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Black Lives Matter supporters are pictured after a court appearance at the Hennepin County District Court

Bachelor of Arts in Justice and Peace Studies

How will you make change? Justice and peace studies at the University of ÀÇÓÑÊÓƵ will teach you to analyze problems of violence and injustice with the goal of strategically enacting positive and sustainable change in society.

Why Justice and Peace Studies at St. Thomas?

Our program begins with direct and indirect experiences of injustice by engaging in descriptive analysis of these events through the social sciences. We will challenge you to question and comment on the world around you and to make strategic and ethical plans of action for improving society along the way. We invite guest speakers like state legislators, social justice advocates, environmental activists and more to speak with students about the causes they are supporting. You will have access to multiple career paths such as law, medicine, social work, education and more.

Transforming Society

  • Course Requirements
  • Four-Year Plan
  • Degrees Awarded
  • Scholarships
  • Outside the Classroom
  • Course Requirements

    You will start by introducing yourself to the field of justice and peace studies, and then progress to classes focusing on topics like active nonviolence, the theology of justice and peace, public policy and more. From there, you will tailor the program to your interests. You can focus your studies on policy analysis and advocacy, conflict transformation or leadership for social justice.

    Four-Year Plan

    Our program is flexible, so we recommend connecting with the program director to plan your studies accordingly.

    Degrees Awarded

    • Bachelor of Arts in Justice and Peace Studies
    • Minor in Justice and Peace Studies

    Scholarships

    We offer the Martyna Quintana Scholarship to juniors studying justice and peace studies. A St. Thomas alumnus created this scholarship in honor of his mother to promote the values of good education, family and social justice. Please contact us if there are questions about this opportunity.

    Contact us for more information:

    Outside the Classroom

    Because of our action-based approach, most of our classes integrate experiential or community-based learning in a focused classroom project. In the past, projects have included a field experience at the Peace Coffee Roastery, a semester-long project with Soliya Intercultural Dialogues, a collaborative book project with Metro Transit and research with the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community.

    Course Requirements

    Course Requirements

    You will start by introducing yourself to the field of justice and peace studies, and then progress to classes focusing on topics like active nonviolence, the theology of justice and peace, public policy and more. From there, you will tailor the program to your interests. You can focus your studies on policy analysis and advocacy, conflict transformation or leadership for social justice.

    Four-Year Plan

    Four-Year Plan

    Our program is flexible, so we recommend connecting with the program director to plan your studies accordingly.

    Degrees Awarded

    Degrees Awarded

    • Bachelor of Arts in Justice and Peace Studies
    • Minor in Justice and Peace Studies

    Scholarships

    Scholarships

    We offer the Martyna Quintana Scholarship to juniors studying justice and peace studies. A St. Thomas alumnus created this scholarship in honor of his mother to promote the values of good education, family and social justice. Please contact us if there are questions about this opportunity.

    Contact us for more information:

    Outside the Classroom

    Outside the Classroom

    Because of our action-based approach, most of our classes integrate experiential or community-based learning in a focused classroom project. In the past, projects have included a field experience at the Peace Coffee Roastery, a semester-long project with Soliya Intercultural Dialogues, a collaborative book project with Metro Transit and research with the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community.

    Student pointing to a Martin Luther King quote

    Career Paths

    There are a number of career paths available to you after graduating from St. Thomas, such as:
    • Immigration law
    • Environmental advocacy
    • Peace research
    • Public policy
    • Restorative justice facilitation

    Lead the Change

    You have numerous opportunities to get involved at ÀÇÓÑÊÓƵ with student-run clubs and organizations, research and more.

    Collaborative Research

    Conduct research with faculty and community partners. Past topics include the impact of human rights education, supporting a social food business and indigenous land issues.

    Publish

    As part of JPST 365 – Leadership for Social Justice, you will write a book chapter on a leadership and become a published author in the Leadership for Social Justice book series.

    Lead

    Students for Justice and Peace (SJP) club provides leadership opportunities to educate and act on social justice issues in our community and around the world.
    Justice and Peace Studies program video image.

    Justice for All

    Justice and peace studies students at St. Thomas utilize a deep knowledge of the social sciences to address strategic and ethical plans for improving our world. No matter what their path is, our students are equipped with the tools they need to make an impact and transform society.

    Take the Next Step

    U.S. News Best Colleges logoThere is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.