Adventure is worthwhile in itself. —Amelia Earhart
Fast Facts
- Michigan Tech is top ranked as the nation's #1 Peace Corps Master's International program school
- Total number of countries Peace Corps served: 139
- Forestry and the environment are the fastest-growing fields in the Peace Corps, placing more volunteers in environmental work than any other group in the world.
Peace Corps Master’s International Programs
Michigan Tech offers seven Peace Corps Master’s International Programs, the most offered by any university in the country. The University offers PCMI programs in Applied Science Education, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Forestry, Mitigation of Natural Geological Hazards, Rhetoric and Technical Communication and now, Mechanical Engineering. The programs combine academic study with supervised, practical field experience and research. After completing a program of on-campus academic work, Peace Corps Master's International students serve two years with the Peace Corps. Then they return to Michigan Tech for one additional semester to complete their degree requirements.
Applied Natural Resource Economics
This program is open to students with any undergraduate degree who are interested in the use of natural resources. Most students have degrees in engineering or economics, but others are welcome.
Students serve around the world in the Peace Corps working on the best use of available natural resources. Projects include market analysis, project evaluation, and economic development.
Applied Science Education
Preparing science teachers to work with diverse cultures in the US and around the world is the goal of the Peace Corps master's program in science education. Unique to Michigan Tech, the program combines courses taught by engineering, science and education faculty to help teachers improve their knowledge and application of science in the classroom. Many Peace Corps projects, such as pumps and indigenous energy systems, demand mechanical engineering skills.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Michigan Tech's civil and environmental engineering Peace Corps master's program is the only one in the nation. The skills of civil and environmental engineers are and will continue to be in great demand as the world moves toward a sustainable future, one in which human and industrial systems support an enhanced quality of life. Natural geological hazards include all earth or water-related threats to people or their property.
Forestry and Natural Resources
Forestry and the environment are the fastest-growing fields in the Peace Corps, placing more volunteers in environmental work than any other group in the world. The Peace Corps master's program in Michigan Tech's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science prepares students for work in a wide range of environmental fields after their Peace Corps service. Students earn either a Master of Science in Forestry or a Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management.
Mechanical Engineering
The PCMI Mechanical Engineering program focuses on identification and use of appropriate technologies in developing countries. In order to identify the right technology, students take into account available local resources and capabilities, as well as, local customs and lifestyles that impact technology availability and use.
Mitigation of Natural Geological Hazards
The Peace Corps master's program in natural geological hazards addresses both disaster preparedness and response after a disaster. It also is the only one of its kind in the US.
Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Developing nations have pressing needs for communicators of all kinds. Run by the humanities department, the Peace Corps master's program in rhetoric and technical communication prepares students to teach English as a second language, both at the secondary and college levels, to train English teachers abroad, and to do health and HIV/AIDS public education. Through its Master's International program, the Peace Corps partners with 54 colleges and universities around the country to allow students to earn a master's degree while serving in the Peace Corps.
The programs combine academic study with supervised, practical field experience and research.
After completing a program of on-campus academic work, Peace Corps Master's International students serve two years with the Peace Corps. Then they return to Michigan Tech for one additional semester to complete their degree requirements.