The academic study of peace and conflict is now almost eighty years old, emerging after World War Two. While there are many graduate programs in this field, Messiah University's peace and conflict studies program is one of only a few undergraduate programs in the U.S. that offer both a major and a minor.
All academic programs at Messiah University seek to create and maintain academic excellence, and in the context of the peace and conflict studies this means that:
- The nationally recognized framework for Peace Education established by the National Peace Academy is formative
- The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in peace and conflict studies major is interdisciplinary, providing insights from at least three core academic departments: Biblical, Religious and Philosophical Studies; History, Politics and International Relations; and Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology
- A broad range of Christian perspectives are introduced and inform the program.
- The major is intentionally small (39 credits). This grants maximum academic flexibility to students for double-majoring, studying abroad, or taking a large number of electives. In this way students are able to individualize their academic program.
- The minor (18 credits) complements virtually all majors given the relevance of peace and conflict studies in all contexts.
- Participation in the academic life of the Grantham campus is supplemented by many external study options, including two international study programs which focus particularly on peace and conflict studies.
- An internship is required for the major and is encouraged for the minor. This provides opportunities for students to gain actual experience which better prepares them for vocations in peace and conflict studies upon graduation.
- A dynamic co-curricular program supplements students’ classroom experiences. Through service projects, field trips, student conferences and an active student organization (Peace Fellowship), students are exposed to the application of peace and conflict studies in local and global contexts.