Columbia University students eyeing careers in diplomacy are being warned to avoid linking to or posting comments about secret US documents released by the WikiLeaks Web site.

A spokesman for the Ivy League school confirmed yesterday that the Office of Career Services circulated an e-mail to students at the School of International and Public Affairs, known for cultivating diplomats.

The e-mail says an alumnus at the State Department had said the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks were “still considered classified.”

The e-mail said online discourse “would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information.”