The Buffett Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship is a one-year, paid fellowship program designed to prepare recent Northwestern graduates for impactful global careers and open doors to diverse career paths.
Fellows work full-time at partner organizations abroad, gaining practical experience and professional skills in a variety of fields such as the arts, human rights, community development, and global health, among others. Whether pursuing graduate studies or entering the workforce, fellows emerge with a strong professional network and real-world experience.
Fellowship opportunities are typically posted in mid-February each year, with an application deadline of April 1 for positions generally beginning September 1. Students can review and apply for fellowships through Handshake.
While the application cycle follows this annual timeline, off-cycle opportunities may occasionally become available. To stay informed about all openings and deadlines, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list.
Annual application deadline: April 1
Each fellowship posting has specific details, such as employer, compensation, and location, so please review each one carefully. This is a competitive program: applicants are interviewed and hired directly by our partner organizations, though the fellowships are only open to eligible Northwestern University candidates.
As employees of these organizations, fellows receive competitive compensation (comparable to local staff), select benefits, and on-site support and mentorship. While fellows will be responsible for securing work authorization, the employer will provide assistance.
Fellows will retain an unpaid affiliation with the Buffett Institute and receive additional support as part of their fellowship:
- Transportation Stipend: This stipend is intended to cover a round-trip flight to and from the fellowship location. Fellows on one-year fellowships receive an additional stipend for a round-trip flight home during a holiday break.
- Language Learning Fund: Fellows can apply for up to $1,000 to study the local language.
- Undergraduate students: You must be currently enrolled in Northwestern University’s Evanston or Chicago campus and graduating in fall, winter, or spring quarter.
- Alumni: You must have graduated within the past year from a Northwestern University undergraduate program on the Evanston or Chicago campus.
- You must be willing to commit to the fellowship for its duration, and you may not concurrently pursue coursework or additional jobs or internships during the fellowship’s business hours.
- Please review each fellowship description to determine additional requirements or preferences for qualified candidates.
Students must apply directly to the fellowship postings on the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs' profile on Handshake. The Buffett Institute will provide the hiring manager at the partner organization with an application packet. Then, the partner organization will communicate directly with applicants and complete an interview and hiring process. Some sites may have special instructions or requirements, so please be sure to following instructions in each job description.
Partner organizations are encouraged to finalize job offers by June, though in some cases, offers may extend into the summer months.
Once a fellowship offer is formally accepted, students may not pursue other opportunities during this same period. We understand accepting a job or fellowship offer is a significant decision and invite students at any application stage to discuss further with the Buffett Undergraduate Programs team.
Fellows will retain an unpaid affiliation with the Buffett Institute during the fellowship and have access to an adviser throughout the program.
Questions about the Buffett Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship Program can be sent to buffett-undergrad-programs@northwestern.edu.
Launched in 2025, the program has already partnered with a diverse range of organizations around the world, including:
- Legal Fellow, Center for Reproductive Rights, Latin American and the Caribbean Program – Colombia
- Research Associate, Innovations for Poverty Action – Philippines
- Artistic Producing Associate, Broadway Across Borders – Bosnia and Herzegovina