Peace and Justice Studies
Available as a concentration
Peace and Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary program that examines conditions for bringing about a just and peaceful world order. The field relates scholarship to practice and challenges you to develop new ways of thinking and acting in the world.
Curriculum & Courses
Sample Course Offerings
HIST 255: South Africa
PEAC 301: Seminal Figures and Issues
COMM 360: Studies in Intercultural Communication
Student Experiences
Mathilda Nassar '15 received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Nassar was an international relations major with a concentration in Peace and Justice Studies, who originally came from Bethlehem, Palestine. Her family now lives in Richmond, Virginia.
"I am honored to have won this award. Studying international relations in another country gave me a different perspective that I would not necessarily have gotten in the classroom," Nassar said. "However, I couldn't have gotten this award without the help and guidance of my mentors at Roanoke."
Study Abroad
Contemporary India in the Shadow of Gandhi
In this May Term course, students explored India today through the lens of Mahatma Gandhi's life, the father of modern India and the world's primary thinker on nonviolent social activism.
Careers & Outcomes
Matt Spangler '13 majored in international relations, with a concentration in Peace and Justice Studies, and was in the James C. and S. Maynard Turk Pre-law Program. While at Roanoke, he did an internship with Commonwealth Catholic Charities in the area of immigration and human rights. Spangler continues to work in immigration with Catholic Charities in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
"Through the Peace and Justice program, I was able to take an internship in immigration law, and became an integral part of winning a compelling, time-sensitive political asylum case," Spangler said. After graduation from Roanoke, he went on to the Charleston School of Law.
Christian Weisenbacher '12 was the first student to concentrate on Peace and Justice Studies. He participated in the Washington Semester program, where he interned at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. He did research on the legitimacy of nonviolent movements, and presented the results at the Peace and Justice Studies Association annual conference in Memphis, Tenn.
Weisenbacher went on to study at the Edward. J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and then to Rutgers School of Law. "The Peace and Justice Studies concentration helped build a solid foundation for my graduate studies and professional career," Weisenbacher said.
Today, he works as a senior counsel at the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services.
Faculty
News
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Roanoke College faculty are accomplishing exciting things! Catch up on some of the latest news.
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Damien Fellows ’26, an international relations student, spent eight weeks in South Korea, where he balanced intensive learning classes with cultural activities.
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Catch up on the latest news from our impressive faculty members.
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Join Dr. James Peterson and Roanoke College's Benne Center for Church & Society in an exploration of the inevitable — and necessary — clashes that happen between the rigors of rationality and the demands of faith.
- Date:
- March 26, 2026
- Time:
- 7 - 8 p.m.
- Location:
Wortmann Ballroom
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This interactive workshop, the first of a two-part event, is intended to train researchers to better communicate their work with people outside of their field. Folks from all programs are encouraged to attend!
- Date:
- March 27, 2026
- Time:
- 4 - 6 p.m.
- Location:
Antrim Chapel
