University of Maryland - Baltimore County - College of Engineering and Information Technology

About this program

Founded by the Shriver family, The Peaceworker Program is a direct legacy of Sargent Shriver and President Kennedy's vision of the impact of Peace Corps Volunteers returning home ready to apply the lessons and experience they gained abroad.

Each year the Peaceworker Program invites 6-8 RPCVs for a rigorous, cohort-based, two-year social change leadership program integrating three key components:

• Full-time graduate study. Peaceworkers study in any of UMBCs graduate programs or select Consortium programs.
• Community Engagement (20hrs/wk). Community placements range from positions engaged in direct service to others to serving indirectly through research or evaluation. We partner with organizations small and large, both on and off-campus, focused upon meeting needs including: literacy and education, youth services, public health, homelessness and poverty, immigrant services, and more.
• Ethical reflection seminars and retreats designed to enable Peaceworkers to integrate the practical, theoretical, and moral dimensions of their experience.

Over the course of two years, Peaceworkers develop the knowledge, skills, and reflection tools needed to understand deep-rooted structural challenges and discern authentic and creative solutions.

We are looking for RPCVs who are passionate about making a difference, interested in translating their service abroad into engaged experiences in Baltimore, and ready to join a community of aspiring social change leaders. The Shriver Peaceworker Program is committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive fellows community and encourages applications from minority candidates and groups underrepresented in their areas of graduate study and professional interest.

Our website has many additional details and FAQs; we strongly encourage any interested applicants to visit our website and to attend one of our online info sessions (generally offered monthly from July-December of each year).

• Year partnership began: 2001
• Fellowships awarded per year (average): 6 to 8

Application requirements

Peaceworker requires: Application Form; Personal Statement; 2 emails for references; Unofficial Transcripts; Peace Corps DOS; GRE not required for the Peaceworker Program application but may be required by your academic program of choice.

NOTE: Peaceworker application is entirely separate from your application to the graduate program of your choosing- please refer to the academic program’s website for details on requirements and admissions deadlines. You must apply to BOTH your graduate program(s) of choice and the Peaceworker program. You must be admitted to your graduate program in order to be offered a Peaceworker fellowship, so we encourage you to apply to your graduate program at the same time as you apply for Peaceworker, even if the application deadline is later. More information can be found on our website.

Admissions process

RPCVs apply separately to Graduate Program (please follow their requirements and timeline) and to the Shriver Peaceworker Fellows Program (please follow our requirements and timeline listed here): https://peaceworker.umbc.edu/application-faqs/

After a competitive application process which may include a program interview, and community-partner placement interviews, fellowships are awarded in early April and May, and require admission to a participating graduate program.

Degrees awarded

Master of Science in Engineering (various), Master of Science in Computers and Information Systems (various)

Benefits and opportunities

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $24,000

Cost savings details

The Peaceworker Fellowship provides substantial financial and professional support through a combination of tuition remission, a living stipend, health insurance, and a required community-based placement. The fellowship package includes:

• Tuition Remission: Coverage for up to 20 graduate credits per year (approximately $30,000), or 40 credits over two years, which covers most master’s programs.
• Living Stipend: Approximately $22,000 per year (about $38,000 over the 21-month fellowship period).
• Health Insurance: Coverage valued at approximately $6,000 per year.

The total estimated value of the fellowship is $55,000 per year, or approximately $110,000 over two years. As Graduate Assistants at UMBC, all fellows are granted in-state status and receive tuition benefits as such. All fellows are responsible for individual university fees (about $4,000 per year). Fellowship benefits are provided in connection with a required 20-hour-per-week placement with a community partner organization.

The Peaceworker Program is based at UMBC and also accepts students from select programs at other University of Maryland campuses, including College Park (International Education Leadership and Community Planning) and University of Maryland Baltimore (Social Work and Public Health). While fellowship benefits are consistent across fellows, tuition remission coverage and overall cost of attendance may vary by institution.

NOTE: Application fee is waived for all graduate programs at UMBC. For consortium programs, you may reach out to the program directly to request a fee waiver as an RPCV.

Internship

Each Peaceworker Fellow works in a part-time (20 hrs./wk.) community based position focused as closely as possible on the area of social concern to which they are drawn. Peaceworker community service placements are diverse, ranging from positions engaged in direct service (leading afterschool youth programs or neighborhood services programs, for example) to others serving indirectly (advocacy, policy, administration, or conducting evaluations for a partner organization). In addition, some fellows work with partners on the UMBC campus that serve a social mission that aligns closely with the Peaceworker values.

We partner with organizations, small and large, that are focused upon meeting diverse social needs including: literacy and education, youth services, public health, homelessness and poverty, inter-cultural/international services, and community development. Fellows’ work in these placements serves not only the Greater Baltimore community but also constitutes an opportunity for experiential learning, allowing Fellows to develop practical and professional skills and gain first hand knowledge of the complex social problems confronting the United States and its cities.

Service placements are required for the full two years and are correlated with the Peaceworkers graduate study. Integration of community service and academic learning in the form of traditional topic research, program evaluation, and participatory action research are highly encouraged.

Other opportunities

Peaceworker Fellows are supported to participate in all program related seminars, events, and retreats. The Peaceworker fellowship includes significant mentoring, community support, and professional development. Fellows have a number of opportunities to meet and network with alumni of the program.

Jobs for alumni

Peaceworker Alums are all continuing in lives and careers of service and civic engagement. As an interdisciplinary group with diverse areas of passion and training they are working across sectors and issue areas. Peaceworker Alums hold positions in public agencies at local, state, and federal levels; they are teaching in public schools, leading programs for small and large nonprofits serving vulnerable populations; they are staff or faculty in higher education, they are social entrepreneurs starting innovative programs, and more. Peaceworker Alums are also part of an engaged social and professional community that grows with each graduating class!

Nontraditional options

None. All students must be enrolled fulltime each semester for Fellowship.