UVM PC Prep Requirements and Field Experience

Each student will take their own chosen courses to fulfill the coursework required for the PC Prep program. These courses are chosen with the PC Prep Coordinator in the student's initial application meeting. Any changes to your course plan must be cleared by the PC Prep Coordinator.

PC Prep at UVM helps students prepare for the Peace Corps in six sectors: agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health, and youth in development. Since each student's course plan will be different, listed here are departments from which students might choose courses to suit the sector they pursue.

Each student is required to select, arrange, and get approved their Field Experience component of the PC Prep Program. Suggestions are listed below with each sector.

Finally, each student is required to complete the Intercultural Competence requirement. The University of Vermont already requires all matriculated undergraduate students to complete two diversity courses (either two Diversity 1-level courses or a Diversity 1 and a Diversity 2 level course). The Peace Corps Prep Program requires a student to take three courses that enhance a student’s intercultural competence. Students may use their two Diversity courses as approved by the university toward this requirement. Students must choose a third Diversity course to complete the PC Prep requirement.

#1 Education

View Education Service at Peace Corps Website

Teach lessons that last a lifetime. Education is the Peace Corp’s largest program area. Volunteers play an important role in creating links among schools, parents, and communities by working in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools as math, science, conversational English, and resource teachers or as early grade reading and literacy teacher trainers. Volunteers also develop libraries and technology resource centers.

If you choose Education, take 3 courses from one of the following areas:

  • Elementary, Secondary or Special Education
  • English or Linguistics
  • TEFL/TESL
  • Math
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Any Physical or Biological Science

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Teaching in one of these or a similar form: in a classroom, with a community outreach organization, or in a formal tutoring capacity
    • The subject of the teaching may be English as a Foreign/Second Language, special education, drama, or a STEM subject
  • Serving or working as a camp counselor for students learning any of the subjects above
  • Other teaching, orientation, or leadership experience that utilizes your experience in teaching as approved by the PC Prep Coordinator

#2 Health

View Health Service at Peace Corps Website

Serve on the front lines of global health. Health Volunteers work within their communities to promote important topics such as nutrition, maternal and child health, basic hygiene, and water sanitation. Volunteers also work in HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs to train youth as peer educators, develop appropriate education strategies, provide support to children orphaned by the pandemic, and create programs that provide emotional and financial support to families and communities affected by the disease.

If you choose Health, take three courses from one of the following areas:

  • Nursing
  • Nutrition or Dietetics
  • Health Education
  • Pre-med
  • Biology
  • Environmental Engineering

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Volunteer or work experience in such areas as HIV/AIDS outreach, hospice, family planning counseling, emergency medical technician (EMT) or CPR teaching/certification, maternal health, and hands-on caregiving in a hospital, clinic, or lab technician setting
  • Counseling or teaching in health subjects
  • Working as a resident advisor in a dormitory, as a peer nutritionist, or as a sexually transmitted infections counselor
  • Significant experience in mechanical repairs, construction, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, hydrology, or set design

#3 Environment

View Environment Service at Peace Corps Website

Help forge a global movement to protect our planet. Volunteers lead grassroots efforts in their communities to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issues. They teach environmental awareness in elementary and secondary schools and to youth groups and community organizations, empowering communities to make their own decisions about how to protect and conserve the local environment. Volunteers also address environmental degradation by promoting sustainable use of natural resources.

If you choose Environment, take three courses from one of the following areas:

  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Studies
  • Natural Resources Conservation
  • Plant and Soil Science
  • Park Administration
  • Wildlife Biology
  • Natural Resources or Wildlife Management
  • CDAE
  • Forestry
  • Biology, Plant Biology, or Ecology
  • Geology

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Educating the public on environmental or conservation issues, or working on environmental campaigns
  • Conducting biological surveys of plants or animals
  • Gardening, farming, nursery management, organic or low-input vegetable production, or landscaping
  • Providing technical assistance and training in natural resource management

#4 Agriculture

View Agriculture Service at Peace Corps Website

Lead grassroots efforts to fight hunger in a changing world. Agricultural Volunteers work with small-scale farmers and families to increase food security and production and adapt to climate change while promoting environmental conservation practices. They introduce farmers to techniques that prevent soil erosion, reduce the use of harmful pesticides, and replenish the soil. They work alongside farmers on integrated projects that often combine vegetable gardening, livestock management, agroforestry, and nutrition education.

If you choose Agriculture, take three courses from one of the following areas:

  • Horticulture
  • Plant Biology
  • Entomology
  • Ecological Agriculture
  • Agricultural Economics
  • CDAE
  • Food Systems
  • Business or Economics
  • Plant and Soil Science
  • Animal Science
  • Biology

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Working with a large-scale or family-run business involving vegetable gardening, farming, nursery work, tree planting or care, urban forestry, livestock care and management, or fish cultivation and production
  • Teaching or tutoring the public in environmental or agricultural issues/activities
  • Working on the business management or marketing side of a commercial farm

#5 Youth in Development

View Youth in Development Service at Peace Corps Website

Empower the next generation of changemakers. Volunteers work with youth in communities on projects that promote engagement and active citizenship, including gender awareness, employability, health and HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, sporting programs, and info technology.

If you choose Youth in Development, take three courses from one of the following areas:

  • Social Work
  • Counseling
  • Community Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Human Development
  • CDAE
  • Family Studies

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Teaching or counseling in at-risk youth programs
  • Activities that involve planning, organizing, assessing community needs, counseling, and leadership, in areas such as education, youth development, health and HIV/AIDS, the environment, and/or business

#6 Community Economic Development

View Youth in Development Service at Peace Corps Website

Harness 21st-century tools to help communities lift themselves. Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to strengthen infrastructure and encourage economic opportunities in communities. They frequently teach in classroom settings and work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop and market their products. Some Volunteers also teach basic computer skills and help communities take advantage of technologies such as e-commerce, distance learning, and more.

If you choose Community Economic Dev., take three courses from one of the following areas:

  • Community and International Development
  • Public Communication
  • Community Entrepreneurship
  • Business or Public Administration
  • Nonprofit Management
  • Computer Science and related majors
  • Graphic Design
  • Mass Communications
  • International Business

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

  • Working with businesses, organizations, or cooperatives in accounting, finance, microfinance, management, project management, budgeting, or marketing
  • Starting and running your own business or other entrepreneurial activity
  • Training others in computer literacy, maintenance, and repair
  • Website design or online marketing
  • Founding or leading a community- or school-based organization

Intercultural Competence

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 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.

The University of Vermont already requires all matriculated undergraduate students to complete two diversity courses (either two Diversity 1-level courses or a Diversity 1 and a Diversity 2 level course).

The Peace Corps Prep Program requires a student to take three courses that enhance a student’s intercultural competence.  Students may use their two Diversity courses as approved by the university toward this requirement.  Students must choose a third Diversity course to complete the PC Prep requirement.  If possible, students should choose courses relevant to the part of the world where they would like to serve in the Peace Corps.  It is understandable, however, if this is not possible, and will not affect a student’s completion of the program, as intercultural competence comes in many forms and practices, which are offered throughout the approved classes regardless of the area of focus.

The list of Diversity courses approved by UVM can be found at the UVM Catalogue.

Is there another course in the catalog that you feel meets this requirement? Please discuss it with UVM's PC Prep Coordinator.

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