Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Peace Studies Certificate


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The purpose of the Peace Studies program is to develop students with increased interests and understanding of issues of peace and justice from individual to global levels; to provide them with basic skills in peaceful communication, nonviolent and transformative conflict resolution; and to help them develop peaceful and cooperative cultures. The Peace Studies program will empower students to understand and reduce conflict at multiple levels, and will provide them with conflict resolution skills that are increasingly valued by employers, graduate programs, and are much needed in our communities.

A Peace Studies certificate offers a valuable credential and an appealing focus for students in many disciplines. While UK offers a plethora of courses relevant to Peace Studies, this is the single program that brings these elements into a coherent peacemaking focus. Because Peace Studies is inherently interdisciplinary, it can create an important context that may be missed when courses are completed within the framework of a single discipline. Students in Peace Studies will be better prepared to take advantage of co-curricular opportunities at UK. Many avenues also exist for fruitful synergy between the Peace Studies program and a student’s major and minor fields.

Program Requirements


The Peace Studies certificate is designed to be easily combined with a broad array of majors and minors across UK’s colleges and departments, and will increase a student’s credit hours needed for graduation only under rare circumstances. The Peace Studies program requires 12 credit hours. Six of the 12 required hours come from Peace Studies courses. These include the ‘portal’ course, PCE 201 , which introduces students to Peace Studies, and the capstone course, PCE 410 , which concludes the program.

Peace Studies Courses


*Meets UK Core requirement for Inquiry in the Social Sciences

**Meets UK Core requirement for Citizenship-Global Dynamics

Peace Studies Electives


Peace Studies electives are selected from existing courses in the University catalog and reflect both different departments and colleges. They are grouped into four Focus Areas:

Focus Area I: Peacebuilding: 0-6


Addresses systems and infrastructure needed to create more peaceful societies.

Focus Area II: Peacemaking: 0-6


Addresses leadership skills, skills for resolving and transforming conflict.

Focus Area III: Promoting Understanding, Cooperation, and Development : 0-6


Addresses cross cultural issues, international organizations, economic and social development.

Focus Area IV: Addressing Global and Regional Pressures : 0-6


Addresses problems of population, scarcity, trade, sustainability, ecosystems, climate, and immigration.

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