Peace and Conflict Studies Certificate
Building peace in our community, nation and the world will depend on our ability to work well together to address systemic issues and pursue innovative opportunities. The peace and conflict studies certificate aims to help students develop a foundation in these essential skills. It provides an interdisciplinary perspective to undergraduate students in any field who wish to explore how peace and conflict exist in, shape, and transform communities and societies.
The certificate can enhance the resume of students going into education, environmental science, public administration, health care, health promotion, law, international affairs, human resources and global business, among other fields. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing upon theories and skills from a variety of fields.
Program Type
Undergraduate Certificate
Program Format
On Campus
The peace and conflict studies certificate will provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to focus on historic and current issues, policies, processes, programs, and practices that relate to peace and conflict within and among communities and societies. A wide array of courses will help students better comprehend the interdisciplinary approach to understanding and engaging with peace and conflict issues. Students may select a focus area, including:
- Conflict resolution skills
- Conflict analysis
- Sustainable development
- Peace education
- Environmental studies/Peace ecology
- Social change/Social justice
- Health equity
- Cultural and post colonial studies
- Restorative justice and resilience studies
The peace and conflict studies certificate is intended to enhance a bachelor’s degree. The certificate is available to all students currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree at UWM and to students who previously have received a bachelor’s degree from UWM or any other accredited college or university.
A student must complete 18 credits in the program. At least nine credits must be in advanced courses (300 level and above), and at least nine credits must be completed at UWM. A 2.50 GPA average is required in the certificate. Students interested in the peace and conflict studies certificate should consult with the coordinator or their advisor to add the certificate and outline a program of study.
Program Requirements
The peace and conflict studies certificate consists of three areas: core (three credits), fieldwork (three credits) and elective Coursework (12 credits), as outlined below.
Core Course Requirements
Students must take one of the below courses to receive the core course requirement for a total of three credits.
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies | PEACEST 203 | 3 |
| Introduction to Conflict Resolution and Peace | PEACEST 201 | 3 |
| Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies | GLOBAL 203 | 3 |
Fieldwork Requirement (3 credits)
Students are required to do an internship, self-designed research project, or study abroad that relates to peace and conflict studies. The purpose of this requirement is to enable the student to engage in peace and/or conflict work through practical experience or research. The area of study must be approved by the coordinator of the peace and conflict studies certificate and must meet the requirements of the department through which it is being completed. The fieldwork requirement can be fulfilled in one of three ways:
- Internship – UWM, local organizations and international organizations offer a variety of internship opportunities, both paid and unpaid. The study abroad office has partnerships around the world with organizations that arrange internships for students. Students pursuing an internship may enroll in PEACEST 489 or an approved internship course in another department.
- Study Abroad – UWM offers several faculty-led study abroad courses, through various departments, schools and colleges.
- Independent Study – The student may propose a research project to a professor in an area of interest. The independent study also must be discussed with and approved by the peace and conflict studies certificate Coordinator. Students pursuing independent research may enroll in PEACEST 699 or an approved independent research course in another department.
Elective Requirements (12 credits)
Select at least four three-credit courses. A maximum of nine credits (three courses) may be taken in any one department. Course offerings change from year to year. A full list of electives is available below, but students should consult with their advisor or the certificate Coordinator to ensure all electives are met. Electives can be taken across various campus departments.
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological Effects of Racism | AFRIC 265 | 3 |
| Urban Violence | AFRIC 300 | 3 |
| Order and Disorder: The Quest for Social Justice | AFRIC 322 | 3 |
| Global Black Social Movements | AFRIC 344 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | ANTHRO 150 | 3 |
| Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Sciences | CES 210 | 3 |
| The Politics and Policy of Sustainability | CES 461 | 3 |
| Intercultural Communication | COMMUN 350 | 3 |
| Communication in Human Conflict | COMMUN 363 | 3 |
| Negotiation Skills Workshop | COMMUN 365 | 3 |
| Cross-Cultural Communication | COMMUN 450 | 3 |
| Literature and Politics | COMPLIT 232 | 3 |
| Seminar in Literature and Cultural Experience | COMPLIT 360 | 3 |
| Race, Ethnicity, and Justice | CRM JST 310 | 3 |
| Critical Issues in Criminal Justice (Restorative Justice) | CRM JST 592 | 1-3 |
| Economic Development | ECON 353 | 3 |
| Introduction to Community Change and Engagement | ED POL 111 | 3 |
| Community Problems | ED POL 114 | 3 |
| Conflict and Change in Community Based Organizations | ED POL 411 | 3 |
| Peace Education | ED POL 520 | 3 |
| Current Topics in Cultural Foundations of Education: (Antiracist Education) | ED POL 579 | 1-6 |
| Multicultural America | ENGLISH 150 | 3 |
| Language, Power, and Identity | ENGLISH 404 | 3 |
| Transnational Migrations: Asian-, Arab-, Euro-American and Latino Identity | ETHNIC 102 | 3 |
| Global Violence, Disease, and Death | ETHNIC 375 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | FILM 150 | 3 |
| Water-Energy-Food-Climate | FRSHWTR 392 | 3 |
| Politics and Policy of Sustainability | FRSHWTR 461 | 3 |
| Geography of Race in the United States | GEOG 114 | 3 |
| Introduction to Environmental Geography | GEOG 125 | 3 |
| Muslim Geographies: Identities and Politics | GEOG 231 | 3 |
| Cities of the World: Comparative Urban Geography | GEOG 443 | 3 |
| Introduction to Global Studies I: People and Politics | GLOBAL 101 | 3 |
| Environment and Sustainability | GLOBAL 361 | 3 |
| Rethinking Global Security | GLOBAL 371 | 3 |
| Humanitarianism in Global Perspective | GLOBAL 442 | 3 |
| The Global Politics of Human Rights | GLOBAL 447 | 3 |
| Access, Security, and Intercultural Contexts in Global Communications | GLOBAL 451 | 3 |
| The Politics and Policy of Sustainability | GLOBAL 461 | 3 |
| Strategies for Realizing Security in Global Contexts | GLOBAL 471 | 3 |
| Client Diversity in Health Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (may also be taken as BMS/COMSDIS/KIN/OCCTHPY/THERREC 245) | HCA 245 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | HIST 150 | 3 |
| The First World War 3 | HIST 248 | 3 |
| North American Indian History to 1887 | HIST 262 | 3 |
| The 1960s in the United States: A Cultural History | HIST 271 | 3 |
| The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | HIST 282 | 3 |
| The Vietnam War | HIST 287 | 3 |
| Germany: Hitler and the Nazi Dictatorship | HIST 363 | 3 |
| The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism & the Fate of Jewish People in Europe, 1933-45 | HIST 364 | 3 |
| Colonization in Africa: A History of Resistance and Adaptation | HIST 387 | 3 |
| The History of Southern Africa | HIST 392 | 3 |
| Hmong Americans: History, Culture, and Contemporary Life | HMONG 265 | 3 |
| Introduction to Latino Studies | LATINO 101 | 3 |
| Cultural Diversity in Healthcare | NURS 101 | 3 |
| Global Health: Ethics and Human Rights | NURS 475 | 3 |
| Global Food Security and Systems | NURS 620 | 3 |
| Exploring Global Environmental Health | PH 142 | 3 |
| Climate Change, the Environment & Human Health | PH 303 | 3 |
| Introduction to Health Disparities | PH 319 | 3 |
| Ethical Issues in Health Care: | PHILOS 244 | 3 |
| Mind and Knowledge | PHILOS 303 | 3 |
| Political Philosophy | PHILOS 355 | 3 |
| Special Topics in Indian Religious Thought: (Gandhi and Nonviolence) | PHILOS 475 | 3 |
| International Law | POL SCI 316 | 3 |
| The Arab-Israeli Conflict | POL SCI 328 | 3 |
| International Organization and the United Nations | POL SCI 337 | 3 |
| Politics of Nuclear Weapons | POL SCI 340 | 3 |
| Problems of American Foreign Policy | POL SCI 359 | 3 |
| History of International Political Thought | POL SCI 361 | 3 |
| Theories and Methods in International Politics | POL SCI 365 | 3 |
| International Conflict | POL SCI 370 | 3 |
| Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | POL SCI 371 | 3 |
| Morality, Conflict and War | POL SCI 379 | 3 |
| Social Psychology: Psychological Perspectives | PSYCH 230 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | SOCIOL 150 | 3 |
| Social Inequality in the United States | SOCIOL 233 | 3 |
| Social Change | SOCIOL 325 | 3 |
| Collective Behavior | SOCIOL 343 | 3 |
| Environmental Sociology | SOCIOL 350 | 3 |
| Theatre and Social Change | THEATRE 204 | 3 |
| Urban Planning Solutions to Contemporary Urban Problems | URBPLAN 141 | 3 |
| Social Justice, Urban Planning and the New Multicultural America | URBPLAN 350 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | URB STD 150 | 3 |
| Multicultural America | WGS 150 | 3 |
| Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies: A Social Science Perspective | WGS 201 | 3 |
| Global Feminisms | WGS 401 | 3 |
