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This Peace Corps  Master’s International (PCMI) Program option in CARRS focuses on the acquisition of well-defined professional skills that are responsive to community needs and interests. To this end, students accepted into this program will integrate their Peace Corps experiences into their degree programs. Students are strongly encouraged to follow the Plan B Masters program that emphasizes professional practice/management, with a professional project, experience or combination forming the basis of a capstone project. The Plan B program allows students to draw on their Peace Corps Master’s International Program field experience as well as their coursework to prepare a Plan B capstone project paper (ACR 898 ). Plan B students may earn credit for Peace Corps training and service through a practicum course (ACR 894 ). A Plan A thesis option is possible. Based on the Department's commitment to the principles of participatory, community-based research, the Department requires that Plan A thesis research carried out as part of the Peace Corps Master’s International Program service be oriented toward serving the objectives of the student’s Peace Corps volunteer work. Research that informs practice is acceptable, but research that potentially distracts from the student’s Peace Corps volunteer service would not be accepted. Alternatively a PCMI student could do Plan A research that is separate from the Peace Corps experience. Students who intend to conduct Plan A research should work with their advisor to ensure they have taken appropriate coursework in research methods and theory, and have obtained IRB approval before collecting data.
Applying for the Peace Corps Master's International Program
Students interested in this option are required to apply specifically for the Peace Corps Master's International Program option (applicants should reflect this intent in their “Personal Statement" and the “Key Experience" essay, and specify their interest in the Plan B or Plan A track). Applicants are encouraged to apply first to the CARRS program and then apply to Peace Corps Master's International Program upon acceptance to MSU. The deadline for Peace Corps Master's International Program applicants is March 1, 2012 , with an expected academic program start date of the following fall semester. Students apply, following the guidelines for all CARRS applicants, and indicate their specific interest in the Peace Corps Master's International Program. Applications will be reviewed as for any other CARRS MS applicant. Should the student subsequently not be accepted by the Peace Corps into this program, the student may choose to enter the CARRS program any way, following the requirements and course sequencing required by the regular program.
Note: This program is not for students who have completed Peace Corps service prior to beginning the CARRS MS degree.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credits for either the Plan A and Plan B option.
CARRS Required Courses (9 credits, 6 of which are required of all CARRS MS students):
ACR 800 , Foundations of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies (3 credits); to be taken prior to Peace Corps service
ACR 802, Survey of Research Methods (3 credits) to be taken prior to Peace Corps service
ACR 826 , International Development Theory and Practice (3 credits)
Degree Focus Area
The student’s focus area (15 credits, to include ACR 826 plus 12 additional credits, most of which should be taken prior to Peace Corps service) is developed in consultation with the student’s advisor to meet their personal and professional goals, and could be in one of three graduate specializations (International Development, Ethics and Development, or Gender, Justice and Environmental Change [GJEC]). The courses taken should be consistent with the requirements of the specialization selected as the focus area. Note that, depending on the requirements of a specialization, the student choosing to complete a specialization may need more than the required 30 credits minimum for completion of the CARRS MS degree.
Additional Courses (For Plan B students)
ACR 894 , Field Practicum in Sustainability Studies.
Students may enroll in up to 3 credits of this course for skills or techniques acquired in Peace Corps training and/or service. Students shall keep a written record of training and service activities and a journal of skills acquired and lessons learned. The course will be graded as Pass/No Pass.
Both of the following (for Plan B students):
ACR 895 , Case Studies in CARRS.
ACR 898 , Master’s Professional Project (this is the capstone project paper based on Peace Corps service) |
