Peace & Justice Studies / Bachelor of Arts

Total Credit Hours: 128

Major Credit Hours: 39

 

Peace and Justice Studies

Peace and Justice Studies (PJS) is an interdisciplinary program housed in the Theology Department through which students acquire knowledge and skills of interfaith and intercultural just peacebuilding in order to create beloved community. PJS students practice the art of peacebuilding through community engagement in ways that are intentionally self-reflective, anti-racist and evolving.

 

Major

Eighteen credits of interdisciplinary core courses situate PJS majors in the theory, practices and art of just peacebuilding. Students learn to embrace the dignity of difference within communities and, in relationship, perceive injustices in need of transformation. Five Pathways have been identified for students to focus their elective course selections (18 credits) while remaining flexible to complement students’ unique personal and professional aspirations.  Those pathways are – conflict transformation; restorative/transformative justice; human rights and equitable development; women/gender equity and inclusion; and interfaith/ intercultural bridgebuilding.

 

Minor

Like the PJS major, PJS minors will take 10 credits of core courses that situate them in the theory and practices of just peacebuilding. Based on students’ major(s) and personal, professional goals, they will take 12 credits of electives chosen from among 13 partner disciplines. Peace and Justice Studies is an excellent companion to various majors and career objectives (some of which are named below).

 

Interdisciplinary Program: Partner disciplines within the PJS program are: Communications; Education; English Studies; Environmental Science; History; Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies; Philosophy; Political science; Psychology; Social Work; Sociology; Theatre; and Theology.

 

Careers in Peace and Justice Studies include, but are not limited to – negotiation, mediation, political office, legislative reform, education, community organizing, human rights advocacy, environmental protection, interfaith dialogue, law, victim/offender advocacy, and restorative justice. 

 

Degree Requirements

Program: BA-PJST-4

I. Required Courses (21)

THEO-25000	Foundations of Peace and Justice Studies	3
THEO-26700	Practicing Faithful Justice	3
POLS-32700	Mediation I	3
SOCI-27000	Social Movements and Social Change	3
THEO-45000	Capstone: Peace and Justice Studies Seminar	3
UNIV-30601	Community Engaged Learning Leadership Seminar	3

II. Electives in Peace & Justice Studies (18)

Select an additional 18 credit hours from a variety of Peace & Justice Studies courses. Electives must represent at least two different disciplines within the pathway options listed. The specific choice of pathway is discerned with the advice and consent of an advisor from the Peace & Justice Studies program. Please refer to the University Course Schedule for specific offerings each semester.

A. Select one interpersonal, spiritual, and/or familial peacebuilding course (3)

COMM-21100	Interpersonal Communication	3
SCED-32200	Characteristics and Development of the Adolescent Learner	3
ECED-32000	Child, Family, Culture, & Community	3
PHIL-22500	Philosophical Issues in Race and Gender	3
THEO-20100	Modern Christian Spirituality	3
THEO-23500	Sexuality, Spirituality, and Relationships	3
PSYC-24000	Psychology of Women	3
PSYC-32000	Abnormal Psychology	3
CSJS-28600	Domestic Violence	3
THTR-27100	Acting 1	3
THTR-29100	Improvisation 1	3

B. Select two or three local, regional, and/or systemic peacebuilding courses (6-9)

COMM-21600	Small Group Communication	3
COMM-34900	Organizational Communication	3
ENLE-44200	Introduction to Cross Cultural Studies for Teachers of English Language Learners	3
PHIL-23000	LGBTQ Rights and Issues 1	3
PHIL-36500	African-American Philosophy	3
SPED-22300	Disability Studies in Education	3
SPED-35700	Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Communities	3
THEO-28500	Theologies of Liberation	3
THEO-30000	Lasallian Community and Social Action	3
SOCI-34500	Youth, Justice, and Society	3
SOCI-35000	Criminology	3
SOCI-36000	Violence and Peace	3
SOCI-25500	Social Problems	3
SOCI-26500	Community Sociology	3
SOCI-41000	Urban Sociology	3
PSYC-28500	Cross-Cultural Psychology	3
PSYC-23800	Psychology of the Minority Experience	3
PSYC-36000	Social Psychology	3
PSYC-37300	Organizational Leadership	3
SCWK-20900	Social Welfare Policy	3
SCWK-21500	Cultural Sensitivity in Social Work Practice	3
SCWK-25100	Human Behavior and the Social Environment 2	3
CSJS-26000	Juvenile Justice System	3
CSJS-44000	Social Policy and Social Justice	3

C. Select two or three national, multinational, and/or global peacebuilding courses (6-9)

BIOL-23300	Principles of Environmental Science	4
BIOL-37500	Issues in Environmental Science	3
ENGL-33500	U.S.-Latino Literature	3
ENGL-33600	Latin American Literature	3
ENGL-34600	Ethnic and Immigrant Literatures	3
ENGL-34700	Native American Literature	3
ENGL-34800	African American Literature	3
ENLE-21000	Education Around the World	3
HIST-33100	A History of the U.S. Military	3
HIST-33400	African-American History 1	3
HIST-33600	Native American History	3
HIST-33700	Immigration, Ethnicity, and Race in American History	3
HIST-33800	U.S. Women's History	3
HIST-35300	The Middle East in History	3
HIST-35500	History of the Modern Middle East	3
HIST-35600	The Vietnam War	3
COMM-35000	Intercultural Communication	3
PHIL-35500	Philosophy of Rights	3
POLS-30400	Nonviolent Political Action	3
POLS-33100	International Relations	3
POLS-33300	International Human Rights	3
POLS-33400	Political Violence	3
POLS-33600	American Foreign Policy	3
POLS-33700	International Topics	3
POLS-36500	Women and Politics	3
POLS-36800	Non-Western Political Thought	3
POLS-38400	Environmental Politics	3
SOCI-10800	Introduction to Women's Studies	3
SOCI-27000	Social Movements and Social Change	3
SOCI-35500	Sustainable Communities	3
SOCI-37000	Sociology of Gender	3
SOCI-40500	Sociology of Hate and Violence	3
SOCI-41500	Social Inequalities	3
THEO-23600	Women and Religion	3
THEO-26800	Christian Social Teaching	3
THEO-28100	Global Christianity	3
THEO-29800	World Religions	3