Concentrations

Trauma, Healing and Well-Being

The trauma, healing, and well-being concentration area guides students to examine trauma at the individual-, group-, community-, and global-level as a result of war, genocide, natural disaster, intimate-partner abuse, and other acts of violence.  Of particular interest and focus is the means of healing and how it can be constructively transformed toward holistic well-being or and peace.  This program of study is geared toward students interested in professions in the fields of health care, helping professions, public health work, social services, etc.

World Order and Just Peace

The World Order and Just Peace concentration provides students with the opportunity to deeply understand the important meaning of “the rule of law” and how this bears on democracy, human rights, and a just society.  A just peace means that people everywhere feel that their livelihoods, lives, cultures, and faiths are recognized as significant within the unity in diversity of the human community.  This concentration can integrate with careers such as those in law, traditional justice, education, humanitarian action, etc.

Environmental Peace, Development and Sustainability

The Environmental Peace, Development and Sustainability concentration guides students in recognizing the growing problem of environmental deterioration caused by climate change, and environmental damage as a result of war, violent conflicts, and the cultural values of individualism and materialism.  The fundamental idea of planetary unity or human-and-nature interdependence is the only way to achieve sustainable livelihoods and peace.  Students interested in working for humanitarian, relief, and developmental agencies/organizations, as well as natural (and cultural) resource management, tourism, and parks/recreation would be greatly served by this concentration of study. 

Human Rights

The Human Rights concentration provides students with the tools for understanding the issues of power and privilege while fostering a respect for diversity that seeks to celebrate human differences. This concentration can integrate with careers such as those in advocacy, the arts, communication, education, health and human services, non-governmental organizations, etc.

Conflict Transformation, Peace Dialogue and Nonviolence

The Conflict Transformation, Peace Dialogue and Nonviolence concentration prepares students to creatively work for structural and/or cultural change, whether in an organization or community or on a large-scale level with the goal of peaceful outcomes.  Attention is focused on the quality of relationships by minimizing poorly functioning communication and maximizing understanding for constructive change.  This concentration is geared for students interested in peace journalism, human rights and/or education, conflict mediation and resolution, human advocacy, public relations, grant writing, creative arts, etc.  

Create Your Own Concentration

The Create Your Own concentration based on a student’s interests, major of study, and career goals (student will work with advisor to craft the specifics of this concentration and what courses will fill it).