Effective as of February 1, 2022
Education Information:
For generalist positions (i.e., Political, Management, Economic and Public Diplomacy):
- Assuming they meet the general professional experience requirement, applicants who have at least:
- a BA, BS in any field may qualify at FP-06,
- a MA, MS, JD in any field may qualify at FP-05 and,
- a PhD, LL.M in any field may qualify at FP-04.
- Applicants whose degree is listed in the table, may be offered the corresponding grade if qualified.
For specialist positions (i.e., Human Resources, Information Management, Office Management, Financial Management, General Services, Facility Manager, Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Psychiatrist and Physician):
- Assuming they meet the specialized experience requirement, applicants who have at the minimum a High School Diploma (or GED Certificate) may qualify (except for Financial Management and Medical positions). Check each grade minimum requirement.
For generalist and specialist positions and related field questions: Applicants whose degree major is not listed in the table must explain in their USAJOBS resume how their education relates to the EPAP position to which they apply, that is, the nature of their “related degree.” To be recognized as a related degree, at least 60 percent of the courses listed in the transcript must be closely related to the EPAP position(s) for which the applicant applies. The Human Resource specialist will review the application and determine if 60 percent of the course work relates to the specialist position. Therefore, to help ensure a successful review, the applicant’s resume must contain this information.
Experience Information:
“Professional Experience” is defined as: experience gained in a recognized field such as journalism; social sciences; business management; project management; marketing; economics; political science; law; engineering; computer science; healthcare; teaching; or natural sciences. (Note: Professional experience does not include clerical or receptionist work experience.)
“Specialized Experience” is required for some EPAP areas. See specific qualification standards for definition.
To be credited as specialized experience, 60 percent or more of the duties describing each job/position must be in the same functional or closely related field for those application(s). Experience does not have to include all the areas listed in the specialized experience column, but rather should relate to one or several areas as long as it falls under the specialized experience definition (i.e., qualifying experience may be only in “recruitment, salary and benefits administration” as long as it represents 60 percent of the duties within one position). Successful prior service in an EPAP position in the same area is considered Specialized Experience.
Prior EPAP Employment: “Fully successful” EPAP experience must be documented in the candidate’s performance appraisal(s) (and corresponding initial and final SF-50s, see Checklist) submitted at the time of application. Applicants are reminded they also need to include their prior EPAP experience in their federal resume so that their experience is accounted for.
All positions require a minimum level of business proficiency (3/3) in English.
EPAP Positions
Select the position to see the qualification standards:
Nurse Practitioner/ Physician Assistant
Medical Laboratory Scientist/ Medical Technologist
Political EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-06 | BA or BS in any field and 4 years professional experience. | N/A | |
| FP-05 | BA or BS in Int’l Relations, Political Science, History, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology or related field and 2 years professional experience.
MA, MS, (or JD) in any field and 2 years professional experience. |
or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Political EPAP position at FP-06 or FP-05 level. |
| FP-04 | MA or MS, in Int’l Relations, Political Science, History, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field (or JD in related field) and 1 year professional experience.
Doctorate or LL.M in any field (and no required experience). |
or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in Political EPAP position at FP-05 level, or minimum 12 months “fully successful” at FP-04. |
General Professional Experience:
- Experience gained in a field such as journalism; social sciences; business; management; project management; marketing; economics; political science; law; engineering; computer science; healthcare; teaching; or natural sciences. Professional experience may include research; analysis; reporting; management oversight.
Specialized Experience:
- N/A
Human Resources EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-05 | HS Diploma/GED Certificate and 3 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Human Resources EPAP position at FP-05 level. |
| BA or BS or above in non-related field and 2 years specialized experience. | |||
| FP-04 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 5 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in Human Resources EPAP position at FP-05 level, or minimum 12 months “fully successful” at FP-04. |
| BA or BS or above in any field and 4 years specialized experience. | |||
| BA or BS or above in Human Resources, Personnel, or Labor Relations and 3 years specialized experience. | |||
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Recruitment and staffing; staff training and development; performance management and appraisal; employee relations; salary and benefits administration; employee policies and procedures; labor relations and laws – including EEO; position classification; and supervision of HR staff. “Specialized experience” is professional work directly relevant to human resources work.
Management EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-06 | BA or BS in any field and 4 years professional experience. | N/A | |
| FP-05 | BA or BS in Public Administration, Business Administration, Operations, Finance, or related field and 2 years professional experience.
MA, MS, (or JD) in any field and 2 years professional experience. |
or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Management EPAP position at FP-06 or FP-05 level. |
| FP-04 | MA or MS, in Public Administration, Business Administration, Operations, Finance, or related field (or JD in related field) and 1 year professional experience.
Doctorate or LL.M in any field (and no required experience). |
or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in Management EPAP position at FP-05 level, or minimum 12 months “fully successful” at FP-04. |
General Professional Experience:
- Experience gained in a field such as journalism; social sciences; management; project management; marketing; economics; political science; law; engineering; computer science; healthcare; teaching; or natural science. Professional experience may include research; analysis; reporting; management oversight.
Specialized Experience:
- N/A
Economic EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-06 | BA or BS in any field and 4 years professional experience. | N/A | |
| FP-05 | BS or BA in Economics, Finance, Trade, Energy, Environmental Health Science, Business, or related field and 2 years professional experience.
MA, MS, (or JD) in any field and 2 years professional experience. |
or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Economic EPAP position at FP-06 or FP-05 level. |
| FP-04 | MA or MS, in Economics, Finance, Trade, Energy, Environmental Health Science, Business, or related field (or JD in related field) and 1 year professional experience.
Doctorate or LL.M in any field (and no required experience). |
or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in Economic EPAP position at FP-05 level, or minimum 12 months “fully successful” at FP-04. |
General Professional Experience:
- Experience gained in a field such as journalism; social sciences; business; management; project management; marketing; economics; political science; law; engineering; computer science; healthcare; teaching; or natural sciences. Professional experience may include research; analysis; reporting; management oversight.
Specialized Experience:
- N/A
Public Diplomacy EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-06 | BA or BS in non-related field and 4 years professional experience. | N/A | |
| FP-05 | BA or BS in Public Relations, Media, Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or related field and 2 years professional experience.
MA, MS (or JD) in any field and 2 years professional experience. |
or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Public Diplomacy EPAP position at FP-06 or FP-05 level. |
| FP-04 | MA or MS, in Public Relations, Media, Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or related field, (or JD in related field), and 1 year professional experience.
Doctorate or LL.M in any field (no required experience). |
or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in Public Diplomacy EPAP position at FP-05 level, or minimum 12 months “fully successful” at FP-04 level. |
General Professional Experience:
- Experience gained in a field such as journalism; social sciences; business; management; project management; marketing; economics; political science; law; engineering; computer science; healthcare; teaching; or natural sciences. Professional experience may include research; analysis; reporting; management oversight.
Specialized Experience:
- N/A
Financial Management EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-05 | BA or BS in any field with 24 semester hours in Accounting, Finance, Auditing or Statistics and 2 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Financial Management EPAP position at FP-05 level. |
| FP-04 | BA or BS in Accounting or Finance and 3 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment at the FP-05 level or minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Financial Management EPAP position at FP-04 level. |
| FP-03 | MA or MS in Business or Public Administration with a concentration in Accounting or Finance. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Financial management involving the preparation, justification, or management of an organization’s budget; work in a business or industrial concern with responsibilities for program planning, organization, methods and procedures; accounting including interpretation and use of financial data for informed decision-making and the efficient and optimal use of resources; teaching comprehensive budget, fiscal or accounting courses in an accredited educational institution above the high school level; development and/or implementation of internal controls and compliance with laws and regulations related to financial management; banking, currency purchasing or treasury operations; or payroll plan development and/or administration.
Information Management EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-06 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 3 years of specialized experience and no certifications. | N/A | |
| AA or AS in an IT-related field; or an AA or AS or higher degree in a non-IT field and at least 2 years of specialized experience; or served in a US Military IT Specialty Code and 2 years specialized experience. | |||
| FP-05 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 4 years of specialized experience with 1 certification in an IT-related field (such as: A+, N+, MCSA, MCSE, CSMA, CCNP or CISSP). | or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in an Information Management EPAP position at FP-06 level or any grade above and met the training requirements in place at the time of prior EPAP-IM employment. |
| AA or AS in an IT-related field and at least 1 year of specialized experience; or AA or AS or higher degree in a non- IT field and 3 years of specialized experience; or served in a US Military IT Specialty Code and 4 years specialized experience. | |||
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Work with computers, upgrade, repair, replace hardware and software components; or work with network devices, switches, and routers; or performing Sys-Admin functions such as: mail server maintenance; add, delete, and assign users to roles, patch management and server maintenance; configure or administer virtual network environment; program management for IT projects or data analytics experience; or expertise in cybersecurity/cloud computing.
- IT-related degree or training must be in the following: Information Management, Telecommunications Management, Computer Information Systems, Networking, Data Processing, Computer Sciences, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, IT Acquisition and Control Management, IT Business processes; or other related computer networking fields.
Office Management EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-07 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 3 years specialized experience. | N/A | |
| AA or AS in Office Management, Business Administration, or related field and 2 years professional experience. | |||
| FP-06 | BA or BS or above in any field and 2 years professional experience | or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in Office Management EPAP position at FP-07 or FP-06 level. |
General Professional Experience:
- General office management or administrative assistant experience. Does not include strictly clerical or receptionist work.
Specialized Experience:
- Duties must have been a combination of secretarial, administrative assistant or office management components, including but not limited to managing the calendar(s) and schedule(s) for one or more senior staff; proofing and editing documents as well as tracking written materials and maintaining office files; preparing documents or computer presentations for meetings, including facilitating agendas and following up on commitments made at meetings; providing computer support of all types and knowledge management; and planning and assisting with official events and visitors.
General Services EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-05 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 3 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in a General Service EPAP position at FP-05 level. |
| BA or BS or above in non-related field and 2 years specialized experience. | |||
| FP-04 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 5 years specialized experience. | or | Minimum 18 months “fully successful” employment in General Services EPAP position at the FP-05 level or minimum 12 months “fully successful” employment in General Services EPAP position at FP-04 level |
| BA or BS or above in non-related field and 4 years specialized experience. | |||
| BA or BS in Public Administration, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Management, or related field and 2 years specialized experience. | |||
| MA or MS in Public Administration, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Management, or related field and 1 year specialized experience. | |||
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Procurement practices and procedures; negotiating contracts; supervision of contractual services for utilities and equipment; responsibility for scheduling large shipments of domestic or overseas freight, and managing customs clearances; supervision of inventory of supplies and equipment; supervision of motor pool operations, including management and servicing of vehicles; negotiating for the purchase and leasing of real property; managing a pool of housing, developing space assignments and maintaining individual units; or managing an employee travel program encompassing a wide variety of types of travel and destination
Facility Management EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-04 | HS Diploma or GED Certificate and 10 years specialized experience. | N/A | |
| BA or BS – Any field and 3 years specialized experience. | |||
| MA or MS – Any field and 2 years specialized experience. | |||
| BA or BS or above in Facility Management (FM) or Facility Engineering (FE). | |||
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Experience in facilities operations and/or maintenance; strategic operations planning; working with projects that require specialized knowledge of engineering drawings and designs; working with projects that require specialized knowledge of safety functions and applicable building codes; managing and administering preventative and non-preventative maintenance programs; managing the financial aspects of a variety of contracts and supervising staff; or related experience.
Registered Nurse EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-05 | Degree, certificate, or diploma from an accredited School of Nursing. U.S. RN license or equivalent and 2 years specialized experience, within the last 5 years. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Recent experience providing direct in-patient and out-patient care. Ability to evaluate by means of a health history, observation, interview, physical examination and selected diagnostic measures, and treat and teach within the Scope of Nursing, and in collaboration with medical staff. BLS certified (or eligible).
Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-04 | Master’s degree in a health-related field. National certification and licensure in a U.S. state and 3 years specialized, of full-time clinical experience within the past 7 years, post certification, with at least 75% involved in direct primary care. | N/A | |
| FP-03 | Master’s degree in a health-related field. National certification and licensure in a U.S. state and 5 years specialized, full-time clinical experience within the past 7 years, post certification, with at least 75% involved in direct primary care. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Recent experience providing “Primary care”: encompassing adult and pediatric diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and management of chronic diseases, routine gynecologic care, prenatal care, adult health maintenance and preventive health care, well childcare and immunization management. Ability to manage a Health Unit and supervise diverse employees. BLS and ACLS certified (or eligible).
Medical Laboratory Scientist/ Medical Technologist EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-05 | Bachelor’s degree in related field and completion of an NAACLS program for MLS or MT. U.S. National MLS and MT certification and 5 years specialized, of full-time post-certification laboratory work within the last 7 years. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Recent experience in all areas of the medical laboratory including Parasitology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Immunology, Hematology, Blood Banking and Urinalysis, with progressively responsible supervisory experience as a Medical Technologist/Medical Laboratory Scientist.
Physician EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-02 | Doctorate in Medicine or Osteopathy (MD or DO) from an accredited medical program. Completion of residency and board certification in either Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Obstetrics/Gynecology. Must possess a valid U.S. medical license or equivalent and 3 years specialized, full-time post-residency clinical experience within the past seven (7) years, in providing primary care to adults, children, and infants, with at least 75% of the time involved in direct patient care. | N/A | |
| FP-01 | Doctorate in Medicine or Osteopathy (MD or DO) from an accredited medical program. Completion of residency and board certification in either Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Obstetrics/Gynecology. Must possess a valid U.S. medical license or equivalent and 5 years specialized, full-time post-residency clinical experience within the past seven (7) years, in providing primary care to adults, children, and infants, with at least 75% of the time involved in direct patient care. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Post residency provision of direct primary and preventive healthcare for pediatric, obstetric, and adult patients, and emergency and acute care services. Ability to manage entire health care teams and supervise diverse employees. BLS and ACLS certified (or eligible).
Psychiatrist EPAP
EPAP Grade and EPAP Minimum Standards
| EPAP Grade | Education and Experience | Prior EPAP Employment | |
| FP-02 | Doctorate in Medicine or Osteopathy (MD or DO) from an accredited medical program. Successful completion of an internship and psychiatric residency training program. Current broad certification by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (ABPN). Current, valid, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States and 3 years post-residency clinical experience with at least 50% of the applicant’s time involved in direct patient care during the last five years. | N/A | |
| FP-01 | Doctorate in Medicine or Osteopathy (MD or DO) from an accredited medical program. Successful completion of an internship and psychiatric residency training program. Current broad certification by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology (ABPN). Current, valid, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States and 5 years post-residency clinical experience with at least 50% of the applicant’s time involved in direct patient care during the last five years. | N/A | |
General Professional Experience:
- N/A
Specialized Experience:
- Experience in team building, leadership, and management in a multidisciplinary setting are preferred. Effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to present findings in a clear and concise manner to both medical and non-medical personnel. Public speaking skills as well as knowledge and hands-on familiarity of computer systems and software are also desirable qualities. Strong command of the English language to include grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Must consistently meet a high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness). BLS and ACLS certified (or eligible).