The Peace and Social Justice Studies Pre-major offers a suitable pathway to four year programs in Peace Studies as well as a range of other humanities and social science programs. An undergraduate degree in Peace Studies or related Humanities and Social Science major with a focus on social justice is a good basis for many future graduate programs, as well as programs in law. It is also good preparation for careers in social work, politics, medicine, environment, education, journalism and legal fields.
Peace and Social Justice Studies emphasizes the development of skills in analytical thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution, ethical and political deliberation and advanced reading and writing. It therefore offers excellent preparation for a range of career options. Students interested in Peace and Social Justice Studies pre-major should consider combining this pre-major with a general education focus on Humanities, Social Science and/or Environmental Science.
The pre-major is designed for students who have not decided upon a specific four-year college or university. Once a transfer school is selected, students are strongly encouraged to consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success and the transfer institution’s catalog to select courses that will meet both Oakton and transfer institution requirements.
While completing the pre-major, students can also complete the requirements for Peace and Social Justice Studies Concentration. Students meeting the Concentration requirements will have a notation added to their transcript. Any course tagged as Peace and Social Justice Studies (PSJ) on Oakton class schedule, will help students complete the requirements for both concentration and pre-major.
The recommended sequence of courses can be altered based on student interests and scheduling needs. For more information on course selection or program-specific advising, contact the program coordinator. Part time students should also consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success for part-time pre-major recommendations. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One | Hours | |
| EGL 101 | Composition I (PSJ section recommended) | 3 |
| PHL 106 | Ethics | 3 |
| SSC 201 | Introduction to Global Studies 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Education Mathematics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies 2 | ||
| Introduction to LGBTQ Studies 2 | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| EGL 102 | Composition II (PSJ section recommended) | 3 |
| SPE 103 | Effective Speech | 3 |
| BIO 106 | Introduction to Environmental Science 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Poetry (PSJ section recommended) | ||
| Introduction to Literature (PSJ section recommended) | ||
| Introduction to Global Literature 1 | ||
| LGBTQ+ Literature 2 | ||
| Introduction to Native American Literature 3 | ||
| African-American Culture and the Arts 2 | ||
Modern Language Course (2021 or higher) 4 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Social Problems 3 | ||
| Sociology of Sex and Gender 2 | ||
| Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2 | ||
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies 2 | ||
| Social Psychology 2 | ||
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| World Regional Geography 1 | ||
| Cultural Geography 1 | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| Comparative Government 1 | ||
| International Relations 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Religious Diversity in America 2 | ||
| World Religions 1 | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Foundational Religious Texts | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| United States History to 1877 | ||
| History of Contemporary Non-Western Civilizations 1 | ||
| History of the Islamic Middle East from the 7th Century to 1918 1 | ||
| History of the Islamic Middle East in Modern Times 1 | ||
| History of Modern Latin America 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art History: Art of the Non-Western World 1 | ||
| Contemporary Culture and the Arts (PSJ section recommended) | ||
| African-American Culture and the Arts 2 | ||
| Women and Creativity 2 | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Global Cinema 1 | ||
| Introduction to World Music 1 | ||
| World Mythologies 1 | ||
| Asian Humanities (PSJ section recommended) 1 | ||
| Women, Art and Culture 2 | ||
| Music Literature and History | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Multicultural Literature in the U.S. 2 | ||
| Women and Literature 2 | ||
| Introduction to African-American Literature 2 | ||
| Introduction to Journalism 5 | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Journalism 5 | ||
| Asian Philosophy 1 | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Philosophy | ||
| Select one of the following: 5 | 3-4 | |
| Ecological Restoration | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Topics in English | ||
| Topics in Philosophy | ||
or Topics course in any discipline with Social Justice focus | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Social Psychology 2 | ||
| Social Problems 3 | ||
| Sociology of Sex and Gender 2 | ||
| Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2 | ||
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Descriptive Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to Earth Science | ||
| Introduction to Weather and Climate | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| A Survey of Oceanography | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Elective course of student choice 6 | ||
Modern Language Course (2021 or higher) 4 | ||
| Hours | 15-18 | |
| Total Hours | 62-66 | |
- 1
Course fulfills the Global Studies requirement. At least one Global Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 2
Course fulfills the U.S. Diversity Studies requirement. At least one U.S. Diversity Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 3
Course fulfills both the Global Studies and U.S. Diversity Studies requirements.
- 4
Transfer institutions may have a language requirement. Any Modern Language Intermediate II course can meet the Humanities and Global Studies requirements.
- 5
For courses that do not have an IAI code, students should contact transfer institutions to inquire about transferability. If the course does not transfer, it may be replaced with any other course recommended for pre-major that have not yet been taken.
- 6
Applied Visual or Performing Arts or Creative Writing is recommended.
Note: Pre-major is a recommended sequence and selection of courses. For degree requirements see Associate in Arts (A.A.).