If you’re ambitious and ready for a challenge, don’t pass up UCEAP Peace Corps Prep, a free, self-paced certificate program that lets you master skills you’ll need to succeed. Sign up and get prepared to apply to the Peace Corps, which gives you a chance to change the world as a volunteer at the grassroots level. Or get a head start in your public service or NGO career.
4
core competencies
1
study abroad program
6
work sectors
How the program works
You'll create a plan to master four core skills through a UCEAP study abroad program, courses, and hands-on work, which include:
- Training in a professional area
- Foreign language proficiency
- Intercultural insight
- Leadership and professional development
You'll focus on one of six work sectors matching your personal, academic, and professional goals. Work at your own pace—your final deadline is graduation.
Want to stand out at graduation? Need to grab the attention of potential employers? You’ll get graduation cords and a Peace Corps Prep certificate, perfect to showcase on a résumé or LinkedIn. Best of all, completing the certificate program significantly increases your chances of getting accepted into Peace Corps!
Questions
Contact the Peace Corps Prep program coordinator at peacecorpsprep@uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu
Peace Corps Prep Webinar
Want to get insider info on the Peace Corps Prep program? Register to attend the next Peace Corps Prep webinar and get answers to all your questions.
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 4 pm PT
Register to attend
Get inspired to reach your goals. Design your custom plan to satisfy program requirements in the UCEAP Peace Corps Prep Application Checklist, including:
- Study abroad with UCEAP
- Courses in specific subjects, many of which may satisfy major or general education classes
- Hands-on experience and leadership projects
Get suggestions for courses, internships, and volunteer and leadership projects in the Student Guide for your campus. Don’t forget about previous coursework, UCEAP study abroad programs, and leadership experiences that will meet the challenges of this program.
Steps to Apply
- Get the details: Take a look at the UCEAP Peace Corps Prep Application Checklist to find program requirements.
- Choose your work sector: Decide on a professional area you’d like to experience.
- Check out UCEAP programs: Choose one that works with your Peace Corps, professional, or educational goals.
- Find your courses: See which classes your UC campus or study abroad program offer that count toward program goals.
- Decide on leadership projects: Research work, internship, volunteer, and leadership opportunities at your UC campus or abroad.
- Submit an application: Use the plan you just mapped out to write up your application. If you decide to change your plan after submission, be sure to run it by the Peace Corps Prep coordinator for an okay.
Deadlines
| Term | Application cycle opens | Deadline | Acceptance notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | October 15 | November 15 | January |
| Spring | March 16 | April 16 | August/September |
Complete and submit your application by 5 pm Pacific Time on the close date.
Resources
- Prep Application Checklist
- Peace Corps Prep Application (open during application cycles)
- UC Berkeley Student Guide
- UC Davis Student Guide
- UC Irvine Student Guide
- UC Los Angeles Student Guide
- UC Merced Student Guide
- UC Riverside Student Guide
- UC San Diego Student Guide
- UC Santa Barbara Student Guide
- UC Santa Cruz Student Guide
Once your proposal to fulfill the program's requirements is approved, it's time to put your custom plan in motion. In this independent program, you decide when you'll work on program assignments.
Work the plan
At your own pace, build your strengths before graduation as you:
- Take up to eight courses on core skills
- Go on any UCEAP study abroad program
- Put in 50 hours of work or volunteer time
- Lead or organize an event, project, or organization
- Write three reflection essays on your experiences
- Have your résumé critiqued
- Get training on job interviews
- Create a LinkedIn profile or e-portfolio
Show off your successes
Submit your final program documents for approval before graduation. Once you've finished all the program requirements, combine the following documents into a single PDF and email it to the Program Coordinator prior to one of the submission deadlines.
- Exit Checklist (include course numbers and titles)
- Unofficial UC transcripts
- Unofficial transfer institution transcripts (if applicable)
- Letter of proficiency or language proficiency exam results (if applicable)
- Supplemental information form
- Reflection essay 1
- Reflection essay 2
- Reflection essay 3
- Resume
- Release of information form
Get final approval
The Peace Corps Prep coordinator will go over your Exit Checklist to make sure you have met the program goals, and let you know by email. Get approved and then pick up your Peace Corps Prep certificate and graduation cords from your campus study abroad office.
Update your résumé
Impress employers when you add your Peace Corps Prep certificate to your résumé and LinkedIn profile.
Deadlines
| Graduation term | Deadline for completion |
|---|---|
| Fall | August 1 |
| Spring | April 1 |
Complete and submit your application by 5 pm Pacific Time on the close date.
Resources
A US volunteer program, the Peace Corps has served communities in more than 141 countries. For more than five decades, Peace Corps volunteers have demonstrated ingenuity, creativity, and grit to solve critical challenges through hands-on projects alongside community leaders.
Peace Corps’ mission
The Peace Corps’ goal is to create a better world by:
- Training a nation's citizens to meet its most critical needs
- Sharing American culture with other countries
- Bringing back cultural insights from other countries
Over two years of service, Peace Corps volunteers develop sustainable solutions in areas from education to community health to youth development.
If you plan to go into the Peace Corps, check out volunteer placements on its website. Tailor your Peace Corps Prep plan to the post that most appeals to you.
Note: While any UC undergraduate in good academic standing can join UCEAP’s Peace Corps Prep program, only US citizens can serve in the Peace Corps.
The value of volunteering
Peace Corps volunteers come back with a new worldview and a competitive edge for a career, graduate school, and the global economy. Volunteers get key training and skills in:
- Cross-cultural connections and collaborations
- Leadership expertise
- Language proficiency
- Teaching techniques
- Community development
Learn more about Peace Corps
As a transfer student, I wasn't sure I could participate in a study abroad program during my short time at Berkeley. After signing up for the Peace Corps Prep Program offered through UCEAP, I learned all students—including transfer students—are encouraged to study abroad. I chose the global internship program because it was an excellent opportunity to get my first internship experience while fulfilling one of the Peace Corps prep requirements and visiting a country I'd never seen before. Everything aligned perfectly.
Through my volunteer work, I gained team development and communication skills. I learned outreach and collaboration skills at the individual and community levels. My experiences directly translated into what will be my new role with the Peace Corps, building solid relationships within diverse communities.