2017-2018 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Peace and Justice Studies Minor


Contact: John Kiess, Assistant Professor of Theology; Director of Office of Peace and Justice

Office: Humanities Center 042L

Telephone: 410-617-2811

Website: www.loyola.edu/academics/peace-and-justice

Peace and Justice Studies explores the causes and consequences of violent conflict as well as the conditions that promote conflict resolution, peace, and justice. It does so from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including political, sociological, theological, philosophical, and literary.  The interdisciplinary minor in Peace and Justice Studies provides students with the opportunity to examine a number of conflict resolution and peacebuilding skills and apply them in interpersonal, institutional, societal, or global contexts. Those who successfully complete the minor will be able to make meaningful connections across courses and develop a coherent framework for thinking about the interrelationship of peace and justice. In the process, students will come to a deeper appreciation of Loyola's social justice mission, develop their capacity to act as agents of positive change, and learn how to respond to the great moral issues of our time, including poverty, racism, genocide, war, and peace.

Requirements for the Minor


The requirements for the minor are as follows:

  • Five electives (15 credits)
  • Capstone project (3 credits)

Students must satisfy the electives requirement in at least three different academic disciplines, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Two of these electives must be at the 300-level or above. Students may fulfill parts of the electives requirement through an equivalent study-abroad course, but only with the approval of the minor director. Up to two electives may be cross-counted between the Peace and Justice Studies minor and another minor or major, provided that the policies governing the other major or minor do not stipulate against it. In some cases, a new course that is not on the electives list may be used to satisfy the elective requirement, but only with the approval of the director. 

The capstone requirement provides students with an opportunity to revisit the question of the interrelationship of peace and justice and pursue a cumulative research paper that synthesizes coursework and applies peacebuilding models to one or more cases. Ordinarily, students fulfill this requirement by registering for a Peace and Justice capstone course during their senior year. In the event that a capstone seminar is not offered, students may register for an additional 300- or 400-level elective course and work with the course instructor to ensure that the written assignments fulfill the requirements of the capstone project. If a student is unable to find a suitable elective, they may register for a mentored capstone study with a Peace and Justice faculty member, preferably as a group of two or more students.  In consultation with the director, students choose a course of action no later than the spring semester of their junior year.

Electives