Fuqua Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program
Duke University has approved the launch of a “Peace Corps Fellows/USA” program
at the
Fuqua School of Business. The school now becomes the newest member
of a national consortium of graduate programs that recruit and support returned
Peace Corps
Volunteers (RPCVs) who wish to pursue advanced degrees.
The Duke MBA Peace Corps Fellows/USA program, which begins in the fall of 2008, will provide scholarships to selected Daytime MBA students who served as volunteers in the developing world. To qualify for a 25% tuition discount, fellows must agree to undertake significant community service projects in the Durham community during the academic year. In offering this program, the Fuqua School of Business will join Duke’s Sanford Institute of Public Policy, which currently hosts Peace Corps Fellows studying public policy and international development policy.
In his letter to the Peace Corps authorizing this program, Dean Douglas Breeden stated, “I support any initiative that encourages returning Peace Corps Volunteers to enter The Duke MBA program, as our past experience has shown them to be outstanding students with an outrageous ambition to make a difference. I feel that this collaboration will not only give the Peace Corps Fellows an exemplary business education but will also enrich ‘Team Fuqua’ and the Durham community at large. I am also confident that their presence at Duke will advance the third goal of the Peace Corps, ‘helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.’”
For more information about the Peace Corps Fellows/USA program please contact Matt Nash, Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at mnash@duke.edu or fill out our online survey.
View currenly enrolled returned Peace Corps volunteer profiles here.
More details about the Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program:
Fuqua Admissions Deadlines: For Fall 2008 entry, deadlines are November 1, 2007 (Round 1), January 8, 2008 (Round 2), March 21, 2008 (Round 3). Given the competitive applicant pool, you are encouraged to apply as early in the admission cycle as possible. Candidates who would like to be considered for Peace Corps Fellowships must apply during Round 1 or 2.
Admissions Cycle: Admissions in three rounds. Fall entry.
Program Start: Fall Semester (August)
Fellows Program Founded: Spring 2007
Benefits: Peace Corps Fellows receive up to 25% tuition credit (valued at $10,417.50 per year in 2007-2008), plus consideration for other merit-based scholarships and financial aid awards based upon the strength of their applications. Application fees waived for current PCVs upon request; please send e-mail stating circumstances surrounding fee waiver request to admissions-info@fuqua.duke.edu. Other fellowships and teaching or research assistantships may be available. In addition, Duke’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) offers a competitive $25K scholarship each year for two MBA students intending to pursue employment in the social sector upon graduation. CASE also offers matching funds for summer internships and a loan assistance program for students employed in the social or public sectors. Peace Corps Fellows are offered guidance and assistance in locating volunteer opportunities and paid internships with local nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
Requirements: GMAT, TOEFL (if applicable), essays, two recommendations, academic transcripts, and leadership experience (both personally and professionally). Application must be completed online. Interviews are not required, but are strongly encouraged for all candidates. Please note that we admit applicants with a range of test scores; there is no minimum requirement. In making admissions decisions, we look at a candidate's overall strengths and weaknesses and compare that profile against the larger applicant pool. Upon receiving admission to The Duke MBA, you may apply for one of a limited number of fellowships available through the Peace Corps Fellows/USA program.