Under the leadership of Dr. Steven C. Poe, the original holder of the Johnie Christian Family Peace Professorship, the Department of Political Science established the Peace Studies Minor Program at the University of North Texas. Even though at the time the Peace Studies program was new to North Texas, undergraduate programs in Peace Studies have been around the globe since the conclusion of World War II. We have now grown into a popular area of studies in the realm of political science and human security, and the growth of the program's enrollment is also enhanced by the generous support of several patrons who endowed four undergraduate scholarship opportunities in Peace Studies. In 2023 the name of the program was changed to "Conflict and Human Security" to better reflect the broad scope of the field.
UNT's Peace Studies program can prepare you to pursue careers in foreign service,
international and human rights law, international business, the Peace Corps, and advocacy
for the security of development, human rights, environmental protections, and conflict
resolution. There are numerous opportunities to get involved in undergraduate and
graduate research, internships, and study abroad trips. We encourage any and all majors
to join, as we encourage having a variety of disciplines within the scope of human
security. If you are interested in all things human rights and peacebuilding, the
UNT Peace Studies program is the place for you. There are so many opportunities to
not just learn about peace, conflict and human security, but to practice and apply
the knowledge you learn from classes in real-life settings. Please email us at meernik@unt.edu to learn more!
Taking too many classes this semester? Check out how you can get involved with our Castleberry Peace Institute, which involves research projects, internships, and scholarships all surrounding peacebuilding, here.