Diplomatic Tradecraft and Regional Area Studies Training

The School of Professional and Area Studies (SPAS) provides job-specific orientation, tradecraft, and area studies training to empower foreign affairs professionals to advance U.S. interests and tackle the evolving challenges of 21-century diplomacy. SPAS supports our professionals through tailored programs in Consular, Economic and Commercial, Management, Office Management, Political, and Public Diplomacy, as well as new-hire orientation programs and in-depth Area Studies courses. SPAS is also home to the Center for the Study of the Conduct of Diplomacy (CSCD), which examines recent diplomatic experiences in order to capture best practices and lessons learned. CSCD produces comparative analyses which are incorporated into FSI training and used to help prepare foreign affairs professionals at all ranks for the challenges faced at U.S. missions around the world.