Humphrey Fellowship Host Universities: Seven Campuses, and You Don’t Pick
Fellows are assigned in field-based cohorts to one of the current host universities. The official list has shrunk to seven — older pages still say 13.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The current host universities
As listed on the official Host Universities page, checked 6 October 2026. The focus column is the field label the programme shows for each campus; city is added for orientation.
| University | Focus on the official page | Location |
|---|---|---|
| American University | Law & Human Rights | Washington, D.C. |
| Arizona State University | Communication & Journalism | Phoenix area, Arizona |
| Emory University | Public Health Policy and Management | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Urban Planning | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Syracuse University | Public Policy | Syracuse, New York |
| University of California, Davis | Natural Resources, Sustainability, and Environmental Policy | Davis, California |
| University of Minnesota | Public Policy & Human Rights | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
The official Fellowship Components page says Fellows are placed at “one of 7 Humphrey host universities”. The State Department’s FY 2027 funding notice and several 2027–28 embassy calls say “approximately eight”. Some 2027–28 calls (Ghana, Jerusalem, Mauritania) still say “approximately 13”, and the Brazil instructions list 13, including Boston University, Cornell, Michigan State, Penn State, Vanderbilt and Virginia Commonwealth. Trust the official site for the current picture; the number may change for 2028–29.
How placement works
You cannot choose your university. The FAQ says Fellows are “assigned in groups of 13–15 to the most appropriate host institution based on their area of interest and professional field.” The State Department’s funding notice aims for cohorts of about 13 and at least 10 Fellows at each host.
So your field choice in the application effectively decides your campus. A journalist will most likely go to Arizona State’s communication cohort; a public health manager to Emory; an urban planner to MIT. With six fields and seven campuses, some fields map to more than one host — IIE decides.
The six fields of study
The current Fields of Study page lists six. Each now has explicit U.S. foreign-policy language attached:
Investigative journalism, broadcasting, digital media, public relations, information integrity.
Rule of law, justice systems, anti-corruption, transnational crime, transparent governance.
Critical minerals, energy, water, agriculture, food security and supply chains.
Trade and investment, workforce, education policy, fiscal and monetary policy, public management.
Health systems, disease prevention and surveillance, preparedness.
Cybersecurity, AI, data governance, telecommunications, biotech.
Some host labels still use older field names (for example “Urban Planning” at MIT). Embassy calls for 2027–28 used the six fields above.
What a host campus provides
Each campus has at least one designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support, and faculty advisers who help you balance coursework with professional activity, the 2027–28 embassy calls say. You audit or take a partial course load. You will be off campus a lot: the Global Leadership Forum in Washington, conferences, site visits and the six-week affiliation.
Host universities are themselves chosen competitively for five-year cycles, the official page explains, through annual competitions organised by field. That is why the list changes.
The Distinguished Humphrey Fellowship
You may also see the Distinguished Humphrey Fellowship Program. It is a separate, invitation-only executive programme for senior professionals, about 18 days long with 15–20 participants, launched in 2016. You cannot apply for it through the standard call. Past hosts include Harvard’s Kennedy School, Duke, the University of Washington and George Washington University.