Peace, Justice, and Conflict Resolution (CERT)
This 12-credit certificate combines required courses in peacebuilding fundamentals and mediation with electives across more than a dozen fields. Students apply what they learn through a capstone service-learning placement with a local, national or international organization. Designed to complement any major, the certificate prepares students for meaningful careers in law, policy, nonprofit leadership, social services, diplomacy and advocacy while enhancing their global perspective.
This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.
Certificate in Peace, Justice and Conflict Transformation
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Academic Plan Code(s): PSCRCPC
Program Information
The undergraduate certificate in Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences but also encompasses other colleges. It is intended for students who wish to supplement their planned major and minor with skills that enrich their lives as global citizens and better prepares them for prospective employers or graduate school.
The Peace Studies program offers a 12-hour undergraduate certificate. In addition to three required PEAC courses (325, 350, 550), students choose electives from approximately 150 courses offered by the following units:
- Anthropology
- Art
- Chinese Studies
- Communication
- Comparative Humanities
- Criminal Justice
- English
- Geography and Geosciences
- History
- Latin American and Latino Studies
- Pan-African Studies
- Philosophy
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Political Science
- Social Change
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Sport Administration
- Sustainability
- Theatre Arts
- Women’s and Gender Studies
The certificate culminates with PEAC 550, Service Learning in Peacebuilding, with an approved local, national, or international organization located off campus. PEAC 325, Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation Fundamentals, and PEAC 350, Basic Mediation and Conflict Transformation, are prerequisites for PEAC 550 that may be taken in any order.
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at UofL must be in good standing to enter the PJCT certificate program. First time freshmen, transfer, and postbaccalaureate applicants must meet the regular admission standards of the College of Arts and Sciences. This undergraduate certificate program may be completed as a stand-alone credential; however, it will not be eligible for federal financial aid. Students enrolled in degree programs and pursuing this certificate may be eligible for federal financial aid.
The certificate can be awarded upon graduation concurrent with a degree. To add the certificate in Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation to your transcript you should visit the Advising website for an application for certificate in PJCT.
See also: How to Apply to Graduate from A&S with a PJCT Certificate
You must also apply to graduate with the certificate on Ulink at the beginning of the semester in which you intend to graduate with your major. You must fill out two graduation applications since this certificate is non-degree seeking. When you are ready to graduate the link to graduate with the certificate should appear just under the link to graduate with your major.
Certificate Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PEAC 325 | Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation | 3 |
| PEAC 350 | Mediation & Conflict Transformation | 3 |
| PEAC 550 | Service Learning in Peacebuilding | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
ANTH 307 | Darwin | |
ANTH 310/PAS 368 | Race, Culture, Identity | |
ANTH/PAS 318 | African-American Cultural Traditions | |
ANTH 319 | Cultures of the Middle East | |
ANTH 320 | Indigenous Peoples of North America - P1, SBH | |
ANTH 321 | American Indian Women | |
ANTH 323/PAS 383 | Cultures of Africa - P2, SB | |
ANTH 325 | The Anthropology of Latin America - P2, SB | |
ANTH 331 | Anthropology of Religion | |
ANTH 332 | Ecology, Politics and Culture | |
ANTH 333 | Globalizing Inequalities - WR | |
ANTH 337 | Nationalism, Violence, and the State | |
ANTH 338 | Anthropology of Refugees | |
ANTH/AST 347 | Global Capitalisms | |
ANTH 352 | Food and Body Politic | |
ANTH 531 | Anthropology of Water | |
ART 590 | Special Topics in Studio Art | |
ART/CHST 341 | Introduction to Printmaking | |
AST/ANTH 347 | Global Capitalisms | |
BSW 201 | Introduction to Social Work - P1, SB | |
BSW 202 | Intimate and Family Relationships - SB | |
BSW 352 | Child Abuse and Neglect (Child Maltreatment) | |
BSW 381 | Intro Social Gerontology | |
BSW 464 | Intro Social Work and the Law | |
CHST/AST 341 | Ethnicity and Religion in China | |
CJ 200 | Introduction to Criminal Justice - SB | |
CJ 360 | Juvenile Justice | |
CJ 403 | Institutional Corrections | |
CJ 405 | Crimes Against Older Adults | |
CJ 415 | Drugs and Crime | |
CJ 425 | Behavioral Analysis of Violent Crime | |
CJ 430 | Environmental Crime | |
CJ 440 | Human Trafficking | |
CJ 493 | Police and the Community | |
CJ 519 | Domestic and Family Violence | |
CJ 523 | Race and Gender in Criminal Justice - WR | |
CJ 577 | Trauma Informed Policing | |
CJ 597 | Ethics in Criminal Justice - WR | |
COMM 275 | African-American Communication - P1, SB | |
COMM 301 | Special Topics in Communication | |
COMM/WGST 324 | Communication and Gender | |
COMM 328 | Introduction to Urban Communication | |
COMM 435 | Media, Culture and Society | |
COMM 450 | Advanced Intercultural Communication - CUE, WR | |
COMM 555 | Persuasive Movements | |
ENGL 342 | Black Women Novelists - AH, P2, WR | |
ENGL 368 | Minority Traditions in English Literatures - AH, P2 | |
ENGL 369 | Minority Traditions in American Literature - AH, P1 | |
ENGL 373 | Women and Global Literature - AH, P2 | |
ENGL 374 | Gender, Race, Sexuality in Children's Lit - AH, P1 | |
ENGL 375 | LGBTQ Literature in the United States - AH, P1 | |
ENGL 423 | Special Topics: African-American Literature Before 1900 - WR | |
ENGL 549 | Studies in Post-Colonial and/or Ethnic Literature - CUE | |
ENGL 550 | Studies in African-American Literature - CUE | |
ENGL 554 | Women's Personal Narratives - CUE | |
ENGL 567 | Post-Colonial Voices: Writing Experience in African Literature - CUE, WR | |
ENGL 575 | Genre Studies in African-American Literature - CUE | |
ENGL 577 | The Harlem Renaissance - CUE | |
GEOG 300 | Globalization and Diversity - P2, SB | |
GEOG/HIST 305 | Historical Geography of the United States | |
GEOG 331 | Population Geography | |
GEOG 500 | Globalization Seminar | |
HIST 318 | U.S. in the Sixties | |
HIST/PAS 322 | The History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1900 to Present | |
HIST/WGST/PAS/SCHG 513 | U.S. Social Justice Movements of the 20th Century | |
HIST 519 | Gilded Age and Progressive Era United States, 1877-1929 - WR | |
HIST 522 | The American Revolution and the Confederation - CUE, WR | |
HIST 529 | Recent American History, 1945 to Present - CUE, WR | |
LALS 310 | Introduction to Latin American Studies - P2, SB | |
LALS 311 | Introduction to U.S. Latino Studies - P1, SB | |
PAS 247 | Language, Protest and Identity | |
PAS 305 | Legal Lynchings: A Survey of Race, Law, and the American Justice System | |
PAS 313 | Urban Ritual Violence | |
PAS 324 | Politics, Political Violence and Black Resistance | |
PAS 327 | Politics of the Black Community - P1, SB | |
PAS 329 | Slave Trade and Slavery | |
PAS 355/TA 326 | Cultural Diversity in Performance - AH, P1 | |
PAS 363/POLS 320 | Civil Rights and the Law II | |
PAS 374 | The Black Power Movement | |
PAS 392/WGST 343/SOC 392 | Faces of Global Poverty - WR | |
PAS 412 | The Underground Railroad and American Memory | |
PAS/WGST/HIST/SCHG 513 | U.S. Social Justice Movements of the 20th Century | |
PAS 514 | History of Pan-African Social Thought | |
PAS 520 | The Black Family - WR | |
PAS 532 | Slave Trade and Slavery in the African World | |
PAS/ENGL 575 | Genre Studies in African-American Literature | |
PHIL 222 | Contemporary Moral Problems - AH | |
PHIL 308 | Freedom, Equality, Justice, and Community - SB | |
PHIL 318/WGST 360 | Feminist Philosophy - AH, P1 | |
PHIL 319 | Philosophy of Race and Racism - AH, P1 | |
PHIL 328 | Environmental Ethics | |
PHIL 529 | Philosophy of Emotions | |
PHIL 535 | Political Philosophy | |
PHIL/SCHG 538 | Critical Social Theory | |
PHIL/WGST 582 | Health and Social Justice | |
PHIL 583 | Race, Medicine, and Health | |
POLS 313 | Constitutional Law | |
POLS 314 | Judicial Politics | |
POLS 315 | Race, Law and Politics - P1, SB | |
POLS 318 | Religion and United States Politics - P1, SB | |
POLS 319 | Media and Politics | |
POLS 320/PAS 363 | Civil Rights and the Law II | |
POLS/WGST 323 | Queer Politics | |
POLS 324/WGST 355 | Women in American Politics | |
POLS 327 | Black Politics & Democracy - P1, SB | |
POLS 330 | ||
POLS 331 | The United Nations and International Organization - WR | |
POLS 332 | International Law - WR | |
POLS 334 | The Politics of Global Economic Relations | |
POLS 384 | Democracy and Its Critics - WR | |
POLS 386 | Political Theory and Utopia - WR | |
POLS 387 | American Utopian Communities | |
POLS 520 | Coping with Conflict | |
POLS 563/WGST 558 | Women in Developing Countries - WR | |
PSYC 407 | Community Internships in Psychology - CUE | |
PSYC 408 | International Service Learning and Research - CUE | |
SCHG/SOC 453 | Social Change | |
SCHG/WGST/PAS/HIST 513 | U.S. Social Justice Movements of the 20th Century | |
SCHG/PHIL 538 | Critical Social Theory | |
SOC 201 | Introduction to Sociology - SB | |
SOC 202 | Social Problems - P1, SB | |
SOC 210 | Race in the United States - P1, SB | |
SOC 305 | Urban Sociology | |
SOC 315 | Environmental Sociology | |
SOC 323 | Diversity and Inequality | |
SOC 343/WGST 312 | Sociology of Women's Health | |
SOC/SCHG 453 | Social Change | |
SOC 454 | Social Inequality & Stratification - CUE, WR | |
SOC 464 | Race and Ethnicity - CUE, WR | |
SOC 470 | Political Sociology - CUE | |
SPAD 571 | Sport for Development and Peace | |
URBS 131 | Introduction to Sustainability - SB | |
TA 326/PAS 355 | Cultural Diversity in Performance - AH, P1 | |
WGST 312/SOC 343 | Sociology of Women's Health | |
WGST/POLS 323 | Queer Politics | |
WGST/COMM 324 | Communication and Gender | |
WGST 343/PAS 392/SOC 392 | Faces of Global Poverty - WR | |
WGST 355/POLS 324 | Women in American Politics | |
WGST 360/PHIL 318 | Feminist Philosophy - AH, P1 | |
WGST 512 | Gender, Race, Work, and Welfare | |
WGST/SCHG/PAS 513 | U.S. Social Justice Movements of the 20th Century | |
WGST 558/POLS 563 | Women in Developing Countries - WR | |
WGST/PHIL 582 | Health and Social Justice | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 12 | |
Special Topics courses may qualify as electives with the approval of both the individual department and the Peace Studies Program Director.
No more than 6 credit hours may count toward both the Social Change Minor and the Certificate in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Transformation.
At least three (3) semester hours of the requirements for a certificate must be successfully completed while enrolled in the University of Louisville.