The Minor in Peace and Conflict Studies is designed for students who wish to learn about and work constructively toward transforming local, national, and transnational conflicts, ranging from hate crimes and gang violence to terrorism and warfare. Students explore many factors shaping human conflict, including the psychological, social, cultural, political, economic, religious, and historical. The Minor’s multidisciplinary curriculum examines the causes, practices, and consequences of violence as well as peaceful or nonviolent methods of conflict management, resolution, and transformation.

The Minor is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and is associated with the Institute for Peace Studies, a unit of the Center for Civic Engagement, dedicated to fostering engaged, knowledgeable citizens in their campus, local, state, national, and global communities.  The Peace and Conflict Studies Minor is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills – such as critical thinking, deliberative dialogue, constructive disagreement, and mediation of conflict – necessary to handle disputes arising in a variety of organizational settings.  The Minor also includes the possibility of engaging in internships that address direct and structural violence locally, nationally, and globally.  The minor may be paired with any major as an active way of putting disciplinary tools to use to effect positive change in our communities. It is intended for highly motivated students of any ideological perspective who are committed to peace and conflict resolution in local, national, and global settings.

The minor requires the successful completion of 18 semester hours, including PCE 001 Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies (3 s.h.), at least 3 semester hours from a list of Restricted Electives and 12 semester hours chosen from four categories of electives, resulting in at least one course from each category.

• At least 15 semester hours must be in HCLAS.
• A maximum of 6 semester hours may overlap with a student’s major.
• A maximum of 6 semester hours may be taken from any particular prefix.
• A maximum of 9 semester hours may be taken from any particular department.

Courses related to peace and conflict studies that do not appear on this list (either at Hofstra or abroad), may be taken for credit toward the minor with approval of the program director.