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Criteria for Selecting New Members

In considering candidates for membership, factors such as the following should be taken into account:

Established leader who models integrity, works collaboratively, and values diversity;
Demonstrated distinguished accomplishments;
Sustained performance, preferably including more than one significant foreign affairs or diplomatic assignment;
Demonstrated continuing interest in foreign affairs;
Balance between geographic and functional expertise;
Diversity of professional backgrounds, race and gender, career and non-career experience;
Could be expected to contribute to the Academy’s affairs.

  1. All former secretaries of state shall be offered honorary membership.

  2. All former deputy secretaries, undersecretaries, USAID administrators, USAID deputy and assistant administrators, assistant secretaries and assistant secretary-equivalent positions, directors general of the Foreign Service in the Department of State and other national security/foreign policy agencies of the U.S. Government, and senior directors and higher-level posts within the National Security Council staff, who preferably have held a chief of mission post as well. Comparable senior national security positions in the Executive Office of the President may also merit consideration.

  3. Former chiefs of mission and ambassadors and persons who have held positions of comparable level of responsibilities in the U.S. government and beyond, including positions of national distinction (e.g. member of Congress, governor, university president, president of a major national institution, etc.).

  4. Former secretaries of Cabinet departments and their deputies, directors and deputy directors of National Intelligence and the CIA, and assistants to the president for national security affairs (national security adviser).

  5. Former combatant commanders (CINCs), chairmen and vice-chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

  6. Former chairpersons and ranking minority members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, or other committees of the Congress.

  7. On rare occasions, other exceptionally qualified persons who as a result of their contributions to the field of American diplomacy merit admission.

  8. No one serving in the US Government is deemed eligible for active membership.

To access previous criteria for selecting new members of the Academy, please click here. 

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