Requirements for the Minor

The requirements for the minor are as follows:

• Five electives (15 credits)
• Capstone project (3 credits; TH 401 )

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 the core curriculum and another minor or major provided, in terms of the latter two, 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. While the capstone project can take various forms depending on the needs and the desires of the student and the faculty member working with the student, it is anchored in three guiding principles: integrative (i.e., of the courses taken in the minor); reflective; and with an action component connected to the real world (e.g., service/internship, producing an independent research paper or creative project, and/or developing one's capacity to act as an agent of positive change).

Ordinarily, students fulfill the capstone 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. In consultation with the director, students choose a course of action no later than the spring semester of their junior year. While the precise form that the capstone project takes is flexible, options include: (1) an internship, ongoing service, or some service project through CCSJ, with active reflection or (2) an independent research paper or creative project (e.g., work of art, poetry, literature, or theatrical design) that the student is encouraged to submit to the Undergraduate Student Research and Scholarship Colloquium or elsewhere.