Open Call: Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (Burkina Faso)

This is a nine-month exchange program in the United States for mid-level professionals who have potential to move into leadership positions in the public or private sector. Fellows spend approximately nine months in the U.S. taking graduate level courses at a U.S. university, participating in long term leadership development programs and engaging with professional peers from around the world in non-academic professional development activities. This is not an academic degree program. The goal is general professional development. Candidates must already have an undergraduate university degree, at least five years of professional experience, and be proficient in English (with a TOEFL score of at least 550). The funding covers the cost of tuition and university fees, a monthly maintenance allowance, a book and supplies allowance, round-trip transportation from Burkina Faso to the host university in the U.S., and transportation to Washington, D.C. for a special seminar.

Eligibility Criteria

• Only applicants who meet the following minimum requirements can apply to the Public Affairs Section in the U.S. Embassy:
  • Citizens or permanent residents of Burkina Faso.
  • Persons who have a university degree awarded after at least four years of full-time study that would be sufficient to qualify the person to be admitted to a graduate study program at a university in the U.S.
  • Persons who will have at least five years of professional work experience prior to the commencement of their Fellowship and who desire to pursue study and professional development in the same field in which they have the five years of experience; and
  • Persons who are proficient in both written and spoken English (550 TOEFL PBT)
  • Persons committed to returning to Burkina and developing their field.
• Anyone meeting the minimum requirements may apply. However, people who have the following characteristics are the most competitive applicants and therefore the ones most likely to be selected:
  • Persons who have already demonstrated leadership qualities.
  • Persons who have already shown a commitment to public service.
  • Persons who have the potential to advance in their professional fields; and
  • Persons involved in establishing and implementing policy (as distinguished from persons who only conduct research or who only perform technical functions).
• Applications from women and persons who work at non-governmental organizations are encouraged.
• In addition, researchers, treatment providers, prevention specialists, and public or private program planners in drug abuse prevention and treatment are encouraged to apply.
• Mid-career professionals who work in the following fields in either the public or private sector are eligible to apply:
  • Communications/Journalism
  • Natural Resources and Environmental Management
  • Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
  • Economic Development
  • Agricultural Development/Agricultural Economics
  • Finance and Banking
  • Human Resource Management/Personnel
  • Law, Civil Society, Human Rights, and Democratic Development
  • Urban and Regional Planning
  • Technology Policy and Management
  • Educational Planning
  • Public Health Policy and Management
  • Drug Abuse Education, Prevention and Treatment

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following are examples of persons who are not eligible for this program:
  • Recent university undergraduates.
  • University teachers with no management responsibilities.
  • Persons who have attended a graduate school in the U.S. for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2026.
  • Persons who have spent more than six months in the U.S. during the five years prior to August 2026; and
  • Persons who are dual citizens of the U.S. and another country, or who have U.S. permanent resident status (e.g., who have a green card).

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Burkina Faso.