Why Choose Peace and Justice Studies?
You will understand and evaluate structural injustice, the aspects of human nature that lead to violence and war, and the work of social movements that seek to realize peace, nonviolence, and social justice. You will be able to take courses from across an array of disciplines in the Schools of Liberal Arts, Business, and the Sciences, and so develop an interdisciplinary, and thus profound and complete understanding of these issues. The program prioritizes rigorous training in critical thinking and research, practical peacebuilding skills, and experiential learning in the form of internships and community-engaged courses.
The Classes
The Peace and Justice Studies program is interdisciplinary in nature, and includes courses in Biology, Communications, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Economics, English, Environmental Science, History, Management, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology.
The Faculty
The Peace and Justice Studies faculty span 12 disciplines and several schools of the College, drawing from the social sciences, the humanities, business, and the natural and applied sciences. Many have strong relationships with international peace organizations, including the United Nations. Small class sizes and a robust calendar of campus events allow you to develop a close connection with your professors.
The Experience
You will have many opportunities to make your voice heard, on and off campus, such as being a member of Just Peace, the college’s student-run social justice organization. In addition, our students take advantage of New York City’s position as home to numerous national and international organizations involved in contemporary questions of peace in a globalized world. Our majors and minors get real-life experience as interns with fair trade groups, political campaigns, international nonprofits, and other non-governmental organizations. Recent internships include:
- Center for War, Peace and the News Media
- Council on Foreign Relations MADRE –an organization in solidarity with Latin American women
- Fellowship of Reconciliation RAINBO –a group working to end female genital mutilation in Africa
- MEKONG NYC - a group working to improve the quality of life of Cambodian- and Vietnamese-Americans in the New York City area
- September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Students also benefit from the many social justice events organized every semester by the program. With such a rich history as a Peace and Justice Studies program, the College has hosted many major social justice events, such as the Human Rights Film Festival, and esteemed speakers, such as:
- Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement
- Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
- Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking
- David Shipler, author of The Working Poor