Leveraging concrete knowledge and skills is central to on-the-ground international development work. Through this Peace Corps Prep program, you will begin to build a professional specialty, which should serve your career well whether or not you become a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Students applying to the Peace Corps Prep program will choose one work sector in which Peace Corps volunteers work and complete at least 3 courses and 50 hours of related experience.
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- TLPL 440: Issues in the Education of English Language Learners
- EDHD 320: Human Development through the Lifespan
- ENGL 234: African American Literature and Culture
- TLPL 288R: Critical Race Counter Storytelling
- HLTH 431: Health Literacy in Action
- HLTH 420: Effective Strategies for Public Health Practice
- Study abroad opportunities include:
- UMD-Summer: Mexico: STEAM Education for Sustainability (TLPL488D)
- UMD-Winter: El Salvador: El Salvador's Children: Risk, Poverty and Education (EDSP488B/CPSP379E/LASC448V)
- UMD-Winter: Dominican Republic: Global Service and Critical Reflection on U.S. Identity (EDHI338I/BSGC338D/LASC369R)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Teaching and Learning about Cultural Diversity through Intergroup Dialogue; U.S. Identity in a Global Context (CHSE338U)
Complete 50 hours of Related Field Activity Through Activities 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
- Participation in Maryland Mentor Corps
- Volunteer with America Reads, America Counts, or Partners in Print
- Intern with the Center for Young Children or Friends Community School
- Study abroad and complete an internship with Maryland in Barcelona (EDCP 386) or Maryland in Sevilla (SPAN 386)
- Study abroad and complete an independent study project with SIT Study Abroad Chile-Comparative Education and Social Change
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- HLTH 140: Intro to Personal and Community Health
- HLTH230: Intro to Health Behavior
- HLTH 234: Global Health Messages: Understanding Exposure and Impact
- HLTH 285: Controlling Stress and Tension
- HLTH 292: Community Health Engagement
- HLTH 377: Human Sexuality
- HLTH 391: Making a Difference: Applying Community Health
- HLTH 471: Women’s Health
- NFSCH 230: Global Nutrition Sensitive Food Systems
- MIEH 400: Introduction to Global Health
- Study abroad opportunities include:
- UMD Summer: Cuba: Law, Public Health and the Cuban Family (FMSC 486C)
- UMD Winter: India: East Meets West: Contrasting Public Health Priorities, Pragmatics and Polemics in the US and India (HLTH 489I)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Advanced Topics in Medical Image
- Bioethics (PHIL 209A)
- Electronic Technology in Biomedicine (BIOE 457)
- Biomedical Microdevices
- Biomedical Applications of Nanotechnology
- Fundamentals of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (BIOE 411)
- Instrumentation and Multimodality Imaging (BIOE 420)
- Introduction to Biomedical Image (BIOE 420)
- Medical Image Processing
- Medical Instrumentation and Devices
- Measuring Information
- Global Health
- Dignified Death and Public Health System
- Health, Disease, and Contemporaneity
- ENES 458: Topics in International Engineering (when taken in conjunction with relevant experience such as Engineers without Borders)
Complete 50 hours of Related Field Activity Through Activities 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
- Working as a Peer Educator with the University Health Center
- Completing the capstone internship program in Community Health (HLTH 491)
- Joining Eta Sigma Gamma and engaging in health education/public health service
- Joining Public Health Beyond Borders and engaging in community service or going on a mission trip
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- SPHL in Kenya: Global Community Health Internship (HLTH)
- SPHL in Tanzania: Public Health Communication Research Internship (HLTH)
- SIT Study Abroad Kenya: Public Health in the Tropics Internship (Summer)
- SIT Study Abroad Argentina: Public Health in Urban Environments
- SIT Study Abroad Chile: Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment
- SIT Study Abroad South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy
- Engineers without Borders (when the project is related to health)
- Maryland-in-Barcelona: EDCP 386 Internship
- Maryland-in-Sevilla: SPAN 386 Internship (pending SPAN/EA approval)
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- AREC 240: Introduction to Economics and the Environment
- AREC 241: Environment, Economics and Policy
- AREC 453: Natural Resources and Public Policy
- AREC 454: The Economics of Climate Change
- AREC 481: Environmental Economics
- ENCE 215: Engineering for Sustainability
- ENCE 310: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
- MIEH 300: A Public Health Perspective: Introduction to Environmental Health
- GEOL 120: Environmental Geology
- GEOL 123: Causes and Consequences of Global Change
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- UMD-Spring Break: Peru: Sustainable Development, Environmental Policy and Human Rights (PLCY)
- UMD-Spring Break: Greece: Sustainability & Infrastructure (ENCE)
- UMD -Summer: Mexico: STEAM Education for Sustainability (TLPL)
- UMD-Summer: Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice: Sustainability, Climate Change and Renewable Energy Systems (ENME)
- UMD-Summer: Peru: The Future of Sustainability: Learning from Inka Practices (ENCE)
- UMD-Summer: Sweden/Denmark: Sustainability, Smart Cities’ Infrastructure & Safety (ENCE)
- UMD-Winter: Costa Rica: Fire and Jungle: Sustainability, Climate Change and Renewable Energy Systems (ENME)
- UMD-Winter: Indonesia: Social-Ecological Systems, Environmental Policy, and Sustainable Development (PLCY)
- UMD-Winter: New Zealand: Sustainable Ecosystems (PLSC/ENSP)
- Global Classrooms Connections: Global Perspectives on Air Pollution Sources and Control (CHBE 405)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Environmental Technology (ENCE 310)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Solar Energy
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Wind Energy
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Energy in Buildings (ENME489N)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Heat Power Plants (L2)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Markets and Environment (ECON481)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Sustainable Power Systems
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Energy and Water (
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Energías renovables: tradición recuperada
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Global Environmental Challenges
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Sociology of Climate Change
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Citizen science and sustainability
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Water and energy in impoverished areas
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas: Environmental Engineering and Sustainability
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas: Circular Economy and Eco-Industry
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas: Sustainable Engineering Principles
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas: The challenge of future electricity systems
- ENES458 (when taken in conjunction with relevant experience such as Engineers without Borders)
- ENCE489 (when taken in conjunction with relevant experience or international competitions such as the DTU Green Challenge)
Complete 50 Hours of Related Field Activity Through Activities 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
- Interning with the UMD Office of Sustainability
- Be a part of the UMD Sustainability Outreach Team
- Designing and executing a program through the sustainability fund
- Volunteering with Engineering Without Borders
- Participating in the solar decathlon
- TUM PREP (study abroad), Practical Research Experience Program
- Participating in the DTU Green Challenge (study abroad)
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- AGNR 301: Sustainability
- ANSC 101/103: Principles of Animal Science
- ANSC 212/214: Applied Animal Physiology
- ANSC 227: Eating with Eyes Wide Open
- ANSC 314: Comparative Animal Nutrition
- ANSC 315: Applied Animal Nutrition
- ANSC 410: The Gut Microbiome and its Roles in Health and Disease
- ANSC 455: Applied Animal Behavior
- AREC 210: The Food Chain: What Happens As Your Food Goes from Farm to Table
- AREC 240: Introduction to Economics and the Environment
- AREC 250: Elements of Agricultural and Resource Economics
- AREC 306: Farm Management and Sustainable Food Production
- AREC 345: Global Poverty and Economic Development
- AREC 360: Global Agriculture: Developing Extension Education & Agricultural Technologies in Africa
- AREC 365: World Hunger, Population, and Food Supplies
- AREC 427: Commodity Pricing and Markets
- AREC 433: Food and Agricultural Policy
- HNUH 258A: Harvesting Big Data to Examine Agriculture and Climate Change
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- UMD-Summer: Liberia: Implementing Extension Education in Africa (AREC)
- UMD-Winter: Peru: Medicinal Plants of the Amazon (PLSC)
- ENES 458 (when taken in conjunction with relevant experience such as Engineers without Borders)
Complete 50 Hours of Related Field Activity Through Activities Such As:
- Working with a large-scale or family-run business involving vegetable gardening, farming, nursery work, tree planting or care, urban forestry, landscaping, 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
- Be an intern with the Extension Student Internship Program
- Participate in the AgEnterprise Challenge
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- SIT Study Abroad Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
- Complete a project with Engineers without Borders (when project is related to agriculture)
- TUM PREP (when project is related to agriculture)
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- EDCP 210: Peer Counseling Skills and Mental Health Advocacy
- EDHD 310: Your Brain on Education: The Neuroscience of Learning and Development
- EDHD 402: Social Development
- EDHD 413: Adolescent Development
- FMSC332: Children in Families
- FMSC 383: Delivery of Human Services to Families
- FMSC431: Family Crises, Emergencies and Interventions
- HLTH 292: Community Health Engagement
- HLTH 391: Making A Difference: Applying Community Health
- PLCY 201: Public Leaders and Active Citizens
- PLCY 213: Foundations of Nonprofit Leadership and Social Innovation
- PLCY 215: Innovation and Social Change: Creating Change for Good
- PLCY 310: Nonprofit Leadership and Social Innovation in Action
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- UMD-Winter: Dominican Republic: Global Service and Critical Reflection on U.S. Identity (EDHI/BSGC/LASC)
Complete 50 Hours of Related Activity Through Activities 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
- Research assistance with youth program evaluation in the Department of Family Science (Latino Fathers Promoting Healthy Youth Behaviors, opioid use prevention, teen pregnancy and parenting, healthy development strategies for sexual and gender minority youth)
- 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
- Develop and implement a project with funding from the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute
- Volunteering with Gymkana
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- UMD-Winter: Dominican Republic: Global Service and Critical Reflection on U.S. Identity (EDHI/BSGC/LASC)
- Maryland-in-Barcelona: EDCP 386 Internship
- Maryland-in-Sevilla: SPAN 386 Internship (case-by-case pending SPAN/EA approval)
Choose 3 Courses and Earn a Grade of C- or Higher:
- AREC 260: The Science of Gender in Economics and Development
- AREC 345: Global Poverty and Economic Development
- AREC 455: Economics of Land Use
- ECON 175: Inequality: Determinants and Policy Remedies
- ECON 315: Economic Development of Underdeveloped Areas
- ECON 317: Global Economic Policies
- INST 155: Social Networking
- INST 311: Information Organization
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- UMD-Summer: Ghana: Corporate Social Responsibility: A Strategy for Sustainable Development (AAPS)
- UMD-Winter: Australia: International Business Cultures in Engineering & Technology (ENES/HONR)
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: Entrepreneurship and small business management
- Clark-in-Madrid: Universidad Pontificia de Comilla
Complete 50 Hours of Related Activity Through Activities 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
- Research assistance with the TOGETHER program for enhancing relationship and economic stability in couples
- Participate in the Smith Finance International Business Agility Lab Case Competition
- Be a Smith Fellow
- Research assistance with the Office of Information Studies research centers
- Study Abroad Opportunities:
- Maryland-in-Barcelona: EDCP 386 Internship
- Maryland-in-Sevilla: SPAN 386 Internship (case-by-case pending SPAN/EA approval)