I’ve heard about the Peace Corps, but what exactly is it?

Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the US government, in which US citizens work in developing countries for a period of two years. Over 240,000 Americans have served in more than 140 countries since the Peace Corps was founded.

The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained personnel;
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; and
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. 

You can learn more about the Peace Corps and its history on the agency's website. 

Host countries invite the Peace Corps to work in their communities, providing trained personnel to assist with local needs related to a variety of fields. Peace Corps Volunteers currently work in six sectors:

• Agriculture
• Agriculture Volunteers work with small-scale farmers and families to increase food security and production and adapt to climate change while promoting environmental conservation.
• Community Economic Development
• Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to encourage economic opportunities in communities. They frequently teach in classroom settings and work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop and market their products.
• Education
• Education is the Peace Corps’ largest program area. Volunteers play an important role in creating links among schools, parents, and communities. They may work in elementary, secondary, or post secondary schools, teaching subjects such as math, science, or conversational English; or as resource teachers or teacher trainers. Volunteers also develop libraries and technology resource centers.
• Environment
• Volunteers lead grassroots efforts to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issues. They teach environmental awareness in schools and to local organizations, empowering communities to make their own decisions about how to conserve the local environment.
• 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.
• Youth in Development
• Volunteers work with youth in communities to promote engagement and active citizenship, including gender awareness, employability, health and HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, sports and fitness programs, and information technology.

You can learn more about what Volunteers do on the Peace Corps website.

Prior to the pandemic, Peace Corps Volunteers were working in over 60 countries. Over 7,300 Volunteers worldwide were recalled to the United States in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Peace Corps has resumed service in most of these countries, with volunteers currently serving in over 55 countries worldwide in six sectors: Agriculture, Environment, Youth Development, Education, Community Economic Development, and Health.

You can learn more about the world regions and countries with Peace Corps programs here. 

With so many countries to choose from, how should I choose which volunteer opportunity to apply to?

Choosing a posting is a big decision, and everyone has their own reason for service.

Peace Corps service provides much professional and linguistic training, but to be a competitive applicants should have some familiarity with the technical, cultural, and linguistic knowledge needed in their country of service. Choose openings in sectors that closely represent the experiences and knowledge you have during the time of application.

If you are interested in a region or sector that is outside of your expertise, you can gain more experience through courses, extracurricular activities, language tutoring, and (for undergraduates) MSU's Peace Corps Prep certificate program. To learn more about ways to make your application more competitive, contact your nearest Peace Corps Recruiter.

Tangible benefits:

• International travel to and from your host country
• Living expenses while serving
• Medical and dental covered while serving
• Generous readjustment allowance to help you transition back to life in the US after service
• Some student loans may be deferable or even eligible for partial cancellation
• Graduate school opportunities after service
• One year of Non-Competitive Eligibility for federal jobs after service
• Learn more about specific benefits on the Peace Corps website.

Intangible benefits:

• Lifelong friendships among host community members and fellow Volunteers
• Intercultural awareness and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
• Language proficiency, which makes you a more competitive job candidate
• Connections to the vibrant network of tens of thousands of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

You can learn more about the benefits of service on the Peace Corps website.

What happens if I get sick or there’s a natural disaster in my host country? 

Peace Corps assignments can be physically and mentally demanding. For that reason, volunteers are provided full medical and dental coverage. Peace Corps Medical officers specific to the administration in your service country, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to assist volunteers in their medical needs. 

Safety and Security officers are also available 24/7 to take your call and assist through emergencies. There are strategic safety plans in place for all Peace Corps countries and even for specific regions within the country. In the case of natural disasters, volunteers will be alerted and updated in a timely fashion with instructions from their corresponding safety and security team.

Volunteers may also experience unwanted attention and harassment and are trained thoroughly to mitigate and respond to threats to their safety. Peace Corps maintains collaborative relationships with US. Embassies and government officials to address safety and security concerns when they arise.  

Learn more about health and safety in the Peace Corps. 

Can I serve in the Peace Corps with my significant other?

Yes! Couples are welcome in the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps accepts married and unmarried couples in committed domestic partnerships. Couples who have been in a committed relationship for at least a year before they begin service are better able to adapt to the challenges of the Peace Corps. Unmarried couples seeking to serve as a couple must attest via an affidavit to their committed domestic partner relationship as part of their applications. 

Couples are accepted in Peace Corps service programs. However, placement options and application time may vary for each. To place a couple, Peace Corps must first identify specific communities that can accommodate couples with adequate work to support two Volunteers, then match that couple with communities that have requested their skill combination. For these reasons, it is more difficult to find assignments and placement generally takes longer for couples than for individuals.

Couples should search for openings in the same country that match both of their skill sets and that accept couples. Couples need to submit individual applications and, in the application, indicate that they are applying to serve with their spouse/domestic partner. Couples should submit their applications at the same time.

Is it possible to apply to graduate school and/or to take the GRE while in the Peace Corps?

You may take up to three days of administrative leave in order to take professional or academic examinations (e.g., LSAT, GRE, Foreign Service Exam). During that time, you will continue to receive your living allowance and accrue your other benefits of service.

Your Completion of Service (COS) date may be advanced to a date that is more than 21 months (instead of the typical 24 months) after your oath date, provided that you will have completed your primary and secondary responsibilities before the proposed new COS date and that host country officials concur. This option may allow you to COS a few weeks earlier, for example to begin graduate school. Determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and require approval.

Sorry We Missed You!

The Peace Corps Recruitment Office attends numerous events throughout the year. Here are just some of them—we hope to see you at one of these the next time it rolls around!

• Environmental, Energy, Natural Resources, and Sustainability Career Fair
• February 9, 2023
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Career Fair and Symposium
• February 1, 2023
• Peace Corps Application Workshop
• December 6, 2022
• James Madison College Education Abroad Fair
• November 18, 2022
• Peace Corps Prep & Peace Corps Recruiting Information Session
• November 15, 2022
• Peace Corps Exhibit at Global Festival
• November 13, 2022
• MSU Careers in Language Week Panel: Fulbright & Peace Corps
• November 7, 2022
• MSU Virtual All Majors Career Fair
• November 3, 2022
• Peace Corps in the MSU Homecoming Parade
• October 14, 2022
• MSU Science, Health, and Social Services Mixer
• October 11, 2022
• Education Abroad Expo
• October 6, 2022
• MSU Agriculture & Food Industry Fair
• October 5, 2022
• Broad College of Business Education Abroad Fair
• September 28, 2022
• MSU Civil & Environmental Engineering Virtual Exchange
• September 22, 2022
• Sparticipation
• August 30, 2022
• Peace Corps as a Professional Springboard: Post-Service Career Panel
• March 31, 2022