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"The M.A. in International Service program and degree was a great experience. People I meet find it really interesting, as there are so few degrees like it. I am still in touch with the people I met on the program- fellow students and professors."
- Megan, now Director of Mentoring Services at Big Brothers Big Sisters International
The three universities cooperating with IPSL in the M.A. program—Roehampton University, London; the University of Technology, Jamaica; and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Mexico—are distinguished and fully-recognized institutions of higher education, validated to award undergraduate and graduate degrees by their respective governments and Ministries of Education. All have a long history with and commitment to service and to international education, and each is a host institution for an undergraduate program of IPSL.
New York, USA
The International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership (IPSL) is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1982 whose mission is to engage students, educators, and community members in the union of service and learning, so that all may become more civically engaged, interculturally literate, internationally aware, and responsive to the needs of others.
In collaboration with a network of institutional partners around the world, IPSL provides undergraduate and graduate programs that integrate rigorous academic study with substantive volunteer service. The semester and summer programs have attracted students from over 400 colleges and universities in the United States and several other nations. Undergraduate programs are offered in the Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Scotland, Thailand, and the Lakota Nation, USA. IPSL also promotes the joining of academic study and volunteer service through conferences, publications, and consulting. More about IPSL>>
London, England
Located on the banks of the River Thames, London is famous for its vast cultural offerings and historic sites, including the British Museum, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and many others. London is also one of the world's most culturally and ethnically diverse cities, and it is home to countless international service, advocacy, relief and development organizations.
Roehampton University is located next to the Richmond Park area of London, a 20-minute train or Tube ride from the city center. The beautiful, historic 150 year-old campus is comprised of four colleges, each with a different history and focus, which together offer a full range of liberal arts, education, business and health programs. Roehampton University awards the Master of Arts degree in International Service. All studies completed during orientation and at the two other universities during the first semester are fully recognized by Roehampton University.
Roehampton University is a fully recognized state University in the UK, recognized, like all other Universities, by the Privy Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Roehampton also is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and for U.S. federal financial aid with the code number 021019 (G21019 for FAFSA forms).
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, is a vibrant and colorful city that displays in full Jamaica’s connections by culture to Africa, by geography to the Americas, and by history to the British Commonwealth. The national language is English (with a melodious lilt), but you will hear equally the "second language," patois. Service-learning in Jamaica offers you an opportunity to experience a young nation still struggling with post-colonial issues, and a city faced with social and economic problems. You will be fully immersed in the culture, learning from your classroom studies, service placement, homestay with a Jamaican family, and everyday living in this complex, dynamic Caribbean city.
The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), was founded in 1959. Today, as the national university of Jamaica, it serves over 8,000 students from Jamaica, the Caribbean, and other countries in the liberal arts, education, commerce, architecture, and engineering, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. UTech collaborates with the University of the West Indies in areas of educational development, and together they are the two most prestigious universities in Jamaica. Service is a degree requirement for all UTech students.
The University Council of Jamaica has registered the University of Technology, Jamaica, as a tertiary institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees, and accredits its programs.
Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara, a historic city with roots in both the indigenous and Spanish colonial cultures, has given Mexico some of its greatest artists, artisans, and political and social leaders. Today, it is a contemporary cosmopolitan cultural center and thriving business city, noted for its beautiful public buildings, plazas, markets, arts and crafts, classical and folk music and dance, museums, and extensive murals by Orozco. Poverty and the difficulties faced by many—including indigenous peoples—are evident, however, and you will have the opportunity to research and address some of these issues while strengthening your Spanish language skills. The unique relationship that exists between Mexico and the United States also creates an opportunity for research and cultural learning.
The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) was founded in 1935 as the first private university in Mexico. Today, UAG serves 15,000 Mexican, Latin American, and international students in undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, medicine, law, business, architecture, education, design, and social work. The UAG School of Medicine was an early pioneer in service-learning.
The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara is accredited by the Mexican Federal Secretary of Public Education (SEP).
