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Program Overview
"If you want peace, work for justice." — Pope Paul VI
The Program in Peace and Justice Studies is an expression of the Jesuit educational commitment which is fundamentally identified with the promotion of the values of peace and justice. The program is based on the principle that true peace is not only the absence of hostilities, but also requires the establishment of a just social order providing a decent and dignified life for all.
Accordingly, the minor provides the student with an opportunity for the systematic study of a variety of issues in world peace and social justice, as well as an examination of how different religions and philosophical traditions have thought about these values.
The minor program in peace and justice studies at Fairfield University offers you the opportunity to devote time, attention, and energy to the most pressing issues of social justice and peace in our time. The events of the early 21st century put in stark relief the importance of thinking about such matters, whatever your major or career goals. Issues explored through this program include:
- The war on terror
- Peace in the Middle East
- The environment
- Proliferation of nuclear weapons
- Human trafficking
- Poverty in inner cities
- Discrimination based on race, gender, class, and sexuality
- The crumbling healthcare system
The Program of Peace and Justice at Fairfield provides systematic study of these and other issues by examining how various religions and philosophical traditions have addressed them and analyzing their political, economic, and social dimensions. The program is interdisciplinary in nature and works well as a stimulating complement to the choice of many major fields of study at Fairfield.
Thoughtful consideration of how we might create change and develop a vision for the future guides this program. It is the academic expression of the Jesuit commitment to "the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement."
Contact Us
Sunil Purushotham
Office of Undergraduate Admission
P: (203) 254-4100
F: (203) 254-4199
admis@fairfield.edu
Requirements & Curriculum
Required Courses
| Introduction to Peace and Justice |
| Three (3) Peace and Justice Studies elective courses |
| Capstone Research Seminar |
Students pursuing a Peace and Justice Studies minor may also elect Internship in Advocacy and Community Organizing. This internship provides students in the minor with the opportunity to understand, through direct participation, how citizens organize to empower their communities and promote policies that will benefit them. Interns are often placed with community organizations in the greater Bridgeport area and some placements include advocacy work in the state legislature in Hartford. The internship is currently an elective and not required of students in the minor.
A detailed list of course requirements, offerings, and more can be viewed in the University’s course catalog.
More About Peace & Justice Studies
Life After Fairfield
Life After Fairfield
Learn how Fairfield's Career Services can support your post-graduate goals, and how our tight-knit alumni network can build career and mentoring opportunities that last a lifetime.
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fairfield is dedicated to diversity and inclusion; to radical hospitality in service of racial, social, and economic justice.
Internships
Internships
The Peace and Justice Studies Program offers students internship opportunities in a range of local, state, and national organizations devoted to the work of social justice and peace. Internships provide you with the unique and valuable opportunity to acquire firsthand knowledge about and experience with a range of pressing issues. The program director will help you to find the internship that fits your interests and needs.
