Peace Studies

“War is a defeat for humanity.  Only in peace and through peace can respect for human dignity and its inalienable rights be guaranteed.”

--Pope John Paul II
World Day of Peace, January 1, 2000

Peace Studies is a response to the serious problems facing humanity, including war, violence, and oppression.  Problems such as these reach well beyond any single academic discipline, and require a sharing of research and analysis across the spectrum of knowledge.

At its core, Peace Studies asks:  How do we build and sustain peaceful and just societies?  Peace Studies is an opportunity to devote part of your college career to the problems of war, violence, and oppression.  More importantly, it is a place to explore what we can do about them.  What are our responses to a world hungering for peace and justice?  What can we do for the victims of  poverty, war, and oppression?

Requirements for a Minor in Peace Studies

The minor consists of 18 credits.

  1. An Introduction to Peace Studies (PAX 200. 3 credits).
  2. Twelve credits in an area of concentration.  Presently, students can choose from
  1. Conflict Studies,
  2. Global Development,
  3. Social Justice & Human Rights.
  1. A senior seminar or individually planned thesis project (PAX 490 or 491.   

     3 credits).

Courses in Peace Studies

The area of concentration is completed with faculty in various departments who have specialized expertise.  Other course options that may apply to the area of concentration:

PAX 390. Internship/Practicum. Under instructor supervision, work with organizations striving to advance peace and social justice. Analytical paper and intern evaluation required.

PAX 399. Special Work.  Upper-class students may arrange for independent study with coordinator’s consent.

What Can I Do with a Peace Studies Minor?

Peace Studies now encompasses the study of nonviolence, social justice, and the root causes of war as well as conflict mediation and transformation, transitional justice, and post-conflict development.  “Practitioners” can be found working to limit violence in families and impoverished neighborhoods, helping reconstruct civil society in war-torn regions, and building sustainable communities in the U.S. and overseas.  They work for positive social change through non-profit organizations, government agencies, and business firms in jobs such as project coordinators, media specialists, lobbyists, grant writers, counselors, area specialists, and lawyers.

A variety of excellent graduate programs are available!  For more information on careers and graduate studies, visit the “links” at www.peacejusticestudies.org.

How Do I Declare a Peace Studies Minor?

Stop by the History Department Office, Room 422/424 CPS Building.

Declaring a major or minor at UWSP requires you to sign a form authorizing the department to add it to your Degree Progress Report and to assign an advisor.


For more information, visit the Peace Studies catalog page and contact Dr. Eric Yonke.

Eric Yonke, Coordinator
Room 428, CPS
Phone: 715-346-2334
E-mail: eyonke@uwsp.edu