Peace Corps Prep Intercultural Learning

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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. 

To fulfill this requirement, you must enroll in 3 approved courses OR 1-2 courses + substantive intercultural experience.

You’ll take at least 1 of these core courses:

  • EDAD 5016: Multicultural Leadership
  • Special Topics: Global Service
  • SOC 112: Intro Social Inequality
  • GS 221: Intercultural Communication and Leadership
  • GS 102: Introduction to Global Studies II: Race, Culture, Identity
  • GNDR 240: Intergroup Dialogue
  • PHIL 333: Ethics of Global Citizenship
  • Intercultural Communication and Leadership (COMM 3301) through the CIEE Czech Republic Program


And choose 2 additional electives from the above list or these below:

  • GOVT/CLAS 228: Latin American Politics
  • HIST 234: Modern Latin America
  • PHIL 103: Philosophy East and West: An Introduction
  • SOC 110: Global Problems
  • ANTH 102: Cultural Anthropology
  • POL 360: International Relations Theory
  • AFS 225: Peoples and Cultures of Africa
  • ANTH 104: Language and Human Experience
  • PSYCH 215: Cultural Psychology
  • PSYC 3039: Psychology of Gender
  • CLAS 302: Latino Cultural Studies and Cultural Analysis

Is there another course in the catalog or experience that you feel meets this requirement? Please discuss it with your PC Prep Coordinator. These could include courses from area studies and other intercultural experiences such as studying or volunteering abroad and domestic intercultural experiences. Each distinct intercultural experience lasting at least 40 hours may substituted for one elective.

Studying or volunteering abroad may count if the student is in a country that has at some point hosted Peace Corps Volunteers (see the Peace Corps' list of current and past countries).

  • Studying/volunteering abroad in these countries lasting from one week to a summer may substitute for one course.
  • Experiences that last a full semester may substitute for both electives.

Other intercultural experiences may also count. If experiences also align with one of Peace Corps’ six sectors, these experiences may simultaneously count for that hands-on experiential requirement. Examples include: helping new immigrants/refugees acculturate to the U.S. or volunteering in diverse schools, volunteering at an ESOL literacy program, or volunteering with a public health organization in a diverse area.