Peace and Justice Studies, Minor

Peace and Justice Studies examine the challenges and opportunities for advancing peacebuilding practices that are grounded in justice. It studies inter/intra-state warfare, settler colonial violence, imperial wars, and genocide, among others, as types of structural violence that continuously cause harm over long periods of time. The emphasis is on opposing and transforming these types of structural violence. Topics include Indigenous resistance/resurgence as peacebuilding, the need to foreground gender dynamics and gender justice in peacebuilding practices, and the successes and limitations of grassroots initiatives for peace and justice, among others. Focusing on local, national, regional, and global contexts, Peace and Justice Studies critically examine the political, social, economic, and cultural structures and forces underpinning war and violence, foregrounding structural violence and investigating paths towards establishing and building a just peace. Peace and Justice Studies courses are often interdisciplinary, intersectional, and global, reflecting the rich interdisciplinary frameworks of decolonialism, feminism, international political sociology, history, and international relations.

To complete the Minor, students can take a maximum of three 1000-level courses, and are required to take a minimum of one 3000-level course. 

Please note there are some courses in the Minor that may have one or more prerequisites required outside the Minor, and these courses are noted by an asterisk.