Program Description
The minor graduate field of peace studies and peace science provides interdisciplinary opportunities for graduate students pursuing research degrees to deepen their knowledge of international security, the structure and function of multinational systems, and the general areas of conflict analysis, conflict management, and conflict resolution. The peace science concentration emphasizes mathematical modeling and game-theoretic models, while the peace studies concentration emphasizes historical, institutional, and policy-oriented approaches. The minor concentrations are intended to complement basic study in such fields as government, history, anthropology, public affairs, industrial and labor relations, agricultural economics, city and regional planning, civil and environmental engineering, economics, operations research, psychology, sociology, and science and technology studies.
Graduate Minor Requirements
Students are required to complete at least two semesters of the Proseminar in Peace Studies (GOVT 7937 Proseminar in Peace Studies/HIST 7937 Proseminar in Peace Studies/STS 7937 Proseminar in Peace Studies), a two-credit course typically offered each semester of the regular academic year. As described in the Courses of Study catalog, the Proseminar in Peace Studies offers a multidisciplinary review of issues related to peace and conflict at the graduate level. The course is led by the director of the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and is based on the Institute's weekly seminar series, featuring outside visitors and Cornell faculty. Additionally, students should identify a minor advisor; the advisor’s role differs slightly for students in research and professional degrees, as follows.
Research Degrees
Students pursuing research degrees are required to include a member of the minor field on their special committee. Students should specify the concentration represented by that member of the minor field (either peace studies or peace science) when forming their special committee with the Graduate School. The special committee member representing the peace studies or peace science concentration is then responsible for certifying completion of the minor to the Graduate School. Note that each member of a student’s committee can represent only one concentration for that particular committee. Hence, an advisor cannot represent the peace studies or peace science concentration on a student’s committee while simultaneously representing a different concentration on the committee (for example, the international relations concentration within the government major), even though the advisor may be a member of both fields and concentrations. In such cases, students may add additional committee members to specifically represent the peace studies or peace science concentration.
Professional Degrees
Students pursuing professional degrees are required to choose an advisor from the minor field. For professional students, the minor advisor agrees to provide guidance as needed for students completing capstone or other requirements that relate to peace studies. The instructor for the Proseminar in Peace Studies (who is typically also the Director of the Reppy Institute) will serve as the minor advisor if another member of the field is not available. When professional students are ready to graduate, the minor advisor and minor coordinator will certify completion of the minor to the registrar for that student’s degree-granting program. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the minor coordinator (Program Manager of the Reppy Institute) of their intention to pursue the minor no later than two months prior to graduation.
