- Master of Arts, Peace & Conflict Studies
- BA-MA Program in Peace and Conflict Studies
- Minor in Peace & Conflict Studies
I. Master of Arts Program in Peace & Conflict Studies, Rutgers University, Newark
The International Institute for Peace is a strategic partner of the Masters Program in Peace and Conflict Studies, Rutgers University, Newark. Hosted in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and directed by Professor Brian Ferguson, the Masters of Arts program aims at providing students with theoretical knowledge and applied skills to tackle a large range of issues related to peace such as:
- the social bases of peace and conflict
- the causes of large-scale violence
- nonviolent conflict and recovery from violence
The Master’s Program in Peace and Conflict Studies is designed to offer students a unique opportunity to address peace and conflict issues in their interdisciplinary dimensions. Graduates will acquire a dual competence in understanding violent conflict, such as war, genocide, ethnic violence, and terrorism; and, on the other hand, in nonviolence, including nonviolent prosecution of conflict as through social movements and civil resistance, and in moving away from violent struggle toward reconciliation and just and sustainable peace.
The International Institute for Peace partners with international, national and local organizations and institutes, notably within the UNESCO environment, to provide opportunities for research and practical internships for students.
Requirements:
Students pursuing the Master’s Degree will complete 36 credits, usually over two years, and pass a final examination. (Extension for more than three years is subject to an approval process).
Nine credits of foundations include:
- an introductory seminar from the program’s Core Faculty
- qualitative or quantitative methods course
- a course on either a theoretical or geographical area.
Distribution requirements include:
- one course each in Social Bases of Conflict, Nonviolence and Conflict Resolution, and Violent Conflict.
Electives comprise six to fifteen credits, depending on whether the student accrues credit from experiential education in applied contexts, and/or faculty-supervised independent study. Electives may be filled by approved courses throughout Rutgers University.
Advisors will be assigned based on individual students’ areas of interest. Requests for transfer credits will be considered after a student has been admitted.
For additional information on the Masters Program, please visit: Master of Arts Program in Peace & Conflict Studies
II. BA-MA Program in Peace and Conflict Studies, Rutgers University, Newark
About the BA-MA Program
Highly qualified Rutgers-Newark undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher may apply for admission into the MA Program in Peace and Conflict Studies. There are a limited number of BA/MA slots, and admission is highly competitive. Applications should be filed in the second semester of junior year. There is a $65, non-refundable application fee. In the senior year, accepted students may take up to 12 graduate credits. These credits will be billed at the lower, undergraduate tuition rate, not the graduate tuition rate. Any graduate credits accumulated will count toward both the BA and MA degrees. Admitted undergraduate students must successfully complete all requirements for the Bachelor’s degree, and maintain an average of 3.2 or higher in graduate courses, to officially matriculate as a graduate student.
Admission Requirements for the BA-MA Program
Applicants will submit
- A completed application form
- An official college transcript
- Three letters of recommendation
- A personal statement of up to 300 words, indicating areas of interest and objectives in obtaining a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.
- Applicants under consideration may be requested to submit writing samples and/or interview.
Deadlines
Applications for Fall 2015 may be submitted at any time. They will be evaluated promptly when all application material is complete, and acceptance notices sent out within weeks. Our initial deadline for Fall 2015 applications is May 15, especially for foreign students. However, we may continue to evaluate applications up until July 1, as space permits.
III. Minor in Peace & Conflict Studies, Rutgers University, Newark
The International Institute for Peace is a strategic partner of the undergraduate interdisciplinary Minor in Peace & Conflict Studies, Rutgers University, Newark.
The Minor in Peace & Conflict Studies is a flexible program designed to complement any undergraduate major. It provides an interdisciplinary structure for examining issues of peace and conflict—from interpersonal to international.
The minor is designed to offer a unique and challenging course of study that draws on perspectives from anthropology, political science, psychology, and sociology. It encourages students to think critically about violence, its causes, and consequences, both at home and abroad. Violence is defined in terms of overt manifestations—such as domestic violence, gang violence, police brutality, human rights abuses, genocide, and war—as well as the structural violence of social inequalities that prevent people from meeting their basic needs. The program encourages students to understand how acute conflicts can be waged through methods of nonviolent action and the necessary conditions for a just and sustainable peace.
Students completing a Minor in Peace & Conflict Studies will gain in-depth knowledge of: (1) forms of conflict and violence, (2) psychological, political, cultural and structural bases of conflict, (3) historical and ongoing conflicts, and (4) conflict resolution and nonviolent strategies for conflict transformation. The minor will also facilitate the students’ ability to identify alternatives to violence and encourage student’s awareness, responsibility, and active engagement in public and global affairs.
For additional information on the minor, please contact Professor Kurt Schock.