Peace and Conflict Studies (Co-Major)

The Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) Co-Major Program integrates a variety of practical courses and interdisciplinary research to allow students to combine their own majors with training, study, and experience in peace studies and the emerging field of conflict resolution, at the inter-personal, national and international levels. The curriculum deals with the most fundamental of human concerns: how to manage or resolve conflict constructively. Students are introduced to the causes of human conflict and violence, as well as approaches to conflict management ranging from diplomacy, law and negotiation, to mediation  and  arbitration.  Questions are raised concerning the issues of globalization, social justice, non-violence, ethnicity, race, and culture.

The PACS curriculum provides a framework useful for careers in legal, educational, governmental, business, labor, social service, scientific and health professions, as well as in graduate and professional education. Students are offered opportunity for hands-on experience, and are encouraged to build adaptive skills useful for the future. Courses in this curriculum may also count toward satisfaction of University General Education Requirements, as well as College Group and Major Requirements.

The program is designed around a set of core courses, which introduce the student to the field, including various approaches to peace studies and the application of conflict management methods, and finally which assess the student's overall progress in a senior research seminar project. Seventeen elective credits are required, of which at least six must be upper-divisional (courses numbered 3000 or above); no more than two non-PACS originated courses may be degree applicable as both major credit in one program and co-major credit in Peace and Conflict Studies. Courses may be chosen generally from the list of elective courses, or may be focused in one of seven specialty areas:

• race, gender and religion
• peace and conflict theory
• human rights
• international issues of peace and conflict studies
• peace and conflict studies in the United States
• peace studies in human development
• dispute resolution

Some electives may also count toward satisfaction of major requirements or of College Group Requirements.

Students are encouraged to participate in the development of their curriculum; in addition to selecting from a wide variety of suggested PACS electives, co-majors are able to choose other elective courses with prior consent of the Director. Students are also encouraged to participate in the Peace and Justice Student Learning Community, which organizes speakers and other special educational programs and events on various subjects, and to explore credit for internships and study abroad.