Simple, you can either fill out the form on this website or send an email to the Peace Corps Prep’s academic advisor, Dr. Robert Bivens to set up a meeting. After a brief discussion and a successfully submitted application you will be apart of the program

Not at all! If you sign up for this program you are under no obligation to join the Peace Corps. Though it is highly encouraged considering your preparations for the application process.

Generally speaking, no. The Peace Corps Prep Program is designed to be complimentary with majors and minors. Most of the courses required for the certificate are courses that students would already be taking for their majors and minors with a few exceptions. The Peace Corps academic advisor will also help guide you to make sure that you are taking the classes and are choosing the sectors that work best for your major. For example, a student who is interested in the Prep Program that has a biology major would be encouraged to either sign up for the agriculture, environment, or health fields dependent on their interest. However, if a student has a Peace Corps interest that diverges from their major or minor, their may be issues with course load. To use the previous example, a biology major who wanted to do community economic development would face issues of taking biology courses and economic courses.

That is completely fine! This program is designed to give students an advantage when it comes to Peace Corps applications. But the certificate has other benefits that can give students a leg up if they are interested in government jobs or jobs that are connected to government work or work with nongovernmental organizations.

Students that complete the program will be given a certificate from the Peace Corps which will be presented to them at a public engagement. They will also receive a cord to wear during graduation and training on how to complete the Peace Corps application process.

No. The Peace Corps will send you where they choose to send you. HOWEVER, you can up your chances to be sent to a place that you want to go. For example, if you take French as your language of choice for the Peace Corps prep and take coursework that is geared towards African cultural competence, you are likely to be selected to complete your field work in African countries that speak French. It is not a guarantee, but the Peace Corps Prep Program is designed to help students go to their general location of choice.

Yes! This is a conversation to have with the Peace Corps academic advisor. The requirements on community service are broad and it will be at the academic advisor’s discretion on whether or not it qualifies as service.