Program on Justice and Peace

Requirements for a Minor or Certificate in Justice and Peace

To register for a Minor or Certificate in the PJP, click the link at left or click here.

The Program on Justice and Peace offers an undergraduate minor in Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences and a Certificate in the School of Foreign Service, the McDonough School of Business and the School of Nursing and Health Studies.

The requirements for a Minor or Certificate are as follows. To view or print a course worksheet allowing one to review progress in the requirements for a PJP minor or certificate, click the link at left or click here.

I. Upon declaring his or her intention to complete the work for a Minor or Certificate, each student is required to submit a Statement of Intent which outlines the theoretical and practical questions that have shaped so far and/or that will shape in the future his or her selection of courses. To view or print a template for the Statement of Intent, click the link at left or click here.

II. Core Courses and Senior Theses 

A. Every student must complete the "Introduction to Justice and Peace" (JUPS 123). This course will introduce students to a range of historical and contemporary issues concerning Justice and Peace and prepare them for more focused study on specific topics. The course will be cross-listed with PJP and different departments each year.

B. Each student must complete a Senior Seminar and a Thesis in the program. The senior seminar, usually the last course taken in the program and a course which serves as a culmination of the educational experience, is offered during the fall semester of the student's senior year. Admission to the seminar is based on the submission of a thesis proposal in the spring of the junior year. Work on the thesis is begun during this seminar and completed under the guidance of an individual mentor during the spring semester. For more information on the seminar and the thesis, see the Seminar and Thesis section of the web page.

III. Core and Free Electives. In addition to the two core courses (Intro and Senior Seminar) and the thesis, each student must complete four additional ELECTIVES.

A. One course should be selected from two of the following categories:

i. Theoretical and cultural perspectives on justice and peace
Primarily courses in theories of justice, cultural studies, theology of justice and peace, etc.


ii. Social Scientific Research on Justice and Peace
Courses in history, sociology, anthropolgy, etc. which look at social problems, racial/gender/national/ethnic/class divisions in society, social movements

iii. Frameworks and Institutions of Justice and Peace
Courses in International Relations, International Law, Human Rights, Transnational organizations, etc. which look at ways such global structures contribute to a just and peaceful world

Listings for the Core Electives sponsored by PJP are available on the web site. If you have questions, please contact the director.

B. The other two electives, which can include additional Core Electives, are to be chosen from other courses offered at Georgetown that the student considers relevant to the study of Justice and Peace.

IV. Students must arrange for one of their six Justice and Peace courses to involve a Community-Based Learning component. This requirement is ordinarily satisfied by taking a Community-Based Learning course, as identified by the Center for Social Justice (lists are available each semester) or by enrolling in a course in which service/community-based work is either a requirement or a significant option for students. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the director. It is strongly recommended that this requirement be fulfilled before the Senior Seminar.

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