Master's International

Georgia State’s Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language (AL/ESL) has created a partnership with the Peace Corps’s Master’s International (MI) program to offer an extended overseas teaching experience to qualified students.

Those interested in participating in the Peace Corps Master’s International program need to submit separate applications to (1) our department and to (2) the Peace Corps. You must think of them as separate applications (at least up until the point when you are accepted into one or both of the programs). An applicant might be accepted into our department but not be offered a position with the Peace Corps. In that case you would still be welcome to join us here at GSU to complete an MA degree in Applied Linguistics.

Apply for the Master's International in the Peace Corps

Peace Corps appointments are somewhat more competitive than acceptance into our graduate MATESOL program because serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer includes the international service component.

Apply for the MA in Applied Linguistics at GSU

If you are accepted into both the Peace Corps Master’s International and our program you would (1) come to GSU and complete about half of the course work toward the master's degree (six MA courses in Applied Linguistics), (2) then go out on the Peace Corps field assignment in an international setting (usually for 24 months), (3) finally, you would return to us to complete our master's degree (4 remaining courses). (4) Under our arrangement with Peace Corps Master’s International, your field service teaching in the international setting will be valued by our program as meeting our required “classroom-based experience” for that period of time. Peace Corps service can also contribute to fulfillment of two courses, with one three-credit course taken each year in service.

Non-Georgia residents are eligible for a competitive out-of-state tuition waiver award. Upon returning from the Peace Corps assignment, MI students will be given priority for a graduate assistantship in our department. Such an assistantship carries both a tuition waiver and a stipend. The department’s Internet sites include more information about various categories of graduate assistantship. The significant differences for Peace Corps degree candidates who complete our degree are (1) eligibility for a competitive out-of-state tuition waiver, (2) the opportunity to gain two yeas of teaching experience through the Peace Corps, as well as (3) a graduate assistantship with tuition waiver and stipend upon return to GSU from Peace Corps service.

Please contact Dr. Diane Belcher, Director of Graduate Studies, if you have other questions or concerns.