Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy

Masters from all disciplines help you master yours

Custom-build an education that serves your aspirations, with the experts and connections of a world-renowned university.

Fast Facts

• MIDP: 95% international students (newest cohort comprises 29 students from 21 countries)
• MPP: 30% international students
• 123 RPCVs to date
• 71 local nonprofit or government agency partners for Coverdell Fellow internships

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Learn more about opportunities for RPCVs

Outrageous Ambition

For Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) eager to deepen their impact in public policy or international development, Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy offers an unparalleled opportunity to build on the global framework of skills and knowledge they gain during their service. RPCVs can tailor their education through specialized Master of Public Policy (MPP) concentrations or Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) areas of focus, and engage with resources across the campus such as the Margolis Center for Health Policy, the Nicolas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, the Duke Global Health Institute, the Duke Global Policy Program in Geneva, or the Duke Center for International Development.

As a partner in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, Duke’s Sanford School supports RPCVs with a tuition waiver of up to 50%, paid Coverdell community service internships, and opportunities to continue serving communities while advancing their professional skills.

Meet Your Colleagues

Alex Bostian, MIDP’25, RPCV Moldova
Coverdell Peace Corps Fellow
Community Service Internship: Housing for New Hope

“The MIDP’s interdisciplinary curriculum has afforded me the opportunity to personalize my studies within my areas of interest, while also developing key, universal skills for policy analysis. The fact that the MIDP community is small and tight knit has been a plus!”

Maria Goodfellow, MPP ‘24, RPCV Paraguay
Current Occupation: Business Management Analyst, National Park Service
Coverdell Service Internship: Center for Actual Innocence

“My service as a Peace Corps volunteer ignited a spark for public service, leading me to a position at Peace Corps headquarters, then to Sanford, and now to the National Park Service. I’m eternally grateful to the Peace Corps for providing me with this path. I’ve already met many wonderful returned Peace Corps volunteers at the National Park Service, including some who also attended Sanford. It’s a small community of like-minded individuals that I’m proud to be a part of.”

Put Your Mastery Into Practice

The career services team at Duke’s Sanford School includes expert staff dedicated to graduate-level professional development, networking, and post-graduate career opportunities. Our career advisors offer numerous panels, workshops, individualized advising appointments, and a Career and Professional Skill Development course—all tailored to the specific needs expressed by you and your cohort.

Coverdell alumni from the Sanford School work with consulting firms, NGOs and Nonprofits, local and federal government.

• US Agency for International Development (Sanford’s largest employer of RPCVs)
• US Federal Reserve Board
• NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development
• Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service
• Deloitte
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• RTI International
• US Department of State