Rotary Peace Fellowship 2028-29 – Eligibility, Funding and How to Apply

Status: Closed for 2027–28 — the application for the 2027–28 Rotary Peace Fellowship is now closed. The application for the 2028–29 fellowship will open online in February 2027. This article was checked against the official Rotary International peace fellowships page on 14 November 2026, and the official source is linked at the end so you can confirm the opening date when February 2027 arrives. If you work in peacebuilding, conflict resolution or development, this is the fellowship to prepare for now, while the application is still closed, so that you are ready when it opens.

Each year, Rotary awards fully funded fellowships for dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of its Rotary Peace Centers. It is one of the largest and most established peace fellowships in the world, and it is designed for people who have already shown, through their work, that they are committed to peace. Fellows learn about the value and importance of peace, reconciliation and service, and they study with other fellows from around the world, building what Rotary calls a network of peace leaders across the globe who can work together on peace and development.

The fellowship comes in two forms, and you must decide which one fits your background. The master’s degree programme is a 15 to 24 month programme at a Rotary Peace Center, and Rotary awards up to 50 master’s fellowships each year. The certificate programme is a one-year professional development programme, and Rotary awards up to 120 certificate fellowships each year. Both are fully funded, both are for people with practical experience, and both are aimed at people who will use what they learn in their work on peace and development. The difference is in length, depth and the kind of applicant each one is designed for.

The master’s programme and the certificate programme

The master’s programme is an academic programme. It leads to a master’s degree, it takes between 15 and 24 months, and it is for people who have a bachelor’s degree, relevant professional experience and a commitment to the study of peace and development. You will study at a Rotary Peace Center, take an academic programme, and develop as a leader in peace and conflict work. The certificate programme, by contrast, is a one-year professional development programme. It is for working professionals who already have substantial experience in peace and development, and who want a focused year of study, training and professional development without a full master’s degree. It is intensive, it is practical, and it is designed for people who will return to their organisations and apply what they have learned immediately.

Choosing between the two is a matter of where you are in your career and what you need. If you are an early- to mid-career professional with a bachelor’s degree and a few years of experience, and you want a master’s degree and a deeper academic foundation, the master’s programme is likely to fit. If you are an experienced professional with many years of work in peace and development, and you want a focused year to strengthen your skills and your network, the certificate programme is likely to fit. Rotary publishes detailed eligibility information for each programme on its site, and you should read both sets of requirements before you decide which one to apply for.

Who is eligible

Rotary sets out eligibility requirements for both programmes, and applicants should check the official Rotary page for the full list. In summary, applicants to the master’s programme are expected to have a bachelor’s degree, at least three years of full-time relevant experience in peace and development work or voluntary work, and a record of leadership. Applicants to the certificate programme are expected to have a bachelor’s degree, at least five years of full-time relevant experience, and a record of leadership. All applicants must show a demonstrated commitment to peace, reconciliation and service, and must be able to explain, in their application, how the fellowship will help them do that work better.

English language ability matters, because the fellowship is conducted in English and fellows must be able to take part in academic study and professional discussion. You will also need a recommendation from your Rotary district, and the endorsement process is part of the application. In practice, that means you should talk to a local Rotary club or district early in the process, well before you submit your application, so that they can support your application and so that their endorsement can be completed on time. That local connection is an integral part of how Rotary selects fellows, and it is also one of the things that makes the fellowship different from a purely academic scholarship: the Rotary network itself is involved in choosing its fellows.

Applicants should also be aware that Rotary’s restrictions on who can apply include rules about Rotary members and employees, and about people with close connections to Rotary. The official Rotary page sets out those limits in detail, and you should read them before you apply so that you are not surprised by a rule that affects you. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, the safest step is to ask the Rotary Peace Fellowship team through the official Rotary channels.

What the fellowship covers, and what it does not

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is a generous, fully funded award. As Rotary states, fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses, as well as health insurance. That means the core costs of studying and living as a fellow — the tuition your university charges, your accommodation and food, your travel to and from the fellowship, and the costs of the field study and internship that form part of the programme — are paid for. Health insurance is also included, which matters for anyone coming to a foreign country to study. The coverage is intended to let fellows focus on their study and on their professional development, without the financial burden of international study.

The fellowship does not cover everything. Unverified costs, such as the cost of supporting dependants who travel with you, personal spending beyond normal living expenses, or the cost of travelling that is not part of the fellowship programme, should not be assumed to be covered. Check the official Rotary information for the exact list of what is funded, and plan your budget on the basis of that list. The fellowship is not a salary and it is not a way to support a family while you are studying — it is a full scholarship for a single fellow. If questions remain about a particular cost, ask Rotary before you apply, rather than after you are selected.

How to apply, and how to prepare while applications are closed

Applications for the 2028–29 fellowship open online in February 2027. Until then, the most useful preparation is not a form. It is a career. Work on the peace and development work you can already point to, keep a clear record of it, and be able to describe it with named projects, named organisations and named outcomes. Build your leadership record. Learn the language and tools of conflict resolution, mediation and development, and take part in the work Rotary values. Gather referees who know your work and who can speak honestly about your commitment, your leadership and your potential.

When applications open, apply through the official Rotary application route and follow the instructions on the Rotary peace fellowship page. Expect to write about your work, your commitment to peace, and how you would use the fellowship when you return home. Be specific: name the communities you have worked in, the conflicts you have worked on, and the results you have helped to bring about. A vague application about peace in general is weaker than a specific application about a real place, a real project and a real problem that peace work can solve there.

Because the closing date for the 2028–29 cycle was not published on the Rotary page we checked on 14 November 2026 — the page says only that applications open in February 2027 — do not plan around a guessed date. Check the official Rotary page in February 2027 for the closing date, and aim to submit well before it. If you are from Pakistan, work through the local Rotary district and your local club as well, because their endorsement is part of the process and takes time.

Official source

Verify the status, eligibility and application route on the official Rotary International page before you apply: https://www.rotary.org/get-involved/our-programs/peace-fellowships. This article was checked on 14 November 2026; programme details can change, so the official page is the final authority.