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Peace Corps Preparatory Program

The University of North Georgia, in cooperation with the , has established a Peace Corps Preparatory Program (PCPP) that is open to all students which will help you acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to serve in the Peace Corps.

While completing the requirements of the program does not guarantee admission into the Peace Corps, it does prepare students for service in the organization. 

 

Somewhere in the world is a place where you can make a difference in someone else's life. Use your knowledge and expertise to help make lives better and share
in the lives of people in a world apart from your own.
How? Serve in the U.S. Peace Corps.

Application Process

You are encouraged to apply during your sophomore year as there may be prerequisite courses that need to be completed prior to taking the required courses. An early application will help you to better prepare for completing the requirements successfully.

You can plan accordingly using the information below to help fill out your application form and fulfill the requirements of the Peace Corps Preparatory Program. Contact Laurel Wei if you have any questions or need assistance.

Application Form

Program Structure

The program prepares you for international development fieldwork and potential Peace Corps service by helping you build four core competencies through coursework, hands-on experience, and professional development support.

These four competencies are the following:

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

The Peace Corps Volunteers serve within . PCPP requires at least three courses that align within a sector. The courses 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.

See the suggested courses for each sector below.

peace corps member with locals around a new water system

Work Sectors

Working across cultures often entails verbal and nonverbal languages distinct from your own. Building foreign language skills is thus a second key component of the PCPP curriculum.

PCPP minimum language course requirements align with those needed by applicants to the Peace Corps itself, which vary by linguistic region.

peace corps member in Uganda

peace corps member holding up young child

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.

You must take at least one of these courses.

You can choose two more from the Core Courses above or two other courses from the electives list to complete your intercultural competence requirement.

President Obama greeting peace corps member

Peace Corps service and similar international development work opportunities are highly professional and selective. PCPP 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 Career Services.
  2. Attend a workshop or class on interview skills at Career Services.
  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.

Peace Corps Resources

Images courtesy of the Peace Corps Media Library