Peace and Justice Studies

Peace and Justice Studies
Offered as a major (B.A.) and a minor

If you’d like to create a better world through conflict resolution and peacebuilding, pursuing a Peace and Justice Studies major or minor would grant you the skills, knowledge, and support needed to do just that. With thought-provoking courses and discussions on solutions to modern global issues, you’ll gain theoretical and practical understanding and develop the necessary critical thinking skills to shape a more peaceful world in a humanitarian-related field.

This area of study will prepare you for graduate studies and careers in a range of roles from human rights advocate and community outreach coordinator to public safety officer and policy analyst.

		Peace and Justice Studies Program

Schedule a Visit

Apply to Saint Anselm

[The Peace and Justice Studies major] enables students to find their own academic focus within the discipline. Whether it's religion, economics, politics, or criminal justice, you’ll end up learning about other disciplines and engage with the material in a hands-on way.

— Megan Dillon '19, Peace and Justice Studies and Sociology major

Featured Course

Peace, Conflict, and War

In this course, you’ll study topics pertaining to peace, conflict, and war from a sociological perspective. You’ll scrutinize how people experience moments of peace, conflict, and war, and how scholars understand such events. This course focuses on the cultural and structural elements of peace, conflict, war and violence in daily lives to help critically assess their importance and influence.

Community-Engaged Learning

Peace and Justice Studies majors are required to complete community engaged learning. This integrated experience provides a framework for understanding the nuances and complexities of issues of peace and justice. It can be executed as individual volunteering, communal service in a local community, or in the form of international experiences.

Learn about community engagement at Saint Anselm →

Visit the Meelia Center for Community Engagement

Peace and Justice Studies Guest Speakers

Hear From Compelling Guest Speakers

At Saint Anselm, you’ll hear impactful stories on a variety of topics from all types of guest speakers. Peace and Justice Studies majors and minors recently met with Sean Ellis, a man who spent nearly 22 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. This open dialogue offers an immersive experience and shares a perspective students might not otherwise hear.

Read the news story →

Topics You'll Study

Throughout your coursework, you’ll explore the role of peace and justice studies to gain a detailed understanding of problems and challenges such as poverty, racism, and war, and study various approaches to solving these issues. You’ll study a variety of topics, including:

Conflict resolution
Methods of conducting social research
Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
Theories of peace and justice from philosophy, sociology, theology, and politics

Opportunities to Build Essential Skills

As a Saint Anselm student, you’ll find several opportunities available to support your postgraduate goals including the Master of Public Policy (MPP). Specialized programs like this can take your career to the next level.

Graduate Programs

Public Policy (MPP)

Additional Peace and Justice Studies Major and Minor Information

Recent Outcomes

Recent Career Outcomes

American University
AmeriCorps
Capital Roots
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany
Global Cities, Inc.
Global Partners LP
International Center for Transactional Justice
New York University
OutRight Action International
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
Rights Behind Bars
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
Superior Court of Los Angeles County
United States District Court
Zernhelt Law LLC

Recent Graduate Schools

American University
Boston University
George Mason University
Fordham University
New York University

Find Your Program

Related Majors and Minors

Interational Relations

Legal Studies

ALUMNI PROFILE: KAIT BRINE ’20

After graduating, Kait Brine ’20 completed a year of service with the Saint Joseph Worker Program in Los Angeles, Calif., where she worked as a case manager at the world’s largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program. Today, Brine serves her community at WE CAN Corporation, a nonprofit that supports Cape Cod women.

Learn more about Kait Brine →