Are you wondering whether you need an academic background to volunteer abroad? This article will explain Volunteer World's basic guidelines on academic requirements.
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As most volunteer programs differ, so do the academic requirements. To discover whether you need an academic background for a certain volunteer program, visit the program page and scroll down to the "Program Requirements" title. You will find the "Education Requirements" subtitle which tells you whether you need an academic background or not.

If the subtitle "Education Requirements" isn't displayed on the program page, this means there are no academic restrictions.

There’s an exception for volunteer programs in the healthcare sector. Volunteers for healthcare always need an academic background e.g. as a nurse, medical student, or medical professional. This is also the case to volunteer with orphans, where the requirements are strict and you need experience working with children and/or a degree in psychology.

Nevertheless, there are also many volunteering programs that give you the opportunity to join without specific knowledge or qualifications and to do your first steps into a specific field. :)