Q. Where can I get advice?
A. More than 50 Notre Dame faculty members are associated with the teaching and research of the Kroc Institute. The Undergraduate Program Manager advises students interested in declaring a minor or supplementary major in peace studies.
Supplementary majors (only) in peace studies are required to have a faculty advisor, selected in consultation with the Undergraduate Program Manager. Advisors provide mentoring and can help students explore interests, recommend courses, and suggest readings and pathways. Advisors are drawn from the faculty and faculty fellows of the Institute.
Supplementary majors must secure the signature of the advisor on the Kroc Institute registration form, showing that the relationship has been established. The student is then required to meet with his/her faculty advisor every September (by the 30th) and obtain the advisor’s signature on the “Advising Confirmation Form” showing that this meeting has taken place. If a student is abroad in the fall, the advisor meeting should happen by January 31. (For more details, see “How do I become a peace studies student?”)
The undergraduate program is administered by the staff of the Kroc Institute, who work with the Institute's Undergraduate Advisory Committee to oversee the progress of peace studies students and address short- and long-term academic policy issues.
Q. What can I do with a peace studies major or minor?
A. Students and parents often ask:
1) What are the advantages of completing a major or minor in peace studies?
2) Can majoring or minoring in peace studies get me a job after I graduate?
The first question has two answers. At the curricular level, the peace studies program complements the kind of learning provided by the traditional undergraduate major. Due to its problem-focused and multidisciplinary nature, peace studies helps various "ways of knowing" come alive. Second, at the co-curricular level, peace studies students often find that films, lectures, and workshops sponsored by the Kroc Institute enhance their learning experience at Notre Dame. This is also true for students whose learning in peace studies sparks their involvement in campus groups such as Pax Christi, Amnesty International, or Women United for Justice and Peace.
The second question also has two answers. Choosing a supplementary major or interdisciplinary minor, much like the selection of a major, ought to emerge from a student's interest in the ideas and issues related to peace and justice. The issues addressed in the peace studies program are focused on how we ought to live (rather than how we ought to make a living), individually and collectively, in an increasingly violent world.
At the same time, students with skills and background developed in the peace studies program are an impressive number of vocational and avocational opportunities open to them. They have access to internship options and other types of learning experiences developing at the Kroc Institute. Students who combine their major with a peace studies supplementary major or interdisciplinary minor can offer a very attractive set of skills to a prospective employer.
Finally, we believe that the peace studies program empowers students to be effective and competent citizens in this complex world.
During the past decade, peace studies graduates have done well. Many have won graduate fellowships, including the Marshall Scholarship, the Scoville Peace Fellowship, the Truman Scholarship, Rotary Scholarships, and awards from the United States Institute for Peace and the Fulbright Commission. A number have won residential fellowships at host institutions, most often in international affairs. They have also gained employment in peace and social justice organizations in the US and abroad.
Q. How do I become a peace studies student?
A. Any student at Notre Dame or St. Mary’s College in any major, from history to engineering or theology to biology, who is interested in the themes of peace, violence, justice and human rights, may elect either the supplementary major or interdisciplinary minor in peace studies.
Step 1: Make an appointment with Anna Van Overberghe, Undergraduate Program Manager.
Step 2: At your meeting, you will complete two sets of paperwork:
1. The yellow “Student Academic Program Selection” form will be filled out and signed at your appointment. After your appointment, you must secure all required signatures (including one from your college’s undergraduate studies office) and bring the form to the Registrar's Office on the first floor of the Main Building. You will then become officially registered as a supplementary major or minor in peace studies.
2. You will complete the “Undergraduate Peace Studies Registration Form,” which can be picked up at the Kroc Institute when you come to your appointment. Supplementary majors (but not minors) will also discuss the selection of a faculty advisor and the “Advising Confirmation Form” during their appointments. Supplementary majors are required to have a faculty advisor and meet with him/her at least once each academic year by September 30 (unless abroad) as a requirement for graduation.
3. Supplementary majors and minors will secure the necessary signatures and return the “Undergraduate Peace Studies Registration Form” (and supplementary majors only will also return the “Advising Confirmation Form”) to Anna Van Overberghe at the Kroc Institute office, Room 100 of the Hesburgh Center.
Q. How do I register for peace studies courses?
A. During the pre-registration period each semester, check the list of courses under “Institute for International Peace Studies” (IIPS) online using insideND.
Descriptions of the courses can be obtained:
- online here
- through insideND using the Class Search link
- at the Kroc Institute office in 100 Hesburgh Center
Select one or more IIPS courses that will fit the area themes required for the peace studies supplementary major or minor or the electives of the major.
If a course is designated as “department approval required,” contact Anna Van Overberghe at vanoverberghe.11@nd.edu to obtain approval before registering for the course. It's a good idea to make these requests as soon as possible prior to your pre-registration time ticket appointment.
If a course is designated with “co-requisite IIPS 27999,” you will have pre-approval for registering for IIPS courses with this code if you are an official peace studies supplementary major or minor. If you are not, please contact Anna Van Overberghe (vanoverberghe.11@nd.edu) to request approval.
*If an independent study is approved by the Kroc Institute’s Director of Academic Programs:
A "Directed Readings" form must be picked up from Anna Van Overberghe, filled out, signed by you and the faculty member who will supervise the work, and returned to the Kroc Institute office for approval and signature of the Director of Academic Programs.
Q. How do I get approval for studying abroad?
A. The Office of International Studies requires students applying for an abroad program to receive approval from each of their majors and minors. If you are a peace studies supplementary major or minor, you must contact Anna Van Overberghe, Undergraduate Program Manager, to schedule your meeting with the Director of Academic Programs (not your faculty advisor) for approval. Please do not wait until the last minute for this meeting!
If you are selected for a study abroad program, you will need to contact Anna Van Overberghe again the semester before you will be abroad to secure approval for any courses you wish to take abroad towards your supplementary major or minor in peace studies.
Q. How do I complete the program?
A. 1. During your senior year, register for the required peace studies senior seminar in either the fall or spring semester.
2. After the drop/add period during the last semester before graduation, stop by the Institute office (100 Hesburgh Center) to see if your file is complete.
3. When your final paper is completed for the peace studies senior seminar, make certain that an additional copy is e-mailed to vanoverberghe.11@nd.edu for your file.
Q. How do I participate in the program in ways other than taking classes?
A. Students' names will be placed on the Institute CPSNEWS listserv to receive announcements of lectures and other relevant academic news and activities — for example, course changes, and internship and fellowship opportunities.
Students can participate in the annual student conference in the spring semester. This is a student-run conference with peace students traveling from all over the country to present and attend papers, panels, and conflict resolution simulations. Bringing together peace students from many college campuses, Kroc Institute graduate students and Notre Dame peace studies undergraduate students, it features a prominent keynote speaker, artistic events, and common meals. Many students who have attended the conference testify to its great spirit of excitement and camaraderie with other peace students. The peace students who organize it every year enjoy acquiring the logistical and organizational skills needed to plan a successful academic event.
