Peace and Justice Studies Minor

Within the realm of Civic Studies, the effective educational pursuit of peace and justice cannot be purely theoretical or academic; it must also be experiential. The sustainability of nonviolent interaction depends on normative and empirical understanding of equity and justice, and a thorough understanding of the historical and contemporary contexts in which conflict exists. This is all tied together when students apply this theoretical and case-based knowledge to real-life sociopolitical dynamics.

In order to declare a Peace and Justice Studies minor, please complete the following forms:

• Declare your minor with the Registrar
• Declare your minor with the Civic Studies Program
• View, download, or print the Peace and Justice Studies Minor Checklist

Students in the Peace and Justice Studies minor take six courses in all:

• Four courses drawn from at least three of the following five categories:
  • Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EXP 0079-XF) (two semesters, counts as two courses). Themes of peace and justice are central to this course, through which students organize an annual conference on a featured theme.
  • Thinking about Justice: approved courses in political theory, philosophy, or social theory devoted to normative questions about the nature and content of justice.
    CVS 0020: Introduction to Civic Studies is also an option.
  • Social Conflict, Inequality, and Violence: approved courses to enhance an empirical understanding of the historical, political, and social origins of conflict and violence.
  • Civic Action and Social Movements: approved courses dealing with the historical, ethical, and social origins of organized movements for social change.
  • Civic Skills: approved courses that focus on civic skills or civic practices, e.g., dialogue and deliberation, ethical reasoning, emotional intelligence, conflict-mediation and peacemaking, community-based research, communication and media-making, public art, community organizing, evaluating nonprofits, or financing social enterprises.

Learn more about the complete list of courses that fulfill the Thinking About Justice, Social Conflict, Inequality, and Violence, Civic Action and Social Movements, and Civic Skills categories.

• CVS 099: A required internship. This includes a weekly 2.5 hour class with graded assignments and a final project. 
• CVS 190: A capstone seminar taught by a CVS affiliated faculty member. The capstone is offered only in spring semesters. In Spring 2025, the course is likely to be themed around civic communication.

Total: 6 courses, at least 4 of which must be different from courses counting toward your major.