Develop long-term career skills and engage in your community at home and abroad with the Peace Corps Prep program!
Peace Corps Prep (PC Prep) is a program for undergraduate students that centers on one empowering question: How can you prepare yourself to be the best Peace Corps Volunteer you can be?
Get a competitive edge when applying to the Peace Corps, where you can collaborate on projects as a Volunteer in one of more than 60 countries.
Integrating UNL coursework, hands-on experience, and professional development, Nebraska’s Peace Corps Prep program prepares undergraduates for volunteer service globally, potentially with the Peace Corps, by building the following core competencies:
- Training and experience in a specific work sector:
- Education
- Health
- Environment
- Agriculture
- Youth in Development
- Community Economic Development
- Intercultural competence
- Professional and leadership development
Upon completion of the program, you will receive a certificate from the Peace Corps, a federal agency. Completing the PC Prep program gives you a competitive edge when applying for Peace Corps service, but does not guarantee acceptance as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Special features of the PC Prep program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln include:
- Tailored education abroad advising and eligibility for competitive scholarship of up to $2,000 to study or intern abroad in a country where Peace Corps volunteers have served.
- Social and networking events, mentorship from local Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and group volunteer opportunities.
- Email announcements with relevant campus, local, national, and international opportunities.
- Culminating course listed on the transcript, recognition in campus media outlets, and a cord to wear at graduation.
Learn more and start your application today!
Program Requirements
Training and Experience in a Specific Work Sector
- Complete 3 courses that align with one of the following specific work sectors: Education, Health, Environment, Agriculture, Youth in Development, and Community Economic Development.
- Accumulate 50 hours of volunteer or work experience in the same work sector.
Intercultural Competence
- Complete 3 approved intercultural courses.
- Substitute 1 or 2 courses with:
- Intercultural experiences in the U.S. lasting 40+ hours.
- Study or intern in a country that has at some point hosted Peace Corps Volunteers and earn academic credit. A short-term or summer experience will substitute for 1 course, while a full semester will substitute for 2 courses.
- Foreign language skills and courses may also substitute.
Professional and Leadership Development
- Work with your career coach and/or the PC Prep coordinators to update your resume, write a cover letter, and complete a mock interview.
- Develop at least one significant leadership experience and be prepared to discuss it thoughtfully (organizing an event, leading a work or volunteer project, or serving on a board).
Completing the Peace Corps Prep Program
- Earn a minimum grade of C in all courses listed on your Peace Corps Prep plan.
- Enroll in and pass a zero-credit course in your culminating semester of Peace Corps Prep, and complete an Exit Checklist.
- Peace Corps Prep students who apply for Peace Corps service will attach the Exit Checklist to their Peace Corps application.
Application Process
Eligibility
- Current undergraduate students from any major in good standing.
- Applications should be submitted at least two semesters before a student's expected graduation date.
- International students may complete the Peace Corps Prep program at Nebraska, but applicants to serve in the Peace Corps must be U.S. citizens.
Steps for Applying to the Peace Corps Prep Program
- Carefully review the Student Guide above, select a sector (Education, Health, Environment, Agriculture, Youth in Development, or Community Economic Development), and draft a plan.
- Optional: Meet with the Peace Corps Prep Coordinator to review your plan, options, and next steps.
- Apply online. The application includes a projected plan to complete PC Prep requirements, a resume, and a brief personal statement.
Deadlines
Applications for the Peace Corps Prep program must be received by the following dates in order to start actively participating in the program in the selected semester/term:
- February 15 to start effective Spring
- June 1 to start effective Summer
- October 1 to start effective Fall
Applications should be submitted at least two semesters before a student's expected graduation date.
News and Events
- July 2, 2026
Eight Huskers earn Peace Corps Prep certificate - May 15, 2025
Nine Huskers earn Peace Corps Prep certificate - May 20, 2024
Study abroad experience propels Husker to Peace Corps - May 9, 2024
Five Huskers earn Peace Corps Prep certificate - December 12, 2023
3 Huskers earn invite to serve in Peace Corps
- May 12, 2023
Eight Huskers are first to earn Peace Corps Prep certificate - March 2, 2022
Peace Corps Prep helping students ready for global careers - October 18, 2021
UNL launches program to prepare students for Peace Corps - October 4, 2021
New Peace Corps Prep program prepares students to be global change makers
Contact Us
Contact Us
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Morocco 2008-2010
Schedule a virtual or in-person appointment in Student Success Hub ("Schedule An Appointment" and search for "Global Experiences" Support Pool Team)
Knoll 213
Note: Rebecca is also an Associate Director in the University Honors Program, but Peace Corps Prep is open to all Nebraska undergraduates in good standing!
Oldfather Hall 822
Note: Dr. Ibrahimpašić is also Associate Professor of Practice & Assistant Director in the Global Studies Program, but Peace Corps Prep is open to Nebraska undergraduates from all majors!
About Peace Corps Service
Peace Corps Volunteers spend two years overseas, living and working at the grassroots level to help communities address their most pressing issues: from education and public health to economic development and more. Volunteers share their culture with the people they serve, and bring the culture of their host communities back to the U.S. Serving as a Volunteer is a life-changing, life-defining experience and an incomparable career jumpstart. Learn more about Peace Corps service by exploring what volunteers do and the many financial, personal, graduate school, and professional benefits of Peace Corps service. Browse volunteer openings, contact a recruiter, or attend a virtual event.
Alumni Spotlight
Carolina Castro
"I have been teaching residents in my community about different health and wellness topics in the local school. I have been applying to international nonprofits and foundations to obtain book grants to help with the lack of books in my town. I have started a small soccer league for 9- to 13-year-olds in my town to keep them active. Another nearby Peace Corps volunteer and I have started giving health presentations at the nearest high school about topics like avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. I am also getting to see coffee farming first-hand and hoping to apply for a small grant to help local coffee farmers obtain a machine that will allow for streamlining of the de-shelling process of this kind of coffee. I am also teaching an English class twice a week so that the adults in my community have an opportunity to learn a new language for free."
Carolina Castro, April 2025, Peace Corps Volunteer in Health sector, Panama
Nebraska PC Prep alumna, December 2023
Marcia White
Director of Development, UNL IANR, University of Nebraska Foundation
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Ghana 2002-2004