Course Descriptions - CJP
Note that some courses contain a link to recent syllabi. Please do not rely on these syllabi for upcoming course information; it's likely the instructor and the time/day/location listed in the syllabus won't be accurate. Additionally, the classes listed below are regular course offerings (most of which are offered in the fall and spring semesters). Many additional electives are offered yearly through our Summer Peacebuilding Institute/SPI.
PAX 507 Praxis: Personal and Community Formation (1 SH)
This pass/fail One-Hour bi-weekly seminar for MA in Transformational Leadership (MATL) students contributes to creating a foundation for the student’s personal development and partners with the development of the learning community that supports students throughout their time at CJP and beyond. PAX 507A nurtures the importance of community process while also providing one on once care. This online seminar is rooted in reflective conversations and is co-led by the student-teachers and the wisdom of all who inhabit our virtual learning community. This seminar will explore themes of vocation/purpose, community creation, professional development and leadership.
PAX 508 Praxis: Project (1-2 SH)
Praxis Project involves the online experience of connecting to a practice community of other transformational leaders and coaching faculty while implementing a project in their organization or home community. A mix of asynchronous assignments and synchronous meetings allow students to engage in course material, engage in collective brainstorming of practice challenges/barriers, view transformational leadership through an emergence lens, and refine leadership skills in complex projects and programs.
Praxis Project is designed to be taken alongside another course to help students think through projects, programs, and/or interventions. Throughout the course, students will explore the MasterMind methodology and receive training in leading and participating in a MasterMind group, explore Human Systems Dynamics and the concept of “the next wise step,” and live into trauma-informed and resilient interpersonal engagement.
Praxis Project is a one- or two-credit pass/fail course; whether a student passes or fails is determined by whether a student attends course online sessions, whether assignments are turned in on time, and meet all requirements laid out in the assignment’s guidance note.
PAX 509 Praxis: Capstone (1 SH)
The intent and design of Praxis: Capstone is to provide guided reflection in four areas: 1) Being a reflexive practitioner in transformational leadership; 2) Integrating and evaluating theories of change in their project context; 3) Adapting to emergent contexts with critical theory lenses; 4) Revisit and review goals and reflections on vocation explored in PAX 507.
Praxis: Capstone involves the online experience of integrating all MATL course materials and experiences in a reflective environment to assist students in mentally and physically documenting their work. A mix of asynchronous assignments and synchronous meetings allow students to reflect on their identities, theories of change, skill sets, challenges and barriers, and critical theory in their dynamic and ever-changing context.
Critical theory lenses will guide students in reflecting on their experiences, theories of change, and project(s) as they prepare for their capstone presentations.
Praxis: Capstone is a one-credit pass/fail course; whether a student passes or fails is determined by whether a student attends synchronous sessions and whether assignments are turned in on time, and meet all requirements laid out in the assignment’s guidance note.
PAX 516 Program Evaluation Through Qualitative Research (3 SH)
This blended course is designed to help undergraduate and graduate students understand and practice the implementation of program evaluation through the methodologies of qualitative research. Historic and contemporary sociological and anthropological approaches (Western and Indigenous) will provide the theoretical and philosophical background for our work, but the focus will be on practical applications of qualitative methodology in evaluation. Students will practice conducting structured and semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, coding interview transcripts, and will practice designing an evaluation: working with a client, determining appropriate methods, collecting data, analyzing the data, interpreting the data, and communicating the findings. This course complements, but does not take the place of other research and evaluation courses that focus entirely on either research or evaluation.
The course format is participatory, experiential and adaptive. Students will conduct an actual professional evaluation of an on-going program; consequently, students will find themselves leading and/or participating in processes with which they have no prior experience. Further, the syllabus, readings and assignments may need to be adapted to meet the changing needs of the program. The course involves a significant amount of group work; each participant is advised to consider that requirement in relation to personal obligations, distance from campus, ease of meeting with other students and individual willingness to participate in a work team.
This course will be exploring ideas and experiences that have caused harm and traumagenic responses in people’s lives and communities when developing the program evaluation with the client. With this in mind, we will be utilizing a Trauma-Informed Classroom Care Model [Cless, J. D. & Goff, B. 2017. Teaching trauma: A model for introducing traumatic materials in the classroom. Advances in Social Work, 18(1), 25-38.]. Elements of this model include:
Trauma Exposure - Course objectives may expose students to elements of trauma and trigger traumatic stress.
Reactions to Trauma - How a student responds to traumagenic information or events varies from student to student and depends on personal history. This course will utilize three phases of trauma recovery: Safety, Remembrance and Mourning, and Reconnection (integration).
Student Disclosure of Trauma - Students have the opportunity to disclose personal experiences of trauma in a variety of ways. These might include: individual meeting with the instructor, during on-campus discussions, or in writing through personal reflection, email, writing/class assignments.
Flexibility - Students with higher levels of reactivity to course content will be met with a higher level of flexibility.
Course Progression - The instructor will inform students of the topics and progression of the course.
Assessment - Assessments are used to not only measure progress toward stated objectives and student learning but also monitor student reactivity. This will be done through weekly warm-ups, reflection papers, circle processes, and projects.
Prerequisite: PAX 535 Research Methods for Social Change; or permission of the instructor. Note that this class is offered every other year.
PAX 520 - PAX 529 (AUDIT ONLY)
CJP attempts to offer a wide variety of courses on critical issues and skills needed in the peacebuilding field. Especially in our Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) each May and June, we offer new topics courses based on what we are hearing is needed most out in the field. These professional development topics courses are one time offerings that may or may not be offered again and are not a required part of the graduate program. In these instances the courses are not offered for graduate credit, but only participation audit.
PAX 532 Formation for Peacebuilding Practice (3 SH)
As individuals working for peace, social justice, reduction of violence, and the possibility of reconciliation, we are the instruments of the work. How can we best prepare ourselves to take constructive action whether in a professional role or in a personal relationship? This course will explore four areas of awareness and accountability essential for effectiveness in our action efforts. These areas of content and engagement, described more fully in the syllabus, are self-awareness, self-assessment, self-management, and self- and community care.
In focusing on these four areas, we’ll consider the values that inform our actions, the roles we play, the skills we have and need, and the processes available to us for doing the work. The course will make use of in-person instruction and conversation, video inputs, personal action and reflection, paired and plenary discussion, demonstration/presentation and a sampling of non-traditional forms of learning and integration (e.g arts-based methods, play, music/rhythm, etc). We will also plan and practice (as appropriate) selected strategies for structuring conversations and decision-making. Course participants will strengthen their abilities to understand and manage self, attend to self & community care, and assess appropriateness of action. And in this unusual time globally, we will practice and reflect on physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual elements of well-being and growth.
This course meets a requirement for the MA or GC in Conflict Transformation, the MA or GC in Restorative Justice and the MA in Transformational Leadership. Everyone is expected to attend and participate in class and complete independent reading, research and writing outside of class. Further details on course requirements will be provided during the course and online on Moodle. It cannot be taken for reduced credit.
This course is also taught during our annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (www.emu.edu/cjp/spi/).
PAX 533 Analysis: Understanding Conflict (3 SH)
Analysis focuses on understanding the factors that cause and contribute to conflict, violence, and instability and those that restrain violence and support peacebuilding. Good analysis skills are a central component of designing effective strategies for transforming conflict and building peace.
Course participants will use lenses (visual or mental models or deductive research frameworks) including those related to identity (gender, religion, nationality, etc.), human needs, narratives, social power, power asymmetry, domination and oppression, culture, worldview, and others to understand conflict and propose possibilities for change. They will also consider the “built-in” lenses they carry with them and how these affect their perception and action. Case studies of conflicts at multiple levels will provide an opportunity to practice analysis skills individually and in small groups. The class will consider research strategies for gathering and organizing data for practical use and theories of change as an intermediate step to designing effective social change.
This 3 SH course meets a requirement for the MA or GC in Conflict Transformation, the MA or GC in Restorative Justice and the MA in Transformational Leadership. Everyone is expected to attend and participate in every session, and complete reading/viewing, activities and assignments outside of class. Further details on course requirements will appear in the course schedule document, and will be provided during the course and online on Moodle. This course cannot be taken for reduced credit.
This course is also taught during our annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (www.emu.edu/cjp/spi/).
PAX 535 Research Methods for Social Change (3 SH)
“‘Research Justice’ is achieved when communities reclaim and access all forms of knowledge to affect change between community voices and those of institutions.”
Emancipatory peacebuilders, academics, and broader social justice movements use research to illuminate obscured relationships between power and oppression, cultivate stories, identify theories of change, and document histories and cultures of resilience. However, the dominant Euro-Western research methods and methodologies many practitioners learn often replicate the very paradigms and power relationships those in the justice and peacebuilding field seek to displace. Consequently, only certain forms of knowledge are valued and sought out, which subjugates indigenous and community-based ways of knowing and being. Therefore, this required 3-credit course for all MA candidates equips students with an expansive and justice-oriented qualitative research framework that introduces pathways for research to advance social change. This course is designed to invite all to explore their curiosities through inquiry in pursuit of a world with more justice and peace.
[1] DataCenter for Research Justice. (2015). An introduction to research justice [PDF], p. 6. Retrieved from http://www.datacenter.org/new-toolkit-an-introduction-to-research-justice/.
This course is not available for reduced credit or professional development. In addition to this course, students will be strongly advised to take one of the existing applied research project courses or complete a research project as part of another course or their practicum placement.
PAX 540 STAR Level 1 (2-3 SH)
Whether working in advocacy, healthcare, education, government, care-giving, activism, or in any kind of leadership or community building capacity, stressors add up - particularly in the midst (and aftermath?) of pandemic. Research and experience demonstrate that unaddressed trauma often leads to conflict and violence against self or with others, as trauma-affected people act out against others or become self-destructive. STAR combines theory with experiential learning to increase awareness of the impacts of trauma on the body, brain, beliefs and behaviors. The course offers tools for addressing trauma and breaking cycles of violence.
STAR’s multi-disciplinary framework draws on several fields of theory and practice to support healthy, resilient individuals and communities: trauma and resilience studies (including neurobiology), restorative justice, conflict transformation, human security, and spirituality. STAR centers participants’ experience and insights, while offering activities, resources, and a theoretical model to support a journey toward understanding and interrupting cycles of violence at the individual, communal and societal levels.
Learn more about STAR on the STAR website!
PAX 568 Transformational Leadership for Social Change (3 SH)
The complex, dynamic, and frequently chaotic contexts of the 21st century call for approaches to leadership that go beyond the individualistic, competitive and exclusive leadership paradigm after which many roles are often modeled. Social change in fast-paced and interdependent contexts requires a concerted collective effort to identify problems, envision new scenarios, articulate networks and set forth movements that inspire more just and flourishing societies. The challenges of social change demand new approaches to leadership.
In this course, we look at some of the challenges facing communities, such as increasing inequality, climate change, discrimination and oppressive power dynamics, and explore leadership approaches that can be transformational in leading social change. We discuss and experiment with leadership skills such as empathy, inclusivity, fairness, adaptability and creativity, vulnerability, curiosity, and reflect how transformational leaders can foment sustainable change in different areas, from the intra-personal to the communitarian, organizational (for-profit and not for profit), and society.
This class is a core requirement for all MATL students.
PAX 571 Restorative Justice: Principles, Theories & Applications (3 SH)
This course provides a critical examination of the values, principles, and practices of restorative justice. It provides a unique opportunity to explore the philosophy of restorative justice from various perspectives, and as it is applied in various contexts. Our primary starting point is the U.S. criminal legal system and the problems posed by its dominant responses to harm and violence. We examine how restorative justice presents a contrasting philosophy of justice that addresses the needs of multiple stakeholders, draws from faith-based and indigenous approaches, and challenges interpersonal and structural forms of harm. We also explore intersections and applications of restorative justice with multiple fields and movements including racial justice, trauma healing, education, youth development, and transitional justice.
This is a core requirements for MA in Restorative Justice students. This course is offered every fall and is often offered through the annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute as well.
PAX 585 Global Development (3 SH)
This course introduces you to the field of global development through examining both the history of the field and the current debates and challenges faced by development practitioners. The purpose is to explore and critically evaluate the basic assumptions underlying the competing theories and current approaches towards alleviating poverty and global inequality. This course approaches the phenomenon of development in its broadest sense as the study of change, with attention to global justice, equity, and the historical links between development, colonialism, and global capitalism. In the course, we will explore what development means, how to measure it, and how to understand attempts to balance between economic, ecological, and equity concerns. The course engages the key propositions that emerge in contemporary development debates, and offers frameworks for evaluating theories, interventions and policies. With attention to power relations, we will consider critiques of the development project sensitive to race, gender, ecology and other political economy traditions, in dialogue with the dominant understanding of development as technical interventions for enhancing the market mechanism. This will provide a foundation for uncovering and assessing social and political structures, institutions, inequalities, and development policies as theories meet practice. [This course is cross-listed with undergraduate course PXD-485.]
PAX 588 Nonviolent Social Change (3 SH)
Is nonviolence effective for creating sustainable social change in the face of institutional, political, and violent resistance? How is the philosophy of nonviolence connected to nonviolent strategy and tactics? And can nonviolence still be relevant today? In this course, we look at the power of social movements to effect change using strategic nonviolence, including forms of protest and persuasion, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention and direct action. We examine the theory, practice, history, and research behind nonviolence, and explore debates and criticisms about the efficacy of nonviolent social change. Our work will be grounded in a close study of the US Civil Rights Movement, as well as other social change movements from India to Serbia to South Africa, and recent movements from Occupy to Arab Spring to Environmental Justice.
Through case studies and our own experiences, we will practice assessment, visioning, planning, and tactical skills, and also apply what we have learned to issues we care about. As we discuss whether nonviolence is “the way” or “one way” for us today, we will investigate the intersections of nonviolent social change with peacebuilding practices and social justice movements. Along with readings and classroom discussions and activities, we will engage with multimedia resources like film and music, and connect to real-life scenarios through individual and group research and presentations.
PAX 601 Mediation and Negotiation (3 SH)
Negotiation is the fundamental process by which human beings discern how to resolve differences and move forward together—whether in a family, a local community, an organization, a society, or a world community. Mediation adds a third party to the negotiation process, and has proven remarkably effective in resolving and even transforming certain disputes. This course will train participants to be effective negotiators and to serve as impartial mediators, but will also explore the varying contexts in which these processes take place and the variety of perspectives and worldviews that parties bring to a negotiation or mediation process.
For CJP MA in Conflict Transformation students this course satisfies the skills assessment course requirement. Each student will be evaluated by the instructor and by class peers for competency in mediation and negotiation skills.
PAX 610 Facilitation: Process Design & Skills for Dialogue, Deliberation & Decision-Making (3 SH)
This course is designed to develop participants’ capacities as skillful facilitators and to enable them to design and lead effective group processes for dialogue, deliberation and decision-making. The course is structured around six all-day class sessions that are complemented by observation of real meetings and mentored, applied practice as facilitators in the community.
We will learn methods appropriate for guiding community and organizational meetings, conducting public processes, and for enabling difficult dialogues across conflict divides. Participants will learn how to assess the needs of the group and then to design processes to address them. This will include processes to help groups improve understanding, strengthen relationships, engage in collaborative problem solving and make effective decisions. Participants will become familiar with a variety of methods and techniques to achieve process goals, whether it is a group of three or 3,000.
Through a variety of readings, exercises and reflections, the course will assist participants’ formation as reflective practitioners enabling group processes. We will focus on developing self-awareness and awareness of group dynamics, while cultivating openness and offering a calm presence even in the midst of high levels of anxiety and conflict. We will consider a variety of facilitator roles and functions and critically assess the ethics and appropriateness of these for different types of situations, including with evident power imbalances and systemic oppression. While rooted in a North American peacebuilding paradigm, we will aim to also explore facilitation in other cultural traditions and raise awareness of the challenges of facilitating cross-culturally.
This course is designed for participants enrolled in CJP’s graduate studies program and presumes knowledge of basic conflict analysis and peacebuilding concepts and methods. As such, Foundations 1 or an equivalent course is preferred. This class qualifies as a skills assessment course for the CJP MA degrees.
PAX 635 Global Challenges, Local Struggles, and Transnational Solidarities (3 SH)
This course will focus on social and global processes of transformation by exploring global challenges, local experiences and struggles, and transnational solidarities that emerge in response to those challenges. It will be concerned with institutions, relations of power, and the relationship between power and the production of justice and peacebuilding theories and practices. It will pick up where the Foundations 1 sequence (“Analysis: Understanding Conflict” and “Formation for Peacebuilding Practice”) left off, aiming to add to students’ comprehensive overview of justice and peacebuilding practice and its multi-disciplinary, multi-level aspects.
Whereas the Foundations 1 sequence centered on personal, interpersonal, small group and organizational transformation analysis, theory and practice, this course will equip students to further develop their knowledge and skills for dealing with conflict and situations of injustice and building sustainable peace. Particular focus will be given to social, state, and political change with increased sensitivity to race, gender, ecology, and other political economy traditions. Particular attention will be given to the colonial legacies and decolonial possibilities in justice and peacebuilding, exploring decoloniality as both an epistemic and a political project.
Action and struggle for justice and peacebuilding are always found in peoples’ local, place-based experiences, but to gain understanding in order to effect change, we have to explore their global features. To do this we will examine the intersections and overlaps among the local and the global, including the transnational solidarities that connect local struggles around the world. Students will become familiar with theories and frameworks that help explain the causes and dynamics of larger-scale conflicts, injustice, and structural violence. Students will work individually and in small groups to apply these ideas and skills to cases that progress in complexity from the community to the national and global levels (and back again). Students will also continue to develop their self-awareness as well as their capacity for professional judgment and reflective practice with attention to vocation, values, ethics, faith and spirituality. [This course is required for all MACT and MARJ students and is cross-listed with undergraduate course PXD-435.]
Please note: for the 2023-2024 year academic year, PAX 635 plus a 3 credit hour course from an approved list will satisfy the Foundations 2 sequence.
PAX 640 STAR Level 2 (2-3 SH)
Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) Level 2 invites people who have started to bring trauma awareness into their life and work for greater resilience to deepen their knowledge and skills. In Level 2, participants have a chance to:
● review and deepen learning around trauma awareness and resilience
● explore the complex realities and implications of structural and historical harms
● practice and deepen capacity for trauma-informed/responsive facilitation, and
● share plans and questions, while connecting with others who are applying STAR learning in their lives and work.
STAR Level 1 provides foundational content for this course. In Level 2, we continue to focus on trauma’s impacts on body, brain, beliefs and behavior; how those impacts often lead to cycles of violence; and possibilities for breaking free from cycles of violence and building resilience. Participants in STAR Level 2 will also have the opportunity to join the STAR Practitioner learning community for ongoing connection and exchange as well as conceptual and practical resources.
Participants must have applied STAR concepts personally or professionally since completion of STAR Level 1 training (normally for a period of about 3-6 months). STAR 2 is also offered in the Summer Peacebuilding Institute.
Learn more about STAR on the STAR website!
PAX 665 Designing Processes for Conflict Transformation (3 SH)
Many of the systems in which we live and work are dysfunctional, harmful and mired in conflict. One strategy for transforming them is through deliberative dialogue processes that engage the whole system: whether community, organization or society. Such processes can enable us to respond creatively to our most complex challenges and move us toward more equitable, just and positive relationships and structures. Through this class, we will explore how complexity and identity theories, conflict analysis, and power assessment inform collaborative process design. We ask tough questions about what kind of processes are relevant for cultivating different phases of change and explore ethics underpinning the praxis of process design rooted in awareness of our ‘positionality’ in the system. We will learn about many process methodologies such as Appreciative Inquiry, Courageous Conversations, Emergent Strategies, Narrative Practice, Open Space, Polarity Management, Transformative Scenario Planning, World Café, and others. We will critically explore their underlying theories of change and theories of practice in ways that enable participants to become more creative and astute process designers. It builds upon and complements theories and skill learned in PAX 610 but does not teach facilitation skills per se. This class will be most appropriate for participants who already have some familiarity working with groups and is ideal for those with facilitation practice experience.
This online class is a 3 SH requirement for any students in the GC in Conflict Transformation or MA in Conflict Transformation programs.
PAX 672 Circle Processes (1 SH)
This course will introduce participants to the peacemaking circle process and explore:
• foundational values and philosophy of peacemaking circles, including the indigenous roots of the circle process
• creating safe, respectful space for dialog
• consensus decision making,
• structure of the circle process,
• facilitation of the circle process
• practical applications of circle process,
• problems and challenges in circles.
This course will use the peacemaking circle process as the primary form of group work.
This course is intended to provide experience in the circle process as well as an understanding of the foundational values and key structural elements for designing and conducting peacemaking circles. The class will prepare students to design and facilitate peacemaking circles in culturally diverse settings and situations.
A 2-3 SH version of this class is typically offered during our annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (www.emu.edu/cjp/spi/).
PAX 673 Independent Study (1-3 SH)
Course work undertaken through independent study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and completed in collaboration with a supervising instructor.
Please note: Directed/independent study courses will only be approved for students who have demonstrated the ability to do independent work (and therefore not approved in the first semester of a student’s program). See the registrar or your advisor to learn about independent study options.
PAX 676 Restorative Justice Practices (3 SH)
Restorative Justice originated as a practice-based discipline. In the following decades, the field expanded to include theory and research of RJ. At the core of any restorative practice, is a focus on steps to identify and address harms while finding ways to bring healing and make amends. The course will be framed by four key values of RJ: inclusion, encounter, amends, and reintegration. The content of the course will be embedded in the foundational practice models that drive the Restorative Justice field like Victim Offender Conferencing/Dialogue, Family Group Conferencing, and Circle Processes. The class will explore structural applications of RJ philosophy, principles and practices in diverse situations: in educational settings, with justice-involved individuals, and among members of various communities who experience harm.
The emphasis throughout the semester is on each students’ development as a practitioner. Sessions are set up to introduce, discuss and showcase various practice models in a variety of settings. RJ professionals will share knowledge and expertise derived from years of practicing in their field. Students will derive competence through engagement of case studies, developing a resource toolbox, reflective assessment, peer and instructor feedback, engaging with professionals, and most importantly, practice as a facilitator.
For MA in Conflict Transformation students this satisfies the skills assessment course requirement if taken for 3 credits, and is a required course for all students enrolled in the MA and Certificate in Restorative Justice programs.
PAX 677 Restorative Justice & Whole Systems Approaches (3 SH)
The reemergence of Restorative Justice (RJ) in the last 40+ years initially focused on interpersonal harm and violence, yet, more recently, is expanding to include collective harms caused by governments, corporations, or institutions against marginalized people. Rather than conceiving it as a method of ‘social reform’, if we understand RJ as a ‘social movement’ and study and apply it in that context, there is a greater potential for both serious interpersonal and structural transformation. This course is designed to empower RJ practitioners and theorists who are prepared to position themselves as change agents for justice systems shifts. This course will examine the relationship between institutional and interpersonal harms and dissect systemic harm that is an end result. Through case study research and discussions, we will explore the potential benefits and limitations of restorative and transitional justice principles and practices in building areas of accountability for systemic harms. Students will work collaboratively through a specific case study to identify and create theories of change for systemic transformation of a carceral system. The knowledge gained from the case study will then be applied to areas of personal interest through a three-phase process, culminating in a final project and presentation.
This is one of several seminar courses that are geared primarily to second year graduate students in the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding. These seminar courses will be capped at 15 students, with up to 18 students with special instructor permission. This course satisfies a core requirement for MA in RJ students. Students from other graduate programs should meet with the professor to determine the suitability of the course for their learning goals. In order to participate in this advanced seminar, students will be required to have completed either PAX 571 Restorative Justice OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 551 Foundations of Restorative Justice in Education. In addition it is strongly recommended that students take PAX 533 Analysis or PAX 534 Foundations 1 OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 581 Analyzing Conflict in Educational Settings prior to enrolling in this course.
PAX 682 Practicum (6-9 SH)
The Center for Justice & Peacebuilding is a practice-oriented academic program. The theories of change and the practice skills offered at CJP are meant to prepare individuals for a career in real world settings of complex conflict and injustice. The practicum is a time for learning and preparing for a career through personal involvement in and reflection on initiatives in actual situations. It is also a time to learn new theories and practice skills at the practicum site. Overall this hands on experience, with extensive interaction with people outside the classroom, and in organizations dealing with the subjects of students’ specializations, provides first-time or additional work experience for CJP students. Their experience is critical to employers as well as overall career development. Therefore, being prepared academically and having additional work experience through a practicum strengthens the individual student’s ability and capacity to offer a full range of experience to the people they will eventually work for and serve. In addition to doing an organizational practicum, CJP students may do a research-based practicum (independent or nested within an organization). For more information, refer to the practicum webpage.
The practicum is required for MA in Conflict Transformation and MA in Restorative Justice students. In very select cases, a student may be granted permission to pursue a thesis (PAX 683 described below) in lieu of a practicum.
PAX 683 Thesis (6-9 SH)
CJP MA in Restorative Justice or MA in Conflict Transformation full-time, residential students are able to petition the Academic Committee for an exception to the general rule that all students will do a practicum (PAX 682). Students will be vetted based on their experience and the quality of their proposal. A maximum of two persons per year will be granted this thesis option. This option is normally available only for those students planning on doing their practicum/thesis in the spring of their second year and for those that will be in residence. An exception to these guidelines will be considered for a student who has proven themselves to be both an excellent writer and a self-initiator. A student can make the case to write from a distance or on an alternate time table if they have:
Demonstrated capacity (at CJP) to complete complex research and writing projects in a timely manner.
Adequate access to Internet and technology to support the process.
Strong writing and editing skills so that there is limited or no need for writing support.
Applicants for a thesis option should identify their area of focus by the end of their second semester and should select seminar courses and electives in their third semester so that they are completing a robust literature review prior to the thesis semester. Once granted permission to do a thesis in lieu of a practicum, the student will:
Formally ask two professors to serve as their thesis advisors (the student should have preliminary conversations with faculty members to gauge their interest).
Research and write a publishable master’s level thesis (for example, 40-50 pages for 6 credits).
Present the thesis (both a thesis defense and capstone to broader CJP and EMU community).
Submit thesis to be bound and placed in the EMU library collection.
PAX 684 - PAX 694 (1-3 SH)
CJP attempts to offer a wide variety of courses on critical issues and skills needed in the peacebuilding field. Especially in our Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) each May and June, we offer new topics courses based on what we are hearing is needed most out in the field. These topics courses are one time offerings that may or may not be offered again but are not a required part of the graduate program (though students may take these courses as elective credits).
PAX 687 Critical Issues in Peacebuilding Theory and Action (3 SH)
This course focuses on global peacebuilding and the issues that are of pressing importance in contemporary action. And it will center the work and voices of practitioners through regular conversations and presentations by CJP alumni and current colleagues sharing their insights on their successes and challenges. We will work with such questions as Who are the most effective actors — Civil society, state, or global governance organizations? How should peacebuilding be organized, funded and assessed? What are acceptable roles of internal local or external foreign actors? How can global peacebuilding efforts deal with state violence and war, terrorism, climate injustices and other environmental issues, migration and displacement, the legacy of colonization, silencing of indigenous voices, gender inequity, and religious and identity-based violence among others. The course will include an action project and an optional one-day field trip to Washington DC.
Note: This course will be being offered as an elective course, likely during the Spring 2025 semester, and it includes an additional $50 course fee.
PAX 688 Justice, Peace and the Biblical Story (3 SH)
The Bible has often been used to justify war and other forms of violence. The biblical story has also been read and interpreted as pertaining to only personal beliefs and behavior rather than communal concerns or social issues. The intent of this course is to explore the biblical story and what it says about issues of violence, justice, and peace. How are people who embrace the biblical story called to apply these understandings to their lives, personally and collectively? How have Christian communities around the world made use of the biblical story as a core component of their efforts to work for safety, emancipation, self-determination, and healing? How can we use biblical narratives in our work to build peace and justice within communities? As we examine these questions, we will center perspectives and traditions of reading the Bible birthed by people experiencing direct violence and oppression.
This course meets a core requirement for the Seminary’s faith-based peacebuilding certificate. It is also an elective option for CJP’s MACT, MARJ, MATL, GCCT and GCRJ programs. It is cross listed with Eastern Mennonite Seminary and will be offered on a semi-regular basis.
