Peace Corps Prep Program
A special opportunity for UT Dallas undergraduate students to combine their coursework, volunteer service and hands-on experience while advancing toward a certificate offered by the Peace Corps.
Photo courtesy: Ⓒ Peace Corps, Ghana
Students enrolled in the Peace Corps Prep Program will be better prepared to serve as Peace Corps volunteers in the future or to work in any other global setting that requires specific skills to excel as a professional.
Completion of the Peace Corps Prep Program does not guarantee selection into the Peace Corps but will strengthen a candidacy.
Learn more about eligibility and the application process »
Overview
The Peace Corps Prep Program identifies four core competencies that each undergraduate student needs to build before graduation.
One
Training and Work Experience
Three courses + 50 hours related experience
Complete at least three courses that align to a specific work sector. Courses can, but do not need to, come from your academic major or minor. In addition, accumulate a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer or work experience in that same sector, preferably in teaching or outreach.
Work Sectors
Two
Professional and Leadership Development
Resume and interview support + leadership experience
Partake in three specific activities that will strengthen your candidacy for Peace Corps and other professional endeavors:
- Get your resume critiqued by the Career Center.
- Attend a workshop or class on interview skills presented by the Career Center.
- Develop at least one significant leadership experience (ex. serving on the executive board of a student organization, coordinating a campus-wide event), and be prepared to discuss it thoughtfully.
Three
Intercultural Competence
One Core Course + Two Electives Courses or Substantive Intercultural Experience (40 hours)
Each intercultural experience lasting at least forty hours may substitute for one elective.
Four
Foreign Language Skills
Optional – Requirements vary
Foreign language skills are not required for the Peace Corps Prep Program, but are required for certain Peace Corps placement sites.
Spanish-speaking countries
Require strong intermediate proficiency (at least two 2000-level courses).
French-speaking countries
Require intermediate proficiency in any romance language (at least one 2000-level course).
Students enrolled in the Peace Corps Prep Program will be better prepared to serve as Peace Corps volunteers in the future or to work in any other global setting that requires specific skills to excel as a professional.
Visit their websites to learn more about the Peace Corps.
Please note completion of the Peace Corps Prep Program does not guarantee selection into the Peace Corps, but will strengthen a candidacy.
Important Fall 2023 Dates
Virtual advising appointments available: email jessi.defusco@utdallas.edu to set-up a time.
Information Sessions
- Tuesday, November 14; 2:30 p.m. FA 2.206
- View recording of an information session.
Upcoming Peace Corps Events
Contact Us
Email or visit us at GR 3.526 with questions about the Peace Corps Prep Program.
If you are interested in speaking with a Peace Corps recruiter who is assigned to UT Dallas or attending virtual Peace Corps sponsored events, please visit the UT Dallas Career Center site and search Handshake.
Resources
Peace Corps Prep Programs Expands Horizons
For Siva Paladugu and Danielle Edmonds, the program helped fulfill global ambitions. Learn more
