Grad school or Peace Corps – do both!

Overview:

The Master's International Peace Corps (MIPC) program is a college-wide program open to all students (excluding international students) within the COPH. MIPC students begin studies on campus, and then serve abroad with the Peace Corps for 27 months before returning to campus to complete graduation requirements for a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.  As an incentive, the College provides tuition and fee waivers for nine credit hours: the required Field Experience - 6 credit hours and the Special Project- 3 credit hours.  MIPC students gain significant international practical experience and knowledge working in resource-poor settings, thereby enhancing their marketability for employment upon graduation.

MIPC Student Benefits

• Transportation to and from the country of service;
• Living and housing expenses;
• Language, cross-cultural, and technical training;
• Full medical and dental coverage;
• Vacation time and allowance;
• Cancellation or deferment of certain government education loans;
• A readjustment allowance of approximately $6000 given at completion of 27 months of service;
• Career counseling and support; and
• Non-competitive eligibility for federal government jobs for one year after completing a full term of overseas service.

MIPC Program Objectives

Students will be prepared to:

1. Assess socio-cultural, political and economic determinants of health and health status at the global level;
2. Assess the burden of disease on health, service utilization and finance and the importance of prevention;
3. Analyze the prevailing international health systems in industrial and developing countries, comparing coverage, utilization, equity, policy, organization, delivery and financing of those systems and define the rationale for health systems’ reforms;
4. Make relevant inferences about the role of cultural, social and economic factors that contribute    to the incidence of infectious disease;
5. Assess public health conditions and problems related to infectious disease control and surveillance in developing countries
6. Apply culturally appropriate technology and interventions using ethical considerations;
7. Understand epidemiologic study design;
8. Propose methodologies for evaluating public health programs and interventions.
9. Develop a scholarly paper or poster that fulfills the MPH special project requirements

Recommended Plan of Study:

Prospective students apply to both USF’s College of Public Health and the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps assigns Public Health students to one of the following areas:  Health; Community Development; or Environment.  Assignments are dependent on several factors including courses taken.  The well-prepared student will take, in addition to the required core courses, courses specific to global or international health, community development and/or environmental health, depending on their interests.  Coursework may be interdepartmental.

The Master’s International student typically will complete all coursework except the Field Experience and the Special Project before leaving for Peace Corps service.  The Field Experience and Special Project are completed during the student’s Peace Corps service.  However, Master’s International students may choose to complete the Special Project in the form of a scholarly poster presentation on return to the College following their Peace Corps service.

For more information, contact:

Master’s International Peace Corps Program Coordinator
Barbara Kennedy, MS, MPH
1-813-974-1092
1-888-USF-COPH (toll-free)