Peace Corps Prep Program Requirements

The SUU Peace Corps Prep program prepares students to meet their personal and professional goals and demonstrates that SUU actively values service to others. All undergraduate students are eligible and encouraged to participate in the SUU Peace Corps Prep program, no matter their major or whether they attend classes on campus or online only. All six of the Peace Corps sectors in the Training & Experience section below are open to all students to pursue.

To complete the program and earn a Peace Corps Prep certificate, students must fulfill requirements in all four service areas:

• Training and experience in a specific work sector

• Intercultural competence

• Professional and leadership development

• Foreign language skills

Training & Experience

3 Courses + 50 hours related experience

Leveraging concrete knowledge and skills is central to on-the-ground international development work. Through this Peace Corps Prep program, you will begin to build a professional specialty, which should serve your career well whether or not you become a Peace Corps Volunteer.

For Peace Corps Prep, you need to complete at least 3 courses that align with a specific work sector (they can but do not need to come from your academic major or minor). You also must accumulate a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer or work experience in that same sector, preferably in a teaching or outreach capacity.

If you intend to apply to the Peace Corps, the best way to assure that you will be a strong candidate is to explore Peace Corps’ openings and identify the type of assignments in which you’d like to serve (https://www.peacecorps.gov/ways-to-serve/service-assignments/browse-opportunities), then review the positions’ required and desired qualifications and build them up accordingly. In the process, you should fulfill these PC Prep experiential requirements!

There are six sectors in which Peace Corps Volunteers serve (see below). Choose one sector to focus on then complete at least 3 courses + 50 hours of related experience in that sector.

• Agriculture
• Community Economic Development
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Youth in Development

View the full list of accepted Peace Corps Prep Courses and Field Experiences

Note: Actual Peace Corps assignments are based on local needs, and thus may or may not align seamlessly with your qualifications. Flexibility is central to the Peace Corps experience!

Intercultural Competence

3 approved courses or 1-2 courses + substantive intercultural experience

Engaging thoughtfully and fluidly across cultures begins with one’s own self-awareness. With this learning objective, you will deepen your cultural agility through a mix of three introspective courses in which you learn about others while reflecting upon your own self in relation to others. The goal is for you to build your capacity to shift perspective and behavior around relevant cultural differences. Some example courses:

You’ll take at least 1 of these core introspective diversity and inclusion courses:

• ANTH 3010 - Language, Thought, and Culture
• COMM 2150 - Global Communication and Culture
• HSS 1120 - Living in a Globalized World
• SOC 3370 - Gender and Society in Global Perspectives

And choose 2 additional electives from the above list or these below:

• ANTH 3160 - Anthropology and Sociology of Religion
• ANTH 3200 - Food and Culture
• ENGL 3270 - World Literature: Non-Western
• MUSC 1050 - Music of the World
• SOC 3250 - Food and Culture
• Most upper-level courses in CHIN, FREN, GERM, LANG, and SPAN, as well as many courses offered on semester exchange and study abroad programs, may meet this requirement

Is there another course in the catalog that you feel meets this requirement? Please discuss it with your PC Prep Coordinator.

Prolonged intercultural experiences completed concurrently with your undergraduate studies—such as studying or volunteering abroad, supporting new immigrants or refugees acculturate to the United States, or volunteering in diverse schools—would also strengthen your Peace Corps candidacy significantly. 

Professional & Leadership

Resume and interview support + leadership experience

Peace Corps service and similar international development work opportunities are highly professional and selective. PC Prep requires three specific activities that will strengthen your candidacy for the Peace Corps (or any other professional endeavor):

1. Have your resume critiqued by someone in the Career & Professional Development Office.
2. Attend a workshop or class on interview skills at the Career & Professional Development Office.
3. Develop at least one significant leadership experience and be prepared to discuss it thoughtfully. For example, organizing a campus event, leading a work or volunteer project, or serving on the executive board of a student organization.

Foreign Language

Most students must hone their capacity to interact professionally using a non-English language. Minimum course requirements vary by desired placement region.

• Latin America: Students indicating an intention to serve in Spanish-speaking countries must build strong intermediate proficiency, having completed two 200-level courses or learned Spanish through another medium.
• West Africa: Students indicating an intention to serve in French-speaking African countries must build proficiency in French or another Romance language, having completed one 200-level course or learned the language through another medium.
• Everywhere else: Students indicating an intention to serve anywhere else do not have explicit language requirements to complete the Program, but they should still be encouraged to study a foreign language.

Note: If you are a strong native speaker and hope to serve in a country that speaks your same language, you can skip this requirement!