The Graduate Certificate Program in Peace Studies offers interdisciplinary
graduate studies for life-long learners who want to become familiar
and skilled in the discourse of peace studies. This program offers
an opportunity to gain a broad understanding of various aspects
of peace building and conflict resolution skills. Areas of study
include the history and theory of international and domestic conflict;
the political, economic, cultural, and social roots of such conflict;
the causes and conduct of warfare; violence prevention; and global
institutions for the resolution of conflict.
The Graduate Certificate Program in Peace Studies seeks to: 1)
apply an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the field of
peace building and peace studies; 2) provide an opportunity for
students to engage in significant study and practice within the
field; and 3) prepare students for professional positions in the
fields of peacemaking and peace studies. The Peace Studies program
focuses on a broad range community and global issues including social
oppression, economic exploitation, peace keeping, peace making,
peace building, peace education, civil rights, conflict resolution,
violence prevention and intervention, social justice, social change
and community advocacy, to name a few. The programs in Peace Studies
serve as an academic catalyst for applied research, theoretical
development, and the use of culturally informed methods for transforming
oppressive situations. Students are trained to identify, assess,
and create interventions that respond to the desire for justice
and peace.
The Graduate Certificate in Peace Studies is appropriate for those
who seek graduate training in peace studies as well as those who
have already earned a degree in their professional field but would
benefit from academic training in the applications of peace studies
to their current professions. The Graduate Certificate program collaborates
closely with our sister programs in Conflict Analysis & Resolution
and Family Therapy.
The Graduate Certificate is a 24-credit program. Students can tailor
the Graduate Certificate to their interests. The program is offered
in both on-campus and online formats. These flexible formats allow
mid career working adults and those unable to attend the on-campus
program, to study in a creative, rigorous, and structured fashion.
Students enrolled in the online program participate in Residential
Institutes on the Fort Lauderdale campus twice per year, as well
as online Web-based courses.
Students may enroll full or part time, taking three to nine credit
hours per trimester. Students who attend full-time can expect to
complete the program in 10 months. Part-time students will complete
the program in 19 months. Summer attendance is mandatory.
Degree Plans
Below is a sample of a degree plan for a full-time student who begins
their studies in Fall trimester. Degree plans will be modified based
on a student’s enrollment date and pace of study. To complete
the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Peace Studies,
students must take 12 credits of electives (4 courses) approved
by the department as Peace Studies curriculum.
Degree Plan: 24 credits hours