PACS Major Curriculum | Messiah, a private Christian University in PA

Major Curriculum - Peace and Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies Major (39 credits)

PACS Core (21 credits)

[THEO 227] Theology, Violence and Non-Violence (3)

[BIBL 291] Issues of War, Peace, and Social Justice in the Biblical Texts (3)

[PACS 201] Basic Conflict Mediation (3)

[HIST 248] War, Peace and Memory in America (3)

[SOAN 335] Social Conflict and Reconciliation (3)

[POLI 336] Causes of War (3)

[PACS 495] Senior Seminar in Peace and Conflict Studies (3)

Experiential Learning (3 credits from the following)

[INTE 391] Internship in Peace and Conflict Studies (3)

[PACS 391] Practicum in Peace and Conflict Studies (3)

[SERV 231 AND SERV 232] Service, Mission, and Change (4)

PACS Learning Environments or “Spheres” of Peace (15 Credits)

Students broaden and deepen learning from the foundational core courses through distribution courses in the Five Spheres of Peace.

SPHERE 1: Religious and Theological

Students will analyze how Christian theologies or world religious practices and structures contribute to peace and conflict.

Three credits from the following:

[CHRM 356] Mobilizing Congregations for Justice (3)

[CHRM 361] Interfaith Leadership (3)

[RELI 205] Religions of the World (3)

[RELI 228] Judaism (3)

[RELI 229] Islam (3)

[RELI 321] Christianity in Latin America (3)

[RELI 329] Christianity in Africa (3)

[RELI 332] Christianity in Asia (3)

[RELI 333] Religions of India (3)

[RELI 334] Religions of China and Japan (3)

[THEO 207] African-American Theology (3)

[THEO 209] Anabaptist Theology (3)

[THEO 211] Brethren in Christ Life and Thought (3)

[THEO 221] Faith and Society (3)

[THEO 223] Global Christian Theology (3)

[THEO 305] Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism (3)

[THEO 338] Theology II (3)

The following approved courses are offered intermittently:

[THEO 219] Theology and Christian Unity (3)

[THEO 354] Theology and Gender (3)

[RELI 366] Topics in Religion: Religion and Global Conflicts (3)

SPHERE 2: Ecological and Economic

Students will evaluate relationships between peace and economic prosperity through the balance between economic profitability, social equity, and environmental integrity in human endeavors.

Three credits from the following:

[ECON 110] Economics of Social Issues (3)

[ECON 117] Issues in Environmental Economics (3)

[ECON 120] Principles of Macroeconomics (3)

[ENVS 140/SUST 140] Intorduction to Ecology and Sustainability (3)

[ENVS 216] Environ. Issues and Sustainable Solutions (3)

[ENVS 315] Environmental Ethics (3)

SPHERE 3: Political and Institutional

Students will explain how national and international political structures, foreign policy or different approaches to criminal justice contribute to peace and conflict.

Three credits from the following:

[CRIJ 103] Crime, Justice and Society (3)

[CRIJ 371] Christian Faith and Criminal Justice (3)

[POLI 212] International Politics (3)

[POLI 222] Politics in Latin America (3)

[POLI 235] U.S. - Latin American Relations (3)

[POLI 314] Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers and Constraints (3)

[POLI 315] United States Foreign Policy (3)

[POLI 316] Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (3)

[POLI 362] Theories of International Relations (3)

The following approved course is offered intermittently:

[POLI 330] Terrorism (3)

SPHERE 4: Socio-Cultural

Students will analyze interpersonal relations and social institutions as they relate to the socio-cultural contexts of peace and conflict.

Three credits from the following:

[COMM 342] Intercultural Communication (3)

[COMM 354] Interpersonal Conflict (3)

[HDFS 386] Family Ethnicity and Human Services (3)

[PSYC 242] Community Psychology (3)

[SOAN 315] Urban Sociology (3)

[SOAN 356] Social Inequality (3)

[SOAN 341] Religion and Society (3)

[SOAN 342] Race and Gender in the U.S. (3)

[SOWK 420] Social Welfare Policy and Social Change (3)

[THEA 363] Theatre for Social Change (3)

SPHERE 5: Historical

Students will explain both the motivations of individuals as well as the broader causes of conflict and peacemaking by placing these factors in their evolving historical contexts.

Three credits from the following:

[HIST 202] Hisroical Methods (3) and [HIST 203] Effective Historical Writing (1)

[HIST 244] Civil War America (3)

[HIST 352] African-American History since 1865 (3)

[HIST 374] History of South Asia after 1500 (3)

[HIST 312] The Trial of Joan of Arc (3)

The following approved courses are offered intermittently:

[HIST 392] Women and Gender in History (3)