Conflict is an inevitable part of life. At GC, we believe that conflict can be beneficial when we engage it in healthy ways. If you choose a minor in conflict transformation at Goshen College, you’ll learn to see how conflict can lead to growth, reconciliation and social change.
The minor in conflict transformation studies is designed for students who hope to use conflict and communication skills in a particular profession. You will take classes that will give you practical skills as well as theological, ethical and philosophical understandings of conflict transformation and justice. Course themes include conflict and communication; personal, interpersonal and systemic violence; mediation and facilitation; justice and restorative justice; and power and social change.
By the time you graduate, you will be equipped with an appreciation of the transformative power of conflict and the tools to initiate peace. Your peacemaking skills will make you an indispensable member of your workplace and community. You will learn to identify and work through complex intercultural conflicts and be able to promote dialogue in individual or group settings as a skilled facilitator, mediator and/or negotiator.
Dr. Regina Shands Stotlzfus, professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict studies, has been presented the 2021 Everence National Journey Award for her personal and professional dedication to anti-oppression and social justice.
Patrick Maxwell is a dual-degree candidate for his JD at Harvard Law School and his MA in Law and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Four Goshen College alumni graduated from the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) on May 1, 2021 in Elkhart, Indiana.
of our peace, justice and conflict studies alumni volunteer at least once a year
First peace course taught at GC (War, Peace, & Nonresistance)
of alumni agree that PJCS professors at GC are genuinely interested in students
of PJCS alumni are satisfied or very satisfied with their undergraduate education
Learn more about Goshen College's exceptional academic outcomes and national rankings.
Jes Stoltzfus Buller ’08 knows firsthand how messy the process of peacemaking can be. Shortly after graduating from Goshen College, Buller moved to Colombia as a part of Mennonite Central Committee's Seed program.
Jes' storySam Carlson was a peace, justice and conflict studies major with a minor in women’s and gender studies who takes his PJCS studies seriously. In the summer of 2014, he served at a conflict resolution center in Palestine.
Sam's storyElizabeth Reimer, a '21 Bible & Religion; Peace, Justice & Conflict Studies double major from Naperville, Illinois, reflects on faith and learning.
Bauman’s calling is a combination of working for sustainability, healing, community and justice.
Nicole's storyKhadar Bashir-Ali, a 1985 graduate from Somalia who majored in French, advises the Somalian government on how to improve the education system and oversees national education projects.
Khadar's storyCade Fisher ‘22 is interested in helping people find themselves on the fringes of our society.
Regina Shands Stoltzfus
Professor of Peace Justice & Conflict Studies
Director of PJCS
