Peace Corps Prep Program
What is Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps is a U.S. volunteer program where people serve in communities around the world to support locally led projects in areas like education, health, agriculture, environmental work, and community development. Volunteers typically serve for about two years and work alongside community members to help address goals identified by those communities.
It’s not just about volunteering—it’s also about cultural exchange. Volunteers learn how to live and work in a different cultural context while sharing skills and building mutual understanding. The Peace Corps is focused on long-term partnership and capacity building, not short-term aid.
Official Peace Corps Website
What is the Peace Corps Prep Program?
The Peace Corps Prep Program is a certificate program that helps students build skills and experiences related to international service and community-focused careers. It is not required for Peace Corps service and does not guarantee placement, but it is designed to help students explore and prepare for that kind of work.
The program focuses on developing cross-cultural communication, leadership, and hands-on service experience through coursework and applied learning opportunities. Students gain practical experience working with diverse communities and engaging with real-world challenges in global and local contexts.
Who is it for?
The Peace Corps Prep Program is for students who are interested in working across cultures and exploring careers in fields like international development, education, public health, environmental work, nonprofit work, or other service-oriented areas. It is open to students in any major and is a good fit for those who want hands-on experience applying classroom learning to real-world challenges.
It’s often a strong complement to majors that focus on global systems and applied problem-solving. At Iowa State University, the Global Resource Systems (GRS) major aligns especially well with this kind of preparation because it connects sustainability, food systems, environment, and international development with experiential, real-world learning opportunities that match the goals of Peace Corps Prep.
Why it matters
The Peace Corps Prep Program helps you turn an interest in global or service-focused work into a clearer direction and stronger preparation for what comes next.
By the time you finish, you’ll have a better sense of how to work effectively across cultures, how to approach real-world problems in different global settings, and what paths might fit your goals after graduation.
It also helps you stand out for future opportunities—whether that’s Peace Corps service, graduate school, or careers in international development, nonprofit work, public service, or other global fields where adaptability and real-world experience matter.
What it takes
Meeting these requirements ensures you're not just prepared on paper — you'll leave with the experience, cultural competency, and leadership skills that Peace Corps service actually demands.
- 50 hours of experience in a work sector
- Three (3) work sector courses
- Three (3) intercultural competence courses
- Leadership experience
Earning the Certificate
Start Your Journey
Most of the certificate process is done on the front end - get the right pieces in place early and the rest follows naturally. Start here:
Claim Your Certificate
Once you've completed all courses and requirements on your application:
Interested in making global work your degree?
Consider adding a major in Global Resource Systems
