Peace and Conflict Studies Major

As a Peace and Conflict Studies major, you will focus on understanding and developing solutions to social injustice and lack of equality.

At a Glance

Flexibility

Full Time
Delivery Options

On Campus
Degree

BA

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What courses will you take?

The B.A in Peace and Conflict Studies curriculum is interdisciplinary. You will choose a combination of courses from different disciplines (cultural studies, criminal justice, history, political science, sociology and others) to explore:

How do factors such as poverty, lack of education and social inequity lead to conflict, both internationally and domestically?
What are the causes and conditions which generate and sustain conflict and violence?
What are the principles and methods for the resolution of conflict and violence?
What are the norms, practices and institutions for conflict transformation and building peace?

In the senior year, you will take a seminar that helps integrate the learning from your electives to address these central questions of the field. Courses for Peace and Conflict Studies

To gain a global perspective, many students choose to study abroad at partner universities. Students also engage in internships for academic credit and valuable real-world experience.

Visit the Academic Catalog for a complete course listing and to learn about the Peace and Conflict Studies minor.

Explore all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.

Students who graduate with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies will be able to:
Demonstrate an interdisciplinary knowledge of the major aspects of peace and conflict studies.
Understand basic research methods in PCS, including data analysis and interpretation.
Communicate in a variety of formats, both oral and written.
Demonstrate that ability to use critical and creative thinking in evaluative the causes of conflict and strategies for conflict resolution.
Understand the impact of region and culture on peace and conflict.
Understand the foundations of Peace and Conflict, and approaches to resolution.
Understand the historical roots of social movements and how social justice and equality are being perused in the 21st century.
Engage in community based advocacy and conflict resolution.
Understand major concepts associated with non-violent social movements, community conflict resolution, responses to genocide, mediation, power and authority, social policy, communications and media, gender, global development, immigration, international politics, restorative justice and human rights.
Apply this knowledge in possible careers in:
Restorative Justice
Human Rights Advocacy
Education
Women's Advancement
Development
Diplomacy
Non-Profit Management
Conflict Resolution

Why study peace and conflict studies at UMass Lowell?

Internships

Gain relevant work experience and industry connections. Recent internships include:

Lowell High School, Peer Mediation
Angkor Dance Troupe, Youth Cultural Education
Active Non-Violence Education Center, Dharamsala, India

Expert Faculty

Engage with our faculty who are experts in:

Social organizing and nonviolent action
Understanding terrorism, religion and democracy
Responses to genocide
Conflict in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, and other regional disputes
Women's movements for peace
Mass media and the role of technology in conflict resolution
Politics of human rights

2017 Greeley Peace Scholar journalist Noy Thrupkaew at Lowell Community Health Center.

Research Opportunities

Students, faculty, and visiting scholars are engaged in a wide range of research on key issues in Peace and Conflict Studies.

A female graduate smiles during morning Commencement on May 19, 2018.

Graduate Programs

Advance your knowledge and career options through our graduate programs. UMass Lowell is the only university in New England to offer both an undergraduate major and a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies.

What can you do with a degree in peace and conflict studies?

Graduates from UMass Lowell's Peace and Conflict Studies program make a difference in diverse career fields, including restorative justice, human rights advocacy, education, women's advancement, diplomacy, non-profit management and conflict resolution.

Job roles can include:

Conflict mediator
Family advocate
Human rights officer
Neighborhood action planner
Psychologist
Researcher
Study abroad counselor
Victim contact worker

Meet Our Students & Alumni

Michael Venetti '20

Peace and Conflict Studies

Marine Corps reservist Michael Venetti says the Peace and Conflict Studies master’s program helped him win a Presidential Management Fellowship to work at the U.S. State Department.

You could study high-level things like diplomacy, but you could also study person-to-person, on the ground situations and how you could bring peaceful solutions to them.