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Peace & Justice Studies / Bachelor of Arts

Total Credit Hours: 128

Major Credit Hours: 36

 

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 (18)

THEO-25000Foundations of Peace Studies

3
THEO-26700Practicing Faithful Justice

3
POLS-30400Nonviolent Political Action

3
POLS-32700Mediation I

3
SOCI-27000Social Movements and Social Change

3
THEO-45000Capstone: Peace Studies 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-21100Interpersonal Communication

3
SCED-32200Characteristics and Development of the Adolescent Learner

3
ECED-32000Child, Family, Culture and Community

3
PHIL-22500Philosophical Issues in Race and Gender

3
THEO-20100Modern Christian Spirituality

3
THEO-23500Marriage, Relationships, and Sexuality

3
PSYC-24000Psychology of Women

3
PSYC-32000Abnormal Psychology

3
CSJS-28600Domestic Violence

3
THTR-27100Acting 1

3
THTR-29100Improvisation 1

3

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

COMM-21600Small Group Communication

3
COMM-34900Organizational Communication

3
ENLE-44200Introduction to Cross Cultural Studies for Teachers of English Language Learners

3
PHIL-23000LGBTQ Rights and Issues 1

3
PHIL-36500African-American Philosophy

3
SPED-22300Disability Studies in Education

3
SPED-35700Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Communities

3
THEO-28500Theologies of Liberation

3
THEO-30000Lasallian Community and Social Action

3
SOCI-34500Youth, Justice, and Society

3
SOCI-35000Criminology

3
SOCI-36000Violence and Peace

3
SOCI-25500Social Problems

3
SOCI-26500Community Sociology

3
SOCI-41000Urban Sociology

3
PSYC-28500Cross-Cultural Psychology

3
PSYC-23800Psychology of the Minority Experience

3
PSYC-36000Social Psychology

3
PSYC-37300Organizational Leadership

3
SCWK-20900Social Welfare Policy

3
SCWK-21500Cultural Sensitivity in Social Work Practice

3
SCWK-25100Human Behavior and the Social Environment 2

3
CSJS-26000Juvenile Justice System

3
CSJS-44000Social Policy and Social Justice

3

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

BIOL-23300Principles of Environmental Science

4
BIOL-37500Issues in Environmental Science

3
ENGL-33500U.S.-Latino Literature

3
ENGL-33600Latin American Literature

3
ENGL-34600Ethnic and Immigrant Literatures

3
ENGL-34700Native American Literature

3
ENGL-34800African American Literature

3
ENLE-21000Education Around the World

3
HIST-33100A History of the U.S. Military

3
HIST-33400African-American History 1

3
HIST-33600Native American History

3
HIST-33700Immigration, Ethnicity, and Race in American History

3
HIST-33800U.S. Women's History

3
HIST-35300The Middle East in History

3
HIST-35500History of the Modern Middle East

3
HIST-35600The Vietnam War

3
COMM-35000Intercultural Communication

3
PHIL-35500Philosophy of Rights

3
POLS-30400Nonviolent Political Action

3
POLS-33100International Relations

3
POLS-33300International Human Rights

3
POLS-33400Political Violence

3
POLS-33600American Foreign Policy

3
POLS-33700International Topics

3
POLS-36500Women and Politics

3
POLS-36800Non-Western Political Thought

3
POLS-38400Environmental Politics

3
SOCI-10800Introduction to Women's Studies

3
SOCI-27000Social Movements and Social Change

3
SOCI-35500Sustainable Communities

3
SOCI-37000Sociology of Gender

3
SOCI-40500Sociology of Hate and Violence

3
SOCI-41500Social Inequalities

3
THEO-23600Women and Religion

3
THEO-26800Christian Social Teaching

3
THEO-28100Global Christianity

3
THEO-29800World Religions

3