Q&A for How to Become a U.S. Ambassador

You'll need to be at least 21 years old and have a college degree to be noticed by recruiters. Do well in school, and graduate early if you really want to be a foreign service officer soon.

The more languages you know, the better, but if you know what country you would like to be an ambassador to, make sure you are completely fluent in that country's language.

A degree is not officially required for an ambassador position, but in today's world, unless one has decades of field experience, it is unlikely that you would be considered as an ambassador without an advanced degree like a master's in a relevant field of study.

In some cases, yes. Some countries, like Luxembourg, are too small to have their own U.S. Ambassador, so a U.S. Ambassador in a nearby country is also assigned to that small country.

The time depends on many factors, most importantly the networking and political influence you can build. Education is a minimum of four years of undergraduate and two years of graduate school. Then you have to prove yourself as an FSO over a couple of years. Then you must prove yourself as a diplomat and a politician while building your network. Count on a minimum of six years for this. That is 14 years total.

Political Science courses focused in Public Administration or International Relations.

Applying for citizenship to become a legal U.S. citizen is the first step, then just follow the list.

Rejections come for a number of reasons. Most likely, if you are rejected from a post, it has nothing to do with race, but instead because of the competition for that post.

Yes. In order to represent the country you wish to have diplomatic relations with, you must first have a citizenship in said country.

You must be at least 21 and have a college degree to become and ambassador.

Neither is more helpful to become an ambassador. Military service is not a requirement, so no branch is going to help more than the other.

Possibly. You also could be credited for your time, and may have experience with other countries.

Anyone can become an ambassador, but you will have to prove your abilities per the post above.

They are nominated by the president, and then need to be approved by the senate.

At the least, you'll need a bachelor's degree in political science or international relations; consider a master's degree in public administration or public policy.

You would need a recommendation from the president in order to be eligible. While the Trump administration is still in power in Washington, you would need to uphold the policies and ideals of that administration.

A diplomat is just another job title for a member in the department of state working in foreign affairs. FSO is essentially the same positional tasks at a different pay grade step.

Languages that are spoken in multiple countries or that are in high demand in multiple countries. But if you do not know many languages, that's okay. Before each time you are placed at an embassy you have an intensive language training program to teach you the language.

While this is not the only requirement to becoming an ambassador, speaking a second language will make you a more attractive candidate for ambassadorship jobs.

You may not be selected due to your ties with a controversial party. You must also be well-versed in international civility and Danish customs.

Courses that show you have a wide understanding of world topics and cultures helps significantly. Some classes I’d recommend are: AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP United States History and AP European History. All of these will help you recognize common traits and customs (including conflicts and rivalries) among cultures and help you stand out from other applicants. AP courses are not required, but subjects related to history, globalization and government can be very useful.

Having a law degree might improve your chance at getting a position as a US ambassador but there are many factors that go into this choice, including career success, foreign affairs experience and skills, good thinking skills, etc. Read the article above for help.

Typically Ambassadors are required to serve in the assigned country. Often these countries have inferior medical services, which would be a high risk for an ambassador over 59.