For Students
Peace Corps
ABOUT THE PEACE CORPS
The Peace Corps provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about other people,
develop language and career skills, and help improve the quality of life for people
in developing countries. The goals of the Peace Corps are to promote peace and stability
through education and training; foster understanding of other peoples among Americans;
and enhance other peoples' understanding of Americans.
About 7,000 volunteers currently serve in more than 70 countries around the world, and to date over 240,000 Americans have volunteered since its establishment in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. Peace Corps is a government-funded non-profit organization with a headquarters in each respective partner country. Peace Corps must be invited into the country for this relationship to begin. Visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.gov/bold.
2021
University of South Florida ranked number 2 among more than 150 Peace Corps Prep partner universities. USF issued 58 Peace Corps Prep certificates to the graduating class of 2021. There were 250 students enrolled in USF’s Peace Corps Prep program during the 2020–21 academic year.
2020
USF was ranked No. 2 for total graduate volunteers and No. 25 among undergraduate volunteers for large schools. Since the agency’s founding in 1961, more than 545 alumni from USF have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers.
2019
USF was ranked No. 3 on Peace Corps' 2019 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. The university was also No. 27 among large schools.
2018
Peace Corps announced that the University of South Florida ranked no. 19 among large schools on the agency's 2018 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. USF also ranked No. 3 among graduate schools. There were 45 USF alumni volunteering worldwide.
Raising Awareness of Opportunities for Peace Corps Service Among the USF Community and Beyond
Mr. Kadeem Thomas is the USF Peace Corps Recruiter for the 2023-2024 academic year. We are delighted to have him as part of our Global Student Hub team and know he will make an impact on the broader USF community.
Kadeem is currently pursuing a dual master's degree in supply chain management and International Business Administration. During his undergraduate studies, he focused on International Studies and Languages, an academic path that led them to partake in seven study-abroad programs. Consequently, he acquired proficiency in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. After his undergraduate studies, he dedicated his time to serving in the Peace Corps in Botswana, Africa, in 2019. In this role, he assisted clinics in small villages with the crucial task of managing the supply chain of essential medicines. However, due to the unforeseen circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was compelled to undergo an emergency evacuation back to the United States. He firmly advocates for the experience of living and working abroad, seeing it as an opportunity for individuals to expand their comfort zones and find their niche in an increasingly interconnected world.
Contact Information
Email: peacecorps@usf.edu
Phone: 813-745-5459
Office: Faculty Office Building (FAO) 012
Office Hours: Mondays 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Mailing Address: USF World, Attn: Peace Corps // 4202 East Fowler Avenue, FAO 011 // Tampa, FL 33620
The Peace Corps Prep Program
Peace Corps Prep is a certificate program for undergraduates that centers on one empowering question: How can you prepare yourself to be the best Peace Corps Volunteer you can be?
>> Click here for more information about the Peace Corps Prep Program
The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program
The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows program, at the University of South Florida, is a Graduate Fellowship program awarding financial assistance to selected returned Peace Corps volunteers who are pursuing a master's degree. All Coverdell Fellows will complete internships in underserved communities in the Tampa Bay Area, while working under the supervision of faculty. The Fellows Program will also serve to advance the Peace Corps' Third Goal: To promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
To qualify for a Coverdell Fellow, applicants must have satisfactorily completed their Peace Corps service and must meet the admission requirements of the four separate programs. More information, eligibility requirements, and deadlines for each program can be found by clicking on the specific College/Department below.
- College of Public Health | Fellows successfully completing the program will receive a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH).
- College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology | Fellows successfully completing the program will receive a Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology or a PhD in Applied Anthropology.
- College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Fellows successfully completing the program will receive a Master of Science in Civil Engineering or a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering.
- The Patel College of Global Sustainability | Fellows successfully completing the program will receive a Master of Arts in Global Sustainability, with a concentration in Building Sustainable Enterprise, Climate Change & Sustainability, Sustainable Policy, Entrepreneurship, Food Sustainability & Security, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable Transportation, OR Water.
- College of Nursing | The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship program, at the USF College of Nursing, awards up to $4,000 in scholarship support to returning Peace Corps Volunteers who are pursuing a degree in the Accelerated Second Degree (BSN) program, and professional licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). In addition, Fellows will receive an out-of-state tuition waiver and opportunities to work as a student tutor.