3 approved courses or 1-2 courses + substantive intercultural experience
Engaging thoughtfully and fluidly across cultures begins with one’s own self-awareness. With this learning objective, you will deepen your cultural agility through a mix of three introspective courses, or a mix of courses and experience, 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.
Core course (pick 1)
- ANTH/ETHN 212: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- ANTH/ETHN/SOCI 217: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
- ANTH/GLST 280: Colonization, Decolonization and Globalization
- BSAD 420: Global Leadership and Culture Map
- COMM 311: Intercultural and Intergroup Communication
- ETHN 100: Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- GEOG 431: Cultural Geography
- GLST 201: Introduction to Global Studies
- GLST/HRHA 101: Human Rights in a Global Context
- GLST/HRHA 350: Refugees, Displaced Persons and (Im)migrants
- GLST/MODL/POLS 381: Cultures in Transit
- POLS 476: Ethnic Conflict and Identity
Note: Students may request to substitute another Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) 9 course.
Elective 1: Regional Knowledge (pick 1)
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
- CZEC 387: Women Totalitarian Experience: Culture, Identity and Memory
- HIST 262: Russia: The Nineteenth Century
to the Present - HIST 462: Recent Russia
East Asia
- ANTH/ETHN 351: Exploring Cross-Cultural Diversities
- HIST 181 / POLS 171: Introduction to East Asian Civilization
- HIST 282: Modern East Asia
- RELG 180: Culture, Religion, and Society in Contemporary Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
- ANTH/ETHN 351: Exploring Cross-Cultural Diversities
- ETHN 203: Introduction to Africa
- HIST/ETHN 150: African Culture and Civilization
- HIST/ETHN 285: Africa Since 1800
- HIST/ETHN/WMNS 459: Women and Gender in African Societies
- POLS/ETHN 375: Conflict and Development in Africa
- GEOG 380: Geography of Africa
Middle East and North Africa
- ANTH/ETHN 351: Exploring Cross-Cultural Diversities
- ARAB/WMNS 288: Exploring Love, Sexuality and Femininity in the History of Arabic Culture
- HIST/RELG 214: History of Islam
- HIST/JUDS/RELG 217: Israel: The Holy Land
- HIST 367: History of the Modern Middle East
- RELG 208: Introduction to Islam
Latin America and the Caribbean
- ANTH/ETHN 351: Exploring Cross-Cultural Diversities
- ENGL 344D: Caribbean Literature
- ANTH/ETHN/LAMS 237: Ancient Mesoamerica
- HIST/ETHN 171: History of Latin America
- HIST/ETHN/LAMS 272: Modern Latin America
- HIST 476A: Gender and Sexuality in Latin America
- HIST/ETHN 476B: Race in Modern Latin America
- POLS/ETHN/LAMS 277: Latin American Politics
- SPAN/LAMS 331: War and Human Rights in Latin America
Note: Students may request to substitute another Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) 9 course.
Elective 2: Pick one additional course from the lists above.
Combination of Courses and Experience
You may choose to complete your intercultural competency requirement through a combination of coursework and experience. All students will take one core course but can substitute experiences for one or both electives.
- Domestic Intercultural Experience can include prolonged intercultural experiences in the U.S., such as volunteering with a community center or school. The experience must last at least 40 hours. If the experience also aligns with one of Peace Corps’ six sectors, these experiences may simultaneously count for that hands-on experiential requirement.
- Education Abroad Experience and associated credits can be substituted to fulfill this requirement. In order to satisfy the requirements, education abroad experiences must take place in a country that has at some point hosted Peace Corps Volunteers (see the list of current and past countries here and include academic credit. A short-term or summer experience will substitute for one elective, while a full semester will substitute both electives.
Peace Corps Tip! Prolonged intercultural experiences—such as studying, volunteering, and/or teaching abroad or in the United States (including U.S. territories)—would also strengthen your Peace Corps candidacy significantly.