Foreign Service Institute

Not to be confused with School of Foreign Service.
For the Indian equivalent, see Foreign Service Institute of India.

Foreign Service Institute
Seal of the U.S. Department of State
Agency overview
FormedMarch 13, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-03-13)
HeadquartersNational Foreign Affairs Training Center, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
38°52′04″N 77°06′08″W / 38.8677°N 77.1023°W / 38.8677; -77.1023
Employees1,332 (as of December 2012)[1]
Annual budget$115 million (FY 2012)[1]
Agency executive
Parent departmentU.S. Department of State
Websitewww.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-management/foreign-service-institute/

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for members of the U.S. foreign service community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives overseas and in Washington.[2] FSI provides more than 800 courses—including up to 70 foreign languages—to more than 225,000 enrollees a year from the U.S. Department of State and more than 50 other government agencies and the military service branches.[3] FSI is based at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia.

The institute's programs include training for the development of all cadres of the U.S. Department of State, including United States Foreign Service, Civil Service, and Locally Employed staff, who serve at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas as well as in domestic offices. Ranging in length from one day to two years, courses are designed to equip foreign affairs professionals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve U.S. foreign policy priorities, to promote successful performance in each professional assignment, to assist in navigating international transitions, and to enhance the leadership and management capabilities of the U.S. foreign affairs community.[4] Other courses and resources help family members prepare for the demands of a mobile lifestyle and living abroad, and provide employees and their families with important information about such critical and timely topics as emergency preparedness and cyber-security awareness, among others.

The FSI director – the chief learning officer responsible for professional training for the State Department and federal foreign affairs agencies – is equivalent in rank to an Assistant Secretary of State[5] and is appointed by the Secretary of State.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference OIG was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Zimmerman, Eilene (December 20, 2008). "Hiring Window Is Open at the Foreign Service". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  3. ^ Reiser, Mindy (May 5, 2017). "Foreign Service Institute Prepares Government Workers for Global Careers". Washington Diplomat. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  4. ^ "Foreign Service Institute". U.S. Department of State – Foreign Service Institute. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "1 FAM 290 Foreign Service Institute (FSI)". Foreign Affairs Manual. U.S. Department of State. September 8, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2017.