At GC a conviction came through to me that we believed in more than being ‘antiwar.’ We were called to live toward a new way of being in all of life, grounded not just in politics, but also in spirituality and community.
Conflict Transformation Studies
Minor
Where tension becomes transformation
Conflict surfaces in every profession. This minor equips you with the skills to navigate it proactively.
The conflict transformation studies minor at Goshen College is an undergraduate minor in the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies (PJCS) Department that trains you in mediation, nonviolent communication, negotiation and facilitation. You study the root causes of interpersonal, cultural and systemic conflict and learn to respond constructively.
It pairs well with majors such as sociology, psychology, social work, education and business where the skills carry directly into the work. You study with faculty who are experts in peace building, mediation and social change, and you graduate with both an appreciation for the transformative power of tension and the tools to initiate peace and reconciliation.
Skills to build and take with you
Build in concrete capabilities, each one a skill you can name in an interview or an application to law school, public policy or a graduate program. By the time students graduate, they will be equipped with the skills needed to mediate conflict and the tools to initiate peace and reconciliation. You’ll study with faculty who are experts in peacebuilding, mediation and social change. View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Ron Kraybill '76,
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT ADVISER, UNITED NATIONS
Paying for Goshen
When you take Conflict Transformation, you’ll be eligible for Goshen College’s academic scholarships and need-based financial aid. Additional support may be available for students pursuing service-oriented or intercultural learning paths. To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator, or explore your options at the financial aid and scholarships pages.
Common questions about the conflict transformation studies minor
It is an applied discipline with concrete methods. You train in nonviolent communication, negotiation, facilitation and conflict mediation, and study the dynamics of interpersonal, cultural, and systemic conflict. The skills transfer directly into mediation, law, public policy, social work, international relations and restorative justice work.
19 credit hours are covered across these courses: PJCS 210 Transforming Conflict and Violence (3), PJCS 325 Mediation: Process, Skills, Theory (4), PJCS 410 Senior Advanced Work (1), one of Restorative Justice or Conflict-Healthy Groups (3), and three electives (9)The full list lives on the course listing page.
It complements majors such as sociology, psychology, social work, education and business, where mediation and dispute-resolution skills carry into the work. Students who want to use mediation training, alternative dispute resolution and communication skills in a specific career path are the natural fit for this minor.
Graduates work as organizers, mediators and human rights advocates, and as consultants, coordinators and nonprofit leaders. This is often in community-focused roles supporting families, youth and global development. The minor also builds skills valued in law, public policy, education and international relations, and prepares students for graduate study.
Yes. Conflict surfaces in every profession, and graduates work as organizers and mediators, but the applied conflict-navigation skills transfer directly to human resources, legal and management roles in any industry.
Ready to get started?
Regina Shands Stoltzfus
Professor of Peace
Justice
and Conflict StudiesRob Brenneman
Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology
