What sort of education/training/experience must one have to become a US Ambassador?

Question

I suppose one would need a degree in International Studies and know a foreign language, but is that all that is required? Oh, and at what age do people get the chance to become an official ambassador?

Answer 1

Make a large enough political contribution to a presidential candidate, and you may be on a fast track to an ambassadorship.

The "elite" universities used to have a "lock" on having their graduates become career diplomats. They used to be almost an Ivy League club, with graduates from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Colombia, Cornell, and Brown University dominating. Now, I would reckon that any major university located in the Washinton DC area such as Georgetown, George Washington, American University, Catholic University, and George Mason would be a good choice. However, you can get a good education and have an excellent chance of being recruited from many other fine private and public universities and colleges.

It is a plus if you are fluent in multiple foreign languages. I would encourage you to study Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and French. French is the language of choice for people interested in Africa because it is an official language of many of the countries of northern and western Africa.

While in college, I would recommend at minimum a semester to a year of study abroad. Foreign study is where you develop your skills and cultural sensitivity. Consider foreign study in an African country such as Sénégal.

Do whatever you can to become a good writer. Much of what you can accomplish in any career depends on your ability with the written and spoken word.

Oh, yes, one final word. Study hard, and good luck.

Answer 2

There are 2 strategies to grow to be an envoy: a million) artwork up the foreign places provider profession ladder. Take the foreign places provider examination and undergo the education. as quickly as you have handed, you will generally be grew to become around in diverse international places each and every few years and in time you will possibly nicely be promoted into an ambassadorial place. 2) because of the fact Ambassadors are appointed via the President, it extremely isn't any marvel that the extra plum positions such because of the fact the Ambassadors to France is maximum often given as a political favors to those that've supported the President in diverse campaigns.

Answer 3

Ambassador is a political appointment, not a job one applies for. We have had ambassadors with no qualifications other than being a loyal (and generou$) supporter of the president.