Requirements vary by region of interest
Working across cultures often entails verbal and nonverbal languages distinct from your own. Most students must hone their capacity to interact professionally using a non-English language. Minimum course requirements vary by desired placement region.
- 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 language, having completed two 200-level courses or learned French through another medium.
- Everywhere else: While Peace Corps does not have specific language requirements for all volunteer placement sites, you will likely learn and utilize another language during your service. Therefore, it is helpful and important to have experience learning another language. To fulfill this requirement for PC Prep at Nebraska, students need to complete at least two courses in the same language at any level.
Note: Nebraska’s PC Prep program expectations exceed the requirements set by Peace Corps:
- Latin America: establish elementary proficiency, having completed two 100-level courses
- West Africa: proficiency in French or another Romance language
Students who completed two or more years of language prior to attending the University may contact the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures about completing a proficiency exam. Students who have already taken and passed foreign language courses or who have tested out of their language requirements for Nebraska may count those courses toward the completion of this PC Prep requirement.
Note: If you are a strong native speaker and hope to serve in a country that speaks your same language, you can skip this requirement!