The Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Fellows is a graduate fellowship program for Peace Corps Volunteers admitted to the Accelerated Masters in Nursing Pathway (AMNP). The AMNP pathway is specially designed for individuals desiring to enter a nursing career who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field. The accelerated curriculum provides pre-licensure course work leading to a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in only three semesters and upon graduation students are eligible to sit for the National Certification Licensure Exam for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) to qualify to become a registered nurse.

• In-state tuition rate.
• A one-time scholarship of $5,000.
• The opportunity to apply for other scholarships available to AMNP students.

• Participate in the translation of their global experience to advance the Peace Corps’ third goal “to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans” by engaging in meaningful experiences with underserved communities in the Greater Birmingham area.
• Partner with community organizations to provide opportunities for students to address selected community or population health problems through their clinical practicum experiences in the AMNP.
• Fellows will address two major health issues during these community experiences: reduction of health disparities and preparing the nursing workforce to impact health disparities.
• Have opportunities to work and collaborate with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers residing in the Greater Birmingham area on community projects targeting underserved populations with health disparities.
• Learn in a dynamic environment with access to populations with health disparities that impact both urban and rural populations.
• Be mentored by a faculty who has both served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and entered nursing via the Accelerated Masters in Nursing Pathway.