Peace and Justice Studies
Dr. Kevin Ahern
Director of the Program
Peace and Justice Studies is the academic program that embraces Manhattan College’s Lasallian commitment to advancing social justice. One of the oldest programs of its kind in the United States, the Peace and Justice Studies program is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on the strength of faculty in areas such as Communications, Economics, English, Environmental Science, History, Management, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Religious Studies. The program’s fundamental goal is to 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.
Manhattan College offers Peace and Justice Studies as a major or minor field of study leading to the B.A. degree. It is encouraged that students interested in a major in Peace and Justice Studies pair it with a major in another academic discipline.
Peace and Justice Studies is housed in the School of Liberal Arts, but is also available as a major or minor for students in the Schools of Science and Engineering, and is possible as a minor for students in the School of Business.
Goals of the Peace and Justice Studies Major
A Major in Peace and Justice Studies will be able to:
- Identify current issues of conflict and injustice.
- Fulfilled by Conflicts and Injustices and Internship course requirement
- Describe normative models about peace, nonviolence, and social justice.
- Fulfilled by Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies course requirement and Concepts in Peace and Justice Studies course requirement (2 courses in 2 different departments)
- Explain how both the psychological make-up of humans and social structures promote conflict and injustice and/or promote positive peace and social justice.
- Fulfilled by Concepts in Peace and Justice Studies course requirement (2 courses in 2 different departments)
- Synthesize knowledge across academic disciplines concerning the psychological and structural dimensions that promote conflict and injustice with the goal of creating blueprints to achieve negative and positive peace
- Fulfilled by Methods course requirement and by Capstone course requirement
- Apply specific skills that will enable them to understand and critique problems of conflict and injustice, as well as contemplate solutions to these problems.
These skills may include a knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data analysis, so that one can both identify and separate accurate evidence from misinformation or poorly gathered data, and also generate accurate evidence, or conflict resolution skills that can be employed in their own lives.- Fulfilled by Methods course requirement, by Capstone course requirement and by Peacebuilding Skills requirement
Requirements for Majors
Majors must take 30 credits, including the following:
A. Introductory Course | 3 | |
Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies | ||
Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies | ||
Introduction to Peace Studies | ||
B. One of the following Methods courses | 3 | |
Historical Methods | ||
Research Methods in Political Science | ||
Statistics and Research Methods II + | ||
Research Methods | ||
C. One of the following Capstone courses | 3 | |
Senior Seminar | ||
Senior Seminar in Peace and Justice Studies | ||
Special Topics: Senior Seminar: United States Government and Politics | ||
Senior Seminar: Women in Politics | ||
Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution | ||
Senior Seminar: The Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Class in the United States | ||
Seminar: European Politics | ||
Senior Seminar: Politics of International Economics | ||
Special Topics Senior Seminar: Comparative Politics | ||
Seminar: Diplomacy | ||
Senior Seminar: Contemporary Western Political Thought | ||
Special Topics Senior Seminar: Political Theory | ||
Senior Capstone: Advanced Research Methods | ||
Seminar in Sociology | ||
Another capstone course approved by the Program Director of Peace and Justice Studies | ||
D. Two of the following Concepts in Peace and Justice Studies courses: * | 6 | |
Intercultural Communication | ||
Introduction to Critical Race & Ethnicity Studies | ||
Literature and War | ||
Postcolonial Literature | ||
Philosophy of Law | ||
Philosophies of War and Peace | ||
Political Philosophy | ||
Marx and Marxism | ||
Philosophers on Race, Class, and Gender | ||
Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties | ||
Human Rights | ||
International Relations | ||
International Organizations | ||
Social Psychology | ||
Special Topic: in Psychology (Peace Psychology) | ||
Cultural Psychology | ||
Religion and Social Justice | ||
Theologies Of Liberation | ||
Catholic Social Teaching | ||
Religious Dimensions of Peace | ||
RELS 333 | ||
Race and Resistance | ||
Social Inequalities | ||
Activism, Advocacy, and Empowerment | ||
Power and Conflict | ||
E. One of the following Conflicts and Injustices courses: | 3 | |
Introduction to African American History | ||
History of the Modern Middle East | ||
Genocide and Racism | ||
Modern Africa | ||
Cold War Diplomacy in Asia | ||
Diplomatic History of the Vietnam Wars | ||
Nazi Germany and the Holocaust | ||
US Foreign Relations, 1900 to the Present | ||
US Labor Patterns and Movement | ||
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
Terror and Terrorism | ||
Decolonization: The End of Empires | ||
History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | ||
Labor Studies Colloquium | ||
Global Issues | ||
Government and Politics of Russia and Selected Soviet Successor States | ||
Government and Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | ||
Government and Politics of Asia | ||
Government and Politics of the Middle East | ||
Government and Politics of the Caribbean | ||
Government and Politics of Latin America | ||
Government and Politics of Africa | ||
Government and Politics of the European Union | ||
United States Foreign Policy | ||
Islam and Politics | ||
Criminal Justice Ethics | ||
Migration, Globalization, and Culture | ||
Social Problems | ||
Contemporary Latin American Development | ||
Mass Incarceration and Collateral Consequences | ||
Societies and Cultures of Latin America | ||
Labor Studies Colloquium | ||
Current Issues in Criminal Justice | ||
F. One of the following Peacebuilding Skills courses | 3 | |
Introduction to Public Relations | ||
Introduction to Management | ||
Negotiation & Conflict Mgmt ** | ||
Ethics Bowl Debate I | ||
Ethics Bowl Debate II | ||
Community Organizing for Social Change | ||
Community Organizing for Social Change | ||
A Language course in addition to the two language courses required by the Liberal Arts core. | ||
Another course approved by the Program Director of Peace and Justice Studies | ||
G. One field work, internship or community engaged learning | 3 | |
Peace and Justice Field Project | ||
Community Engaged Learning | ||
Internship | ||
Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching | ||
H. Two Electives | 6 | |
See list below. | ||
Total Credits | 30 |
- +
PSYC 214: Statistics and Research Methods is a prerequisite for this course. Majors can use one of their electives to take this course prior to enrolling in PSYC 314.
- *
Courses should be selected from different departments.
- **
Requires prerequisites
Students may choose to write a senior thesis, for which they should register for PEAC 421 Independent Study or PEAC 422 Independent Studies: Peace and Justice.
A minimum grade of C is required for credit toward the major.
Requirements for Minor
Minors must take 15 credits, including the following:
A. Introductory Course | 3 | |
Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies | ||
Introduction to Peace Studies | ||
Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies | ||
B. 12 additional credits chosen from the list of courses above in consultation with the Program Director. No more than 6 of these 12 credits can come from the same department | 12 | |
Total Credits | 15 |
A minimum grade of C is required for credit toward the minor.
Elective Courses for Peace and Justice Studies Majors and Minors
BIOL 223 | Ecology | 4 |
COMM 217 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 |
COMM 340 | Media Criticism | 3 |
COMM 371 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
CRES 150 | Introduction to Critical Race & Ethnicity Studies | 3 |
ECON 334 | International Economics | 3 |
ECON 412 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
ENGL 265 | Global Literature in English | 3 |
ENGL 279 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
ENGL 345 | Environmental Literature and Ecocriticism | 3 |
ENGL 347 | Literature and War | 3 |
ENGL 348 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
ENGL 380 | Growing Up Ethnic: The Ethnic-American Bildungsroman | 3 |
HIST 231 | Introduction to African American History | 3 |
HIST 306 | History of the Modern Middle East | 3 |
HIST 307 | Genocide and Racism | 3 |
HIST 312 | Modern China 1839 - Now | 3 |
HIST 313 | Vietnam to the Philippines | 3 |
HIST 314 | Modern Africa | 3 |
HIST 319 | The Crusades | 3 |
HIST 326 | Diplomatic History of Europe 1815-1914 | 3 |
HIST 328 | Cold War Diplomacy in Asia | 3 |
HIST 334 | Diplomatic History of the Vietnam Wars | 3 |
HIST 347 | The Sixties | 3 |
HIST 351 | Age Of The French Revolution | 3 |
HIST 357 | Nazi Germany and the Holocaust | 3 |
HIST 358 | The Industrial Revolution | 3 |
HIST 362 | US Foreign Relations, 1900 to the Present | 3 |
HIST 366 | US Labor Patterns and Movement | 3 |
HIST 383 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 |
HIST 389 | Gender and Sexuality in the Modern Middle East | 3 |
HIST 368 | Formation of U.S.Public Health | 3 |
HIST 390 | Terror and Terrorism | 3 |
HIST 391 | Decolonization: The End of Empires | 3 |
HIST 392 | History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
HIST 393 | Global Feminisms | 3 |
MGMT 201 | Introduction to Management | 3 |
MGMT 309 | Management of International Business | 3 |
MGMT 450 | Negotiation & Conflict Mgmt | 3 |
PEAC 302 | Special Topic | 3 |
PEAC 421 | Independent Study | 3 |
PEAC 451 | Peace and Justice Field Project | 3 |
PEAC 452 | Peace and Justice Field Project | 3 |
PEAC 453 | Community Engaged Learning | 3 |
PEAC 475 | Internship | 3 |
PHIL 201 | Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 208 | Ethics Bowl Debate I | 3 |
PHIL 230 | Philosophy of Law | 3 |
PHIL 238 | Philosophies of War and Peace | 3 |
PHIL 275 | Political Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 308 | Ethics Bowl Debate II | 3 |
PHIL 325 | Marx and Marxism | 3 |
PHIL 350 | Philosophers on Race, Class, and Gender | 3 |
POSC 209 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
POSC 222 | Power in the City | 3 |
POSC 223 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
POSC 251 | Global Issues | 3 |
POSC 254 | Global Cities | 3 |
POSC 318 | Community Organizing for Social Change | 3 |
POSC 324 | Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties | 3 |
POSC 331 | Government and Politics of Russia and Selected Soviet Successor States | 3 |
POSC 332 | Government and Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | 3 |
POSC 340 | Government and Politics of Asia | 3 |
POSC 343 | Government and Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
POSC 344 | Government and Politics of the Caribbean | 3 |
POSC 345 | Government and Politics of Latin America | 3 |
POSC 346 | Government and Politics of Africa | 3 |
POSC 348 | Government and Politics of the European Union | 3 |
POSC 351 | International Relations | 3 |
POSC 352 | International Organizations | 3 |
POSC 354 | Human Rights | 3 |
POSC 357 | United States Foreign Policy | 3 |
POSC 367 | Model United Nations | 3 |
POSC 368 | Model United Nations II | 3 |
POSC 491 | SUNY Washington Internship Program | 15 |
POSC 493 | SUNY Summer Washington Internship Program | 6 |
POSC 494 | American University Seminar Program | 15 |
PSYC 321 | Social Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 330 | Special Topic: in Psychology (Peace Psychology) | 3 |
PSYC 348 | Cultural Psychology | 3 |
RELS 204 | Religion and Social Justice | 3 |
RELS 205 | Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching | 3 |
RELS 238 | Theologies Of Liberation | 3 |
RELS 254 | Catholic Social Teaching | 3 |
RELS 310 | Religion & The Holocaust | 3 |
RELS 320 | Race, Religion & Resistance | 3 |
RELS 333 | 3 | |
RELS 342 | Islam and Politics | 3 |
RELS 362 | Ethics in the Workplace | 3 |
RELS 377 | Religion and Environmentalism | 3 |
RELS 381 | Religious Dimensions of Peace | 3 |
RELS 399 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 |
SOC 212 | Migration, Globalization, and Culture | 3 |
SOC 220 | Social Problems | 3 |
SOC 225 | Telling Stories with Maps | 3 |
SOC 250 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
SOC 262 | Contemporary Latin American Development | 3 |
SOC 273 | Mass Incarceration and Collateral Consequences | 3 |
SOC 275 | Issues in Contemporary Policing | 3 |
SOC 290 | Codes of Gender | 3 |
SOC 294 | Gender, Crime & Justice | 3 |
SOC 295 | Capitalism | 3 |
SOC 296 | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
SOC 302 | Race and Resistance | 3 |
SOC 304 | Social Inequalities | 3 |
SOC 317 | Anthropology of Drugs | 3 |
SOC 318 | Community Organizing for Social Change | 3 |
SOC 319 | Activism, Advocacy, and Empowerment | 3 |
SOC 324 | Sociological Theories | 3 |
SOC 327 | Power and Conflict | 3 |
SOC 328 | Societies and Cultures of Latin America | 3 |
SOC 332 | Labor Studies Colloquium | 3 |
SOC 333 | US Labor Patterns and Movements | 3 |
SOC 334 | Sustainable Development | 3 |
SOC 364 | Law and Society | 3 |
SOC 361 | Criminal Justice Administration | 3 |
Courses
PEAC 201. Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies. 3 Credits.
An introduction to the nature, scope, and methodology of Peace and Justice Studies as well as explore some major contemporary problems which threaten peaceful and just relations between groups, nations or individuals.
PEAC 302. Special Topic. 3 Credits.
Course descriptions will be announced when courses are offered.
PEAC 401. Senior Seminar in Peace and Justice Studies. 3 Credits.
An in-depth interdisciplinary analysis of specific research and practical problems. Intended to help the student integrate the various courses he/she has taken in Peace and Justice Studies.
PEAC 421. Independent Study. 3 Credits.
Available for the Peace and Justice Studies student who wishes to conduct in-depth research on a specific topic in Peace and Justice Studies. May be used for the senior thesis.
PEAC 422. Independent Studies: Peace and Justice. 3 Credits.
Available for the Peace and Justice Studies student who wishes to conduct in-depth research on a specific topic in Peace and Justice Studies. May be used for the senior thesis.
PEAC 451. Peace and Justice Field Project. 3 Credits.
Practical, off-campus training in conflict resolution, mediation and arbitration, international diplomacy, and social justice projects. Specialized work at the American Arbitration Association, the United Nations, Educators for Social Responsibility, the American Friends Service Committee, Pax Christi, and other organizations involved in peace and social justice activities. International opportunities available.
PEAC 452. Peace and Justice Field Project. 3 Credits.
Practical, off-campus training in conflict resolution, mediation and arbitration, international diplomacy, and social justice projects. Specialized work at the American Arbitration Association, the United Nations, Educators for Social Responsibility, the American Friends Service Committee, Pax Christi, and other organizations involved in peace and social justice activities. International opportunities available.
PEAC 453. Community Engaged Learning. 3 Credits.
All community engaged learning (CEL) courses offered at Manhattan College will be cross-listed
with PEAC 453. Peace and Justice Studies majors can take PEAC 453 to fulfill the “Field work,
internship or community engaged learning course” major requirement.
PEAC 475. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts. Open to majors only.