Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Major

Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies (PJCS) is an interdisciplinary field of study which critically examines violence in all forms and at all levels of society: international and civil war; structural oppression including poverty, cultural violence, communal conflict and inequality, and interpersonal violence. It seeks to develop and assess various non-violent approaches to conflict transformation and promoting social justice. PJCS serves to focus knowledge from diverse disciplines to converge on the problems of violence and oppression and challenges us to find peaceful solutions and pathways.

The mission of the PJCS program intersects with and supports the mission of Gustavus Adolphus College in several specific ways: it is interdisciplinary and international in perspective, it stresses the development of values as an integral part of intellectual growth, and above all it encourages students to work toward a just and peaceful world. The PJCS program strongly recommends study or work abroad for its students to gain international awareness and experience. It is also a program that values action-oriented pedagogies and models of experiential education and service-learning.