Peace and Conflict Studies, 180 higher education credits

Armed conflicts and other forms of organized violence affect people in many places around the world. Why do violent conflicts emerge, how can one put an end to them? Can there be any justification for starting and conducting war? Does an end to organized violence equal genuine peace? How do combatants and the victims of war experience and manage their situation? What role can international organizations and an international legal system play in all this? During your education in Peace and Conflict Studies we will try to find answers to these and similar questions.

In the course of your Peace and Conflict Studies, you will come to understand and learn how to analyze the emergence of various forms of armed conflict and which prerequisites for a sustainable peace order there may exist. To begin with, you are offered a theoretical and historical overview of Peace and Conflict Studies. You will train your ability to manage the key analytical concepts in Peace and Conflict Studies. Subsequently, the focus will be on the role of the media and of globalization in the development of contemporary conflicts. A course in conflict analysis follows, which concludes with your conducting a conflict analysis on your own, using the methods and instruments you by then have become familiar with. It is important to appreciate the human dimension in all this, which is the reason why you will hear, read, and see a lot about the conditions and diversity of human life. This is especially true of the courses in anthropology. Finally, a course on peace theory will let you scrutinize which institutional and cultural conditions may be useful in the establishment of a sustainable, global peace order. It is possible to study abroad in the course of your education. In addition, you will have an opportunity to organize a one-term internship for which you will receive full course credits.

After graduation, you will be able to work internationally, for example in the fields of foreign policy, conflict analysis, conflict management, international migration, humanitarian assistance etc. Potential employers include international organizations, government agencies, private companies, non-governmental organizations etc.

The special prerequisite for this programme focus, besides basic eligibility for university studies, is fieldeligibility 6: Civics A and English B. Applicants are exempted from the Civics A requirement.