Program Requirements

For PC Prep, you need to complete at least 3 courses that align with a specific work sector of your choice*. 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. 

You may choose from the following sectors:

1. Education
2. Health
3. Environment
4. Agriculture
5. Youth in Development
6. Community Economic Development

For details on specific work sector requirements, please refer to the Student Guide.

*Your selected work sector doesn't necessarily have to be related to your academic major or minor.

Some programs require students to have foreign language skills.

• 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 are still encouraged to study a foreign language. 

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

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

• CDS 100 (Ideal of Citizenship)
• CDS 200 (Intersectional Theory)
• COMS 204 (Communication and Culture)
• ANTH 200 (Intro to Anthropology)
• Any Arrupe Immersion Course

You must also choose 2 additional electives:

• Any Core Cultural Diversity (CD) course
• Any Arrupe Immersion Course
• Any Area Studies Course (E.g. African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, or Asian Studies Course)

If you feel like there is another course in the catalog that meets this requirement, discuss it with your PC Prep Coordinator.

If you have studied or volunteered abroad, this experience may count if it's in a country that currently hosts or has hosted Peace Corps Volunteers. You can check the list of current and past countries here.

• Studying/volunteering abroad in these countries from one week to a summer may substitute for one course. 
• Experiences that last a full semester may substitute for both electives. 

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 reviewed or critiqued by someone in the Career Services center. You may also view USF's Resume & Cover Letter Guide to help you.
2. Attend a workshop or class on interview skills by the Career Services center. You may also view USF's Career Services Interview section to help you.
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.