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by KENDALL FREEMAN
Appalachian State University has become the most recent university to join the Peace Corps Master’s International Program.
According to the Peace Corps website, the Master’s International program was started in 1987 to help interested countries gain trained men and women in their respective fields. Graduate students are able to complete their degrees while serving in the Peace Corps.
Students apply to the Corps and a participating graduate school at the same time and upon acceptance, complete one-to-two years of course work while preparing to work for a foreign country.
Training begins in the assigned country after initial course work has been completed and individual assignments are dispersed based on the needs and demands of the participating country.
Once overseas, there is a twenty-seven month commitment to the volunteer work; three months consist of on-site training in language and cross-cultural aspects.
Upon completion of service to the Peace Corps, students return to either finish their graduate degrees or go into the work force.
Participating masters degree programs at Appalachain are Master of Arts programs from the College of Arts and Sciences and degrees from the Reich College of Education in elementary, mathematics and English education.
“Among the goals of Appalachian’s graduate school are graduate student participation in international programs and the incorporation of meaningful internships or service learning into the appropriate programs,” Dr. Edelma Huntley, Appalachian’s dean of Research and Graduate Studies said. “The Master’s International program will help us to achieve these goals, as well as to train teachers who have international experience and a global perspective.”
Each volunteer is required to complete an academic project dictated by faculty and staff of their graduate degree program. It may be a professional paper, thesis or some other concluding project.
Some institutions offer graduate credits for their service and tuition or fee waivers.
Other participants in the program are N.C. A&T University and N.C. State University.
For more information visit the Peace Corps Master’s International website at www.peacecorps.gov/masters
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