Peace and Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies: Concentration

Peace and Conflict Studies combines an in-depth study on the causes of war and social conflict, and ways of preventing and ending them. You will address crucial challenges of the contemporary world and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the post-Cold War world.

With a commitment to peace, you will examine issues of national and international security and the common causes of conflict such as economic disparities and religious, ethnic, racial or gender discrimination. You will develop an understanding and awareness of the responsibility of citizenship in an age of nuclear weapons; regional, ethnic and religious conflicts; environmental deterioration; and global economic interdependence. This responsibility to construct alternatives to war and violence and to foster a just and peaceful world is integral to personal development, education and civic life. The Peace and Conflict Studies concentration will enhance your capacity for global citizenship, whatever your major and whatever career you may choose.

Program Highlights

Students in the Peace and Conflict Studies program will learn to:

  • Understand concepts fundamental to the study of peace and conflict.
  • Recognize how different values (cultural, religious and philosophical) inform conflict and conflict resolution.
  • Closely examine large-scale conflicts and their consequences.
  • Critically evaluate the factors underlying structural violence (i.e., inequitable social arrangements and their impact on people).
  • Analyze the lived experiences and perspectives of people involved in conflicts and efforts at reconciliation.
  • Assess peace and conflict from the perspective of multiple disciplines and integrate different disciplinary approaches.
  • Develop their capacity for self-awareness and recognize how their actions, or inaction, have implications for peace and conflict.
  • Within the Peace and Conflict Studies concentration, students in class years 2021 and later can now pursue a Social Justice Track.
Professor and a student
Research

Study the causes of war and conflict and ways it can be prevented or peacefully resolved.

Individuals sitting at tables in the Hogan Ballroom
Programming

Hear a diverse range of perspectives, from academic experts to affected populations like asylees.

Student sitting in a professor's office
Sample Courses

As an interdisciplinary program, you can take courses from many different departments.

Peace and Conflict Studies News

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The Holy Cross Community Comes Together in the Wake of Violence Around the World
As the world has seen violence in all forms unfold in the past week around the world—from Paris  and Beruit, to Bagdhad and Nigeria—the College of the Holy Cross community has come together to try to make sense of recent …
Read more The Holy Cross Community Comes Together in the Wake of Violence Around the World
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Award-Winning Writer and Journalist to Give Lecture on the Limits of Freedom Under the Putin Administration
Dmitry Bykov, award-winning writer and journalist from Russia, will be speaking at the College of the Holy Cross on the limits of freedom under the Putin administration on Monday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. in Stein 133. The event is …
Read more Award-Winning Writer and Journalist to Give Lecture on the Limits of Freedom Under the Putin Administration
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What Makes People Sick? Psychologist Says It Isn’t Always Obvious
As a researcher and teacher, Stephenie Chaudoir’s goal is twofold: to understand what it is like to be the target of prejudice and how to support those who are subject to it; and to help students become acute learners, researchers, …
Read more What Makes People Sick? Psychologist Says It Isn’t Always Obvious
Read more in the Newsroom