Peace isn’t a niche interest at Goshen College—it’s a shared passion. Peace is central to our identity, which is apparent in our curriculum, our history and our core values. The peace, justice and conflict studies (PJCS) program pulls together and gives full expression to the many strands of peace that permeate campus culture.
As a PJCS student, you’ll study subjects like restorative justice, social change and war and peace in the modern world. And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to put your beliefs into action through a range of internship options. Some are local, with organizations like La Casa (working with low income families) in Goshen and the Center for Community Justice in Elkhart, and some are across North America, with agencies like Mennonite Central Committee. Some students find a way to do international internships as well.
What can you do after college with a PJCS major? Anything that requires the ability to analyze complex problems, come up with creative solutions, be an effective organizer and transform destructive conflict in positive directions. As a graduate of the PJCS program, you’ll have top-notch preparation for your future career as a social worker, teacher, lawyer, mediator or peace worker for a service or mission organization.
Naomi Lapp Klassen, a senior history and criminal and restorative justice double major from Goshen, won Goshen College’s annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest on Tuesday night with her speech, “Confronting Mass Incarceration: A Story of Agency and Sight.”
Dr. Wendsler Nosie, Sr., former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, will speak at Goshen College's annual Beechy Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Lecture on Oct. 24.
Mennonite Church USA presented Tina Schlabach '82 and Abby Endashaw with the 2024 MC USA Bring the Peace award.
of our peace, justice and conflict studies alumni volunteer at least once a year
First peace course taught at GC (War, Peace, & Nonresistance)
of PJCS alumni are satisfied or very satisfied with their undergraduate education
of alumni agree that PJCS professors at GC are genuinely interested in students
Learn more about Goshen College's exceptional academic outcomes and national rankings.
Khadar 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 storyJes 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' storyRob Vander Giessen-Reitsma ’05 is using his peace, justice and conflict studies major to solve injustices with a Christ-centered approach.
Rob's storyRegina Shands Stoltzfus '84 sees her students as curious, passionate and eager to make a difference in the world by fostering justice.
Regina's 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 storyLauren Treiber, a 2014 graduate from Grand Rapids, Michigan, came to Goshen College to study peace. While a student, Lauren has formed friendships and learned lessons that will lead her towards a lifetime of peacemaking.
Lauren's storyRegina Shands Stoltzfus
Professor of Peace Justice & Conflict Studies
Director of PJCS
Jerrell Richer
Professor of Economics
Carl Kreider Chair
Luke Kreider
Assistant Professor of Religion and Sustainability
