International Studies—War and Peace Major (B.A.)
Program Overview
The International Studies--War and Peace major allows students to explore the field of security studies from an interdisciplinary perspective. There has been a recent and dramatic spike in the demand for graduates in security studies. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security, new emphases on improved intelligence analysis and risk assessments, border control, immigration, heightened proliferation threats around the globe, increased attention and hiring in the areas of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, as well as reconstruction and development culminate in demand for students well trained in war and peace studies. The job market is competitive and every career demands a substantive understanding of global dynamics today. In our program, we introduce our students to the fields of peace and security studies through one-on-one advising, intensive language training and education abroad. The students also participate in the myriad events and workshops related to dynamics of conflict and cooperation, network with experts and activists, work closely with our faculty and present their research in national conferences.
International Studies - War and Peace majors are required to study three years of one language or two years of one language and one of another. Students may choose from a broad selection of critical languages to international security. War and Peace students are also required to study or intern abroad. Students go to countries as diverse as France, Ireland, Israel, Brazil, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, India and Morocco. Students must consult with their advisor and the Office of Global Opportunities before committing to an internship or study abroad program.
War and Peace students are exceptional, winning nationally competitive awards every year. Faculty involved with the program -- from the Departments of Anthropology, English, History, Sociology, Philosophy, and Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Schools of Journalism and Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication -- are top-rated scholars and teachers, many of whom have won campus-wide teaching awards and have published scholarly works with top presses and in major journals.
Admissions Information
Freshman/First-Year Admission
No requirement beyond University admission requirements.
Change of Program Policy
No selective or limited admission requirements.
External Transfer Policy
No requirement beyond University admission requirements.
Opportunities Upon Graduation
War and Peace Studies graduates and certificate students have earned competitive internships and careers at the U.S. Department of State (in both Washington, D.C. and at U.S. embassies abroad), congressional offices, U.S. Military, the Peace Corps, and non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International and The Carter Center. Alumni have also pursued graduate studies at prestigious institutions such as the London School of Economics and the Institut d'études Politiques de Paris.