdine with a part in preparing America’s next great diplomats,” said Johnnie Moore, vice chancellor and managing director of Middle East Studies. “We are the only approved program entirely dedicated to the Middle East, standing alongside some of the most prestigious graduate schools in the country. That is a remarkable affirmation of what our faculty and students have built in just two years and of how important Washington is to Pepperdine’s future. Public service is a noble calling. Our students come to Washington to master the languages, history, and hard realities of the Middle East, so that one day they can represent America with competence and character.”

This historic achievement reflects the exceptional quality of education offered to the University’s Master of Middle East Policy Studies students, taught by expert faculty from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. With this distinction, Pepperdine stands among long-standing programs including Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, American University's School of International Service, and George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government.

In a statement announcing the program launch, deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau wrote that approved programs are evaluated “against curriculum standards tied to the workforce needs of American diplomacy” and are deemed an “education worthy of the mission.”

“We launched this program only two years ago in an effort to bring our longstanding commitment to viewpoint diversity to a discipline that desperately needs it: Middle East Policy Studies,” noted Pete Peterson (MPP ’07), dean of the School of Public Policy. “To be included by the Department of State in these respected scholarship programs to prepare America’s leaders in this vital region is a tribute to this distinctive emphasis and our creative partnership with the Washington Institute.” 

Candidates dedicated to public service and demonstrating intellectual curiosity, analytical rigor, and academic achievement are encouraged to apply for the State Department fellowship and to Pepperdine at the same time.

Applications for Pepperdine’s Middle East Studies program beginning fall 2027 are currently open. Prospective students are encouraged to submit their university application. 

Every admitted applicant will receive a full-tuition scholarship directly from the University, independent of the fellowship outcome, as part of Pepperdine’s commitment to ease the path to public service and to launch a new generation of Middle East specialists.

The separate Department of State fellowship application opens in December and closes in January. Awarded fellows receive full tuition, a $33,000 stipend, two summer internships, and an accelerated pathway into the Foreign Service. Applicants must be US citizens with a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA and must pass the Foreign Service Officer Test prior to applying; candidates are advised to sit for the exam at the earliest opportunity.

Visit the US Department of State for more information about the fellowship program.