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Program Description

The Peace Corps Master’s International (MI) program is a partnership between the Peace Corps and selected universities.  This partnership enables students to integrate a Peace Corps Volunteer experience into a master’s degree program, thereby enriching and enhancing each experience.

Admission to the Program

If interested, please contact us for more information.

Students apply to the MPH program first.  Once accepted, they then apply to the Peace Corps.  They begin MPH course work while their Peace Corps application is being processed.  MI-MPH students at UVa spend one academic year (two semesters) completing MPH course work prior to serving in the Peace Corps (27 months).  After Peace Corps service, they return to UVa to complete one more semester of course work and obtain their MPH degree. 

Curriculum

MI-MPH students enroll in the same courses as other MPH students.  In addition, the Peace Corps experience is integrated into the students’ academic program as follows:

• 6 credits are awarded toward MPH degree requirements for Peace Corps service;

• MPH-MI students take Global Health Policy and Practice (PHS 7184) and/or Global Health Research Methodologies (PHS 7185) and Qualitative Methods in Community and Global Health (PHS 7015) in the academic year prior to Peace Corps service;

• MPH-MI students attend preparatory meetings with program faculty in the academic year prior to Peace Corps service; and

• MPH-MI students’ culminating experience projects are completed after Peace  Corps service and are based on their Peace Corps experience.