Special Section For Students: Academic Credit Option

Unite For Sight's Global Impact Corps program is an immersive global health experience for students and professionals. For students, Unite For Sight programs are a unique opportunity to connect their academic studies with an intellectually stimulating and high-impact volunteer experience abroad. Participating as a Global Impact Fellow provides a service-learning opportunity about global health and international development through hands-on service and cultural exchange. We encourage students to arrange with their university to receive academic credit for their participation in the Unite For Sight program.

Who can pursue the Unite For Sight program for academic credit?

Many undergraduate, public health, medical, optometry, and business students pursue the Unite For Sight program for academic credit and/or medical electives at their home institution. 

What are examples of universities that offer credit for the Unite For Sight program?

Most recently, volunteers from the following institutions have coordinated academic credit for their Unite For Sight program.

Undergraduate Schools That Have Recently Granted Academic Credit For The Unite For Sight Program:

  • Arizona State University

  • Auburn University

  • Austin College

  • Beloit College

  • Brandeis University

  • Brigham Young University

  • California State University, San Bernardino

  • Centre College

  • Concordia University-Nebraska

  • Duke University

  • Eastern Illinois University

  • George Mason University

  • Gettysburg College

  • Johns Hopkins University

  • Illinois State University

  • Indiana University at Bloomington

  • Laurentian University (Canada)

  • Loyola University

  • Mayville State University

  • McMaster University (Canada)

  • Mercer University

  • Messiah College

  • Michigan State University

  • Minnesota State University, Mankato

  • Monmouth University

  • Muskingum University

  • Nova Southeastern University

  • Ohio State University

  • Simpson College

  • St. Louis University

  • Stanford University

  • St. Francis Xavier University (Canada)

  • St. Louis University

  • Temple University

  • Texas State University

  • The College of St. Catherine

  • The College of Wooster

  • The King's University College

  • University of Arkansas

  • University of Buffalo

  • University of Connecticut

  • University of Denver

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • University of Kentucky

  • University of Memphis

  • University of Missouri Columbia

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • University of New England

  • University of New Mexico

  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

  • University of Northern Iowa

  • University of Notre Dame

  • University of Prince Edward Island (Canada)

  • University of San Diego

  • University of South Carolina

  • University of Toronto

  • University of Utah

  • University of Western Ontario

  • University of Wisconsin - Madison

  • Vassar College

  • Washington University at St. Louis

  • Wellesley College

  • West Chester University

  • Western Carolina University

  • Western Kentucky University

Medical Schools That Have Recently Granted Academic Credit For The Unite For Sight Program:

  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  • Birmingham University School of Medicine (England)

  • Bond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine (Australia)

  • Boston University School of Medicine

  • Dalhousie University School of Medicine (Canada)

  • Drexel University College of Medicine

  • Duke University School of Medicine

  • George Washington University School of Medicine

  • Lincoln Medical Education Partnership (Residency Program)

  • Mayo Graduate School of Medicine

  • Medical College of Wisconsin

  • Medical University of South Carolina

  • New York College of Osteopathic Medicine

  • New York Medical College

  • Nova Southeastern University

  • Ohio State College of Medicine

  • Penn State College of Medicine

  • Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

  • School of Medicine Sydney, The University of Notre Dame Australia (Australia)

  • Stanford University School of Medicine

  • Temple University School of Medicine

  • Texas Tech Health Sciences Center

  • Tufts University School of Medicine

  • Uniformed Services University of Health Science

  • University of Alabama School of Medicine

  • University of Alberta School of Medicine (Canada)

  • University of Bristol School of Medicine (England)

  • University of California at Davis School of Medicine

  • University of Calgary Medical School (Canada)

  • University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

  • University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

  • University of Louisville School of Medicine

  • University of Massachusetts Medical School

  • University of Melbourne School of Medicine (Australia)

  • University of Nebraska Medical Center

  • University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine

  • University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

  • University of South Florida College of Medicine

  • University of Tennessee College of Medicine

  • University of Texas Medical Branch

  • University of Texas Medical School at Houston

  • University of Toronto School of Medicine

  • University of Virginia School of Medicine

  • University of Washington School of Medicine

  • University of Western Australia Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Australia)

  • University of Western Ontario (Canada)

  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

  • Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine

  • Wake Forest University School of Medicine

  • Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine

  • Yale University School of Medicine

Public Health Schools That Have Recently Granted Academic Credit For The Unite For Sight Program:

  • Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

  • Boston University School of Public Health

  • Dartmouth Institute For Health Policy and Clinical Practice

  • George Washington University

  • New York Medical College School of Public Health

  • University of Alabama School of Public Health

  • University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service

  • University of Colorado-Denver Master of Public Health Program

  • University of Iowa College of Public Health

  • University of Minnesota School of Public Health

  • Yale University School of Public Health

Business Schools That Have Recently Granted Academic Credit For The Unite For Sight Program:

  • The Citadel School of Business

How can I arrange academic credit?

You should consult your academic institution regarding how you can arrange course credit. After you are accepted to the Unite For Sight program, we can provide a letter for your university that confirms your planned participation in the Unite For Sight program, as well as details regarding your pre-departure online global health coursework and global health field participation. While many universities offer academic credit for volunteering with Unite For Sight, some universities do not offer this option. You should therefore consult your university to determine whether academic credit can be arranged.

The ophthalmic staff at each Unite For Sight program site will complete any on-site evaluation forms required by a student's university.

Additionally, receiving academic credit for volunteering often makes a volunteer eligible for university funding to cover travel and lodging expenses abroad.

Does Unite For Sight provide letters of recommendation?

Unite For Sight is delighted to provide letters of recommendations for its Global Impact Fellows. The letter may be provided after a Global Impact Fellow completes their program, and the letter is written based on the evaluation of each volunteer submitted by the eye clinic to Unite For Sight. Using the details provided in the eye clinic's evaluation, Unite For Sight prepares a comprehensive letter that also discusses the role and involvement of the volunteer in the Unite For Sight programs. The letter may also include details about any special entrepreneurial projects a fellow develops while participating in the Unite For Sight program.

Can I pursue research as a Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellow?

Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows who are undergraduate or graduate students oftentimes develop their own research studies that they pursue while volunteering. They participate in the Global Impact Lab, an optional program for fellows interested in global health research. The idea, plan, and methods for the study are developed by the student in collaboration with Unite For Sight as well as with a faculty mentor at their home university institution, and they also are required to receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from their university prior to implementing their study. Many students have presented and published the results of their research studies, thereby contributing to ideas and knowledge about eye care in the developing world.