In the midst of anti-American protests and attacks in Libya and Egypt, Ohio University has taken a step toward addressing similar international conflicts with a new certificate program.The Center for International Studies is expanding upon its newest program, War and Peace Studies, by adding a graduate certificate in addition to an undergraduate major and undergraduate certificate.
The Center for International Studies began offering War and Peace Studies as an undergraduate major in 2010 after a push for the degree by Patricia Weitsman, director of War and Peace Studies.
“It was a really natural idea, just thinking on the profound strength of the faculty across the university in this area,” Weitsman said.War and Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary major, which incorporates material from other degree programs, such as anthropology, sociology, history and political science, Weitsman said.
“There’s a practical side to it, as well as an intellectual and analytical side to it, and the bringing together of those skills makes this program really good training for students to gain employment opportunities in this area after they graduate,” Weitsman said.
Because of the interdisciplinary focus, War and Peace Studies students have the ability to graduate in three years or easily pick up a second major or multiple minors, Weitsman said.
Austin Wyant, a junior studying War and Peace, participates in ROTC and plans to graduate with additional minors in Political Science, History and possibly Spanish.
“I was picturing a job with maybe an intelligence agency or with the federal government after I get out of the military and the jobs that War and Peace is kind of oriented to are exactly that,” Wyant said.
Wyant chose OU because of the War and Peace Studies program. West Point was the only other university he knew offered a similar major.
“These issues pervade our world, and students at OU have a unique advantage in coming to a deeper understanding of these issues than students are at most universities in the country,” Weitsman said.
dk123111@ohiou.edu
