The Buffett Institute partners with organizations in the United States and around the world to offer post-baccalaureate fellowships for recent Northwestern graduates seeking globally focused careers. This new program launching in 2025 features fellowship sites including Bosnia & Herzegovina, Colombia, the Philippines and the United States. Sectors span a wide variety of fields, such as global affairs, human rights, international development and musical theatre.
These fellowships provide invaluable post-graduation experience in global fields at organizations in the U.S. and abroad, opening doors to diverse career paths. Whether heading into the workforce or taking a gap year before pursuing graduate studies, Buffett Post-Baccalaureate Fellows will gain a significant competitive edge, building a network of experts and scholars at international institutions and transnational organizations through their fellowship site in the U.S. or abroad.
Students may review and apply for each fellowship on Handshake. The deadline for the 2025 fellowships in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Colombia and the Philippines was April 1. These three positions have since been filled, though we expect up to four fellowship sites for this inaugural cycle and hope to grow in future cycles, so please check back for additional opportunities. Make sure to subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date on deadlines and new opportunities.
Each fellowship posting has specific details, like location, duration and start date, 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), health insurance benefits, work authorization assistance and on-site support and mentorship.
Fellows will retain an unpaid affiliation with the Buffett Institute and receive the additional support as part of their fellowship.
- Transportation Stipend: 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.
After completing the program, fellows join our alumni network, fostering ongoing engagement with the Buffett Institute and continuing their leadership in shaping our shared futures.
- Seniors graduating in winter or spring 2025 or recently graduated (in 2024) alumni from Northwestern undergraduate programs on the Evanston or Chicago campuses.
- Willingness to commit to the fellowship for its duration; may not concurrently pursue coursework or additional jobs or internships during 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.
Once a job 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 the Buffett Undergraduate Programs team.