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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. 

Student talks at Peace Summit

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

HIST 255: South Africa 
PEAC 301: Seminal Figures and Issues
COMM 360: Studies in Intercultural Communication 

Students showing support for Ukraine with flags next to the painted blue and yellow Rock

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." 

A woman stands in front of historic buildings

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. 

Student holding up a large crab
Students holding their lands together and standing in a line
Students getting food
Students in front of the Taj Majal
Students in a little cart pulled by a bike
Student with a child doing a drawing
Student and professor wearing turbans
Students in front of the Taj Majal
Students congregating and singing
Students riding on an elephant
Students riding on an elephant
Students in a boat on the river

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.

A man sits at a desk with computers in front of him.

Christian Weisenbacher sits at a desk with hand to his chin. 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

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News

  • Take Back The Night

    Walk with Student Wellness Services to raise awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

    Date:
    April 7, 2026
    Time:
    6 - 7 p.m.
    Location:

    Back Quad

    Take Back The Nightevent image

  • Coffee Shop Talk

    How can we meet the challenges of rural health? Join us for a conversation with Dr. Kim Garza (Roanoke College) and Dr. Leanna Blevins (Fralin Biomedical Research Institute). 

    Date:
    April 15, 2026
    Time:
    7 - 8:30 p.m.
    Location:

    Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea

    Coffee Shop Talkevent image

Interested in exploring Peace and Justice Studies at Roanoke College?

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