The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Peace Corps have announced a new partnership centered on an undergraduate certificate program called Peace Corps Prep.
Students in the program, which is scheduled to launch at UTRGV this fall, will combine targeted coursework with hands-on experience to build the skills needed as a potential Peace Corps volunteer or for other jobs in international development fieldwork.
Peace Corps Prep will be structured as an interdisciplinary certificate program, and is housed in the UTRGV Honors College. This is UTRGV’s first Peace Corps partnership.
“UTRGV students in the Peace Corps Prep program will have opportunities for preferential placement with the Peace Corps,” said Dr. Mark C. Andersen, dean of the UTRGV Honors College.
“Even students who meet all the Peace Corps Prep requirements but choose not to apply to the Peace Corps will gain important global and cross-cultural competencies that are very appealing to potential employers worldwide,” he said.
Students will learn about and practice leadership, intercultural competence, foreign languages, and a professional sector of their choice, such as education, health, or the environment – skills that will give them a competitive edge when applying for Peace Corps service and that can be built upon and utilized throughout their careers.
The Peace Corps has Prep partnerships with more than 75 leading academic institutions around the country. The program was established in 2007 to meet the demand for Peace Corps volunteers with a broad and relevant set of expertise, and to support schools’ efforts to provide substantive, globally focused experiences for their students. For more information, go to www.peacecorps.gov/pcprep.
UTRGV students interested in Peace Corps Pres should contact the Honors College at (956) 665-2341 or via email at [email protected].
