The University of South Carolina has been recognized for being ranked No. 8 among Peace Corps Prep schools for 2020. There are more than 140 Peace Corps Prep partner institutions across the country. South Carolina issued 19 Prep certificates to members of its 2020 graduating class, and 40 were enrolled in the Peace Corps Prep program during the 2019-20 academic year. The top ten issuing institutions include Virginia Commonwealth University, University of South Florida, University of Florida, Pacific Lutheran University, Mercer University, Monmouth University, University at Albany-SUNY, University of Georgia, and University of Vermont. 

Peace Corps Prep is a certificate program that teaches students sector-specific skills, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence and leadership. While having a Peace Corps Prep certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the Peace Corps, enrolling in the program will help students be more competitive. 

“The success of the Peace Corps Prep program at UofSC can be attributed to our globally minded student population. Many of the students in the program have studied, interned or conducted research abroad and are eager to continue to build their intercultural competencies through further international fieldwork,” says Anuja Parikh, education abroad advisor at South Carolina. “Though the bulk of the students who complete the Peace Corps Prep program hope to apply to serve in the Peace Corps post-graduation, many others realize the professional benefits of completing the program, regardless of their anticipated career fields.”

The Peace Corps Prep program was introduced by the Education Abroad Office and in collaboration with the Capstone Scholars leadership team in 2016, with a goal to support the university’s mission of providing students the opportunity to gain a cross cultural understanding of the world. “The EAO advising team is proof of our dedication and commitment to guiding the student experience. One of our guiding principles is to always be intentional about providing every opportunity for our students to be successful at South Carolina and in our global community,” said Magdalena Grudzinski-Hall, the interim executive director of Global Carolina and director of the Education Abroad Office. 

Interested students can find additional information about the Peace Corps Prep program at University of South Carolina by contacting Anuja Parikh at anujap@mailbox.sc.edu or 803.777.7557.

The following is an excerpt from a press release published on September 30, 2020 by the Peace Corps.