Peace and Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies: Concentration

Peace and Conflict Studies combines an in-depth study on the causes of war and social conflict, and ways of preventing and ending them. You will address crucial challenges of the contemporary world and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the post-Cold War world.

With a commitment to peace, you will examine issues of national and international security and the common causes of conflict such as economic disparities and religious, ethnic, racial or gender discrimination. You will develop an understanding and awareness of the responsibility of citizenship in an age of nuclear weapons; regional, ethnic and religious conflicts; environmental deterioration; and global economic interdependence. This responsibility to construct alternatives to war and violence and to foster a just and peaceful world is integral to personal development, education and civic life. The Peace and Conflict Studies concentration will enhance your capacity for global citizenship, whatever your major and whatever career you may choose.

Program Highlights

Students in the Peace and Conflict Studies program will learn to:

  • Understand concepts fundamental to the study of peace and conflict.
  • Recognize how different values (cultural, religious and philosophical) inform conflict and conflict resolution.
  • Closely examine large-scale conflicts and their consequences.
  • Critically evaluate the factors underlying structural violence (i.e., inequitable social arrangements and their impact on people).
  • Analyze the lived experiences and perspectives of people involved in conflicts and efforts at reconciliation.
  • Assess peace and conflict from the perspective of multiple disciplines and integrate different disciplinary approaches.
  • Develop their capacity for self-awareness and recognize how their actions, or inaction, have implications for peace and conflict.
  • Within the Peace and Conflict Studies concentration, students in class years 2021 and later can now pursue a Social Justice Track.
Professor and a student
Research

Study the causes of war and conflict and ways it can be prevented or peacefully resolved.

Individuals sitting at tables in the Hogan Ballroom
Programming

Hear a diverse range of perspectives, from academic experts to affected populations like asylees.

Student sitting in a professor's office
Sample Courses

As an interdisciplinary program, you can take courses from many different departments.

Peace and Conflict Studies News

Students sit in a circle of desks in a classroom
Classics Course Examines How Ancient Times Relate to Conflict in the United States
The music of Steely Dan, the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou and the history of two world wars may seem an odd trio of discussion topics for a classics course. But the juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient
two students study in their room
Home Sweet Campus: A Peek Inside Residence Life at 17勛圖厙
Ninety percent of 17勛圖厙 students live in one of 11 residence halls on campus but how do they make those spaces feel like home? The answer is both literal and emotional. The 17勛圖厙 housing experience starts as
Delaney Wells stands with students from the EmbraceKulture Amaanyi Center
Delaney Wells 20 Has a Global Dedication to Disability Rights
In her junior year, Delaney Wells 20 interned in the Disability Rights section of the Department of Justice during the Washington Semester Program. There, the religious studies major with a concentration in peace and conflict studies learned about a group