Coordinating Office for Global Health
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to qualify for GS jobs?
Each job announcement will include the required experience under Basic Qualifications or Substitution of Graduate Level Education requirements and may include General Experience and/or Specialized Experience*. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes qualification standards for all General Schedule positions in the Qualification Standards Operating Manual. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/.
General experience does not necessarily have to be directly related to the job to be filled; however, it must demonstrate that the employee has the ability to perform the work of the position. This is for a GS-5 and below.
Specialized experience must be closely related to the work to be performed in the job for which you are applying. At least one year of the specialized experience must have been comparable to work at the next lower grade in the Federal service.
If you have an advanced degree, you can qualify for GS-9 positions on the basis of a master's degree, and for GS-11 on the basis of a doctorate. At these levels, however, the advanced degree must be directly related to the work of the job to be filled.
Page last modified: July 30, 2007
