Peace, War, and Defense Major, B.A.
While peace may be among our oldest dreams, human conflict is an enduring challenge faced by societies around the world. The Curriculum in Peace, War, and Defense (PWAD) offers students the tools to understand and analyze the complexities of conflict, security, and cooperation on a global scale. Whether you are passionate about diplomacy, strategy, or justice, the study of PWAD offers the foundation to explore the world’s most pressing issues.
The curriculum puts a premium on experiential learning, combining academic expertise and practitioner experience to offer students classes rooted in real-world security dilemmas. By providing students with this unique mix of theory and practice, the PWAD program at UNC is unlike any other undergraduate program in the country.
A major in PWAD begins with three foundational courses that provide students with a shared intellectual framework. From there, students select a concentration that aligns with their interests—ranging from international security and intelligence to the cultural dimensions of war and peace. Alongside coursework, PWAD students benefit from hands-on experiences like field trips, guest lectures, internships, and study abroad opportunities.
The study of peace, war, and defense opens doors to a wide range of impactful careers and advanced study. Many alumni pursue graduate studies in areas such as international relations, law, public policy, and history. Others step directly into meaningful work across work in federal agencies, NGOs and international organizations, state and local government, finance, media, academia, consulting, and private sector industries.
PWAD graduates are uniquely equipped with interdisciplinary insight, strong analytical skills, and global awareness—traits that are in high demand across sectors. Whatever path they choose, they carry forward a deep understanding of global conflict and cooperation and the ability to lead with perspective and purpose.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the peace, war, and defense program, students should be able to:
- Express themselves effectively in written and oral communication
- Use appropriate research methodology
- Demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and history of peace and war
- Think critically and analytically in approaches to the concepts, perspectives, and history of peace and war
- Demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between the various disciplinary approaches to the study of peace and war
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements, students must
- earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
- complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
- take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| PWAD 250 |  Introduction to Peace and Security Studies | 3 |
| PWAD/HIST 266 | Global History of Warfare | 3 |
| PWAD/PHIL/POLI 272 | The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| Four courses from one concentration (see course lists below) 1 | 12 | |
| Two additional courses from any concentration or the list of PWAD major electives (see course lists below) | 6 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 3 | |
Through level 5 of a single modern foreign language. | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
PWAD 89, PWAD 290, PWAD 396, PWAD 490, PWAD 680, and PWAD 690 may be applied toward the concentration requirement with the permission of the chair. Students can request that relevant courses not on this list, but offered as first-year seminars, honors seminars, or topics courses in other departments, be used to fulfill major requirements. This requires the approval of the chair.
- 2
With the permission of the chair, students may substitute an alternative statistics-heavy methodology course. STOR 151 cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
The Culture of Peace and War
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH/PWAD 280 | Anthropology of War and Peace | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 69 | First-Year Seminar: Wars and Veterans: Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 331/HIST 335 | Cracking India: Partition and Its Legacy in South Asia H | 3 |
| ASIA/JWST/PWAD 425 | Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Partnerships in Film, Literature, and Music | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 427/CMPL 527 | Cold War Culture in East Asia: Transnational and Intermedial Connections | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 435/CMPL 535 | The Cinemas of the Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
| ASIA/JWST/PWAD 462 | The Arab-Jews: Culture, Community, and Coexistence | 3 |
| CLAR/PWAD 115 | Life in the Roman Army | 3 |
| CMPL/PWAD 489 | Empire and Diplomacy H | 3 |
| COMM 574 | War and Culture | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 355 | Terrorism and Political Violence | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 575 | Presidential Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENGL/PWAD 161 | Literature of War from World War I to the 21st Century | 3 |
| GERM 281 | The German Idea of War: Philosophical Dialogues with the Literary and Visual Arts in WWI | 3 |
| GERM/PWAD 283 | Freedom, Terror, and Identity: Modern Philosophy from Kant to Arendt | 3 |
| GLBL 450 | Social Change in Times of Crisis: Knowledge, Action, and Ontology H | 3 |
| GLBL 481 | NGO Politics H | 3 |
| GSLL 85 | First-Year Seminar: Children and War | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 134 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 248 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 254 | War and Society in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST/JWST/PWAD 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 273 | Water, Conflict, and Connection in the Middle East | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA 276 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 281 | The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 421 | Alexander | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 422 | Ancient Greek Warfare H | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 432 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 565 | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848-1900 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 570 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| LAW 252 | International Law (permission of the PWAD chair and instructor) | 3 |
| MUSC/PWAD 289 | Sounds of War and Revolution | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 450 | Internal and Interpersonal Conflict Management | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD/SOCI 260 | Crisis and Change in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 416 | Constitutional Policies and the Judicial Process | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 458 | International Conflict Management and Resolution H | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 469 | Conflict and Intervention in the Former Yugoslavia H | 3 |
| PWAD 364 | Post-Conflict and Peacebuilding | 3 |
| PWAD 483 | Conflict, Development, and U.S. Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PWAD 675 | War, Crimes against Humanity, and Justice | 3 |
| RELI/PWAD 481 | Religion, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism | 3 |
| RELI/ASIA 583 | Religion and Culture in Iran, 1500-Present | 3 |
| SOCI/PWAD 411 | People, Power, and Politics | 3 |
| SOCI 420 | Political Sociology | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
International Security and Intelligence
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAAD 312 | Terrorism in Africa | 3 |
| ANTH/PWAD 280 | Anthropology of War and Peace | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 331/HIST 335 | Cracking India: Partition and Its Legacy in South Asia H | 3 |
| CMPL/PWAD 489 | Empire and Diplomacy H | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 575 | Presidential Rhetoric | 3 |
| ECON/PWAD 460 | International Economics | 3 |
| GEOG/PWAD 120 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 453 | Political Geography | 3 |
| GSLL 84 | First-Year Seminar: Terror for the People: Terrorism in Russian Literature and History | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 134 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 206 | War, Diplomacy, and Statecraft, 1815-1945 | 3 |
| HIST/AERO/PWAD 213 | Air Power and Modern Warfare | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 248 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST/JWST/PWAD 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA 276 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 370 | The Iraq War: Causes, Course, and Consequences | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 577 | United States Foreign Relations in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 578 | Transatlantic Relations and Contemporary Geo-Politics from the Cold War to the Present | 3 |
| LAW 252 | International Law (permission of the PWAD chair and instructor) | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 101 | Making Public Policy H | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 110 | Global Policy Issues H | 3 |
| PLCY 210 | Policy Innovation and Analysis H | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 220 | The Politics of Public Policy H | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 430 | Analysis of National Security Policy | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 150 | International Relations and Global Politics H, F | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 252 | International Organizations and Global Issues H | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 253 | Problems in World Order | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD/SOCI 260 | Crisis and Change in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 287 | Strategy and International Relations | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 444 | Terrorism and International Peace | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 452 | Africa and International Conflict | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 457 | International Conflict Processes | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 458 | International Conflict Management and Resolution H | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 459 | Trans-Atlantic Security H | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 469 | Conflict and Intervention in the Former Yugoslavia H | 3 |
| POLI 487 | Networks in International Relations | 3 |
| POLI 631 | European Security: The Enlarging European Union and the Trans-Atlantic Relationship | 3 |
| PWAD 352 | The History of Intelligence Operations | 3 |
| PWAD 359 | Comparative History of National Intelligence Regimes H | 3 |
| PWAD 360 | The History of Warning Intelligence | 3 |
| PWAD 361 | The History of Deception | 3 |
| PWAD 363 | Ethical Issues in Intelligence and National Security | 3 |
| PWAD 364 | Post-Conflict and Peacebuilding | 3 |
| PWAD 470 | September 11, 2001: Origins, Consequences and Assessment | 3 |
| PWAD 474 | U.S. in Asia from 1783 to Now | 3 |
| PWAD 479 | Conflict in Iraq's Modern History | 3 |
| PWAD 482 | US Use of Force since World War II | 3 |
| PWAD 483 | Conflict, Development, and U.S. Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PWAD 488 | Nuclear Security in the 21st Century | 3 |
| RELI/PWAD 481 | Religion, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
The Evolution of Warfare
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAAD 312 | Terrorism in Africa | 3 |
| CLAR/PWAD 115 | Life in the Roman Army | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 355 | Terrorism and Political Violence | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 206 | War, Diplomacy, and Statecraft, 1815-1945 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 207 | The Global Cold War | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 212 | History of Sea Power | 3 |
| HIST/AERO/PWAD 213 | Air Power and Modern Warfare | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 238 | The American Revolution, 1763-1815 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 248 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 251 | The Thirty Years War (1618-1648): Europe in an Age of Crisis | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 254 | War and Society in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD/JWST 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 281 | The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 368 | U.S. War and Society to 1920 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 369 | U.S. War and Society Since 1920 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 370 | The Iraq War: Causes, Course, and Consequences | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 373 | The United States in World War II | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 421 | Alexander | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 422 | Ancient Greek Warfare H | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 432 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HIST 507 | Geopolitical Rivalry, Development, and Global Capitalism, 1900-1950 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD/WGST 517 | Gender, Military, and War | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 565 | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848-1900 | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 570 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 577 | United States Foreign Relations in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 578 | Transatlantic Relations and Contemporary Geo-Politics from the Cold War to the Present | 3 |
| MUSC/PWAD 289 | Sounds of War and Revolution | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 150 | International Relations and Global Politics H, F | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 444 | Terrorism and International Peace | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 459 | Trans-Atlantic Security H | 3 |
| PWAD 352 | The History of Intelligence Operations | 3 |
| PWAD 470 | September 11, 2001: Origins, Consequences and Assessment | 3 |
| PWAD 474 | U.S. in Asia from 1783 to Now | 3 |
| PWAD 479 | Conflict in Iraq's Modern History | 3 |
| PWAD 482 | US Use of Force since World War II | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
Race, Gender, and Conflict Legacies
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AAAD 286 | The African Diaspora in the Colonial Americas, 1450-1800 | 3 |
| AAAD 315 | Political Protest and Conflict in Africa | 3 |
| AAAD 332 | Remembering Race and Slavery | 3 |
| ANTH/FOLK 370 | Southern Legacies: The Descendants Project | 4 |
| ANTH/ASIA 375 | Memory, Massacres, and Monuments in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ANTH/ASIA/FOLK 429 | Culture and Power in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ANTH 461 | Colonialism and Postcolonialism: History and Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 464 | Life and Violence | 3 |
| ASIA/PWAD 331/HIST 335 | Cracking India: Partition and Its Legacy in South Asia H | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 574 | War and Culture | 3 |
| GEOG 240 | Introduction to Environmental Justice | 3 |
| GEOG 435 | Global Environmental Justice | 3 |
| GEOG 480 | Liberation Geographies | 3 |
| GLBL 383 | Global Whiteness | 3 |
| GLBL 415 | Dealing with Difference: Criminal Justice, Race, and Social Movements in Globalization H | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA 136 | History of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh: South Asia since 1750 | 3 |
| HIST 142 | Latin America under Colonial Rule | 3 |
| HIST 208 | Genocide in Global Perspective | 3 |
| HIST/AMST 235 | Native America in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 248 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST/ASIA/PWAD 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 312 | History of France and Algeria | 3 |
| HIST 385/WGST 382 | African American Women's History | 3 |
| HIST 443 | Settler Colonialism in Global Perspective | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 565 | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848-1900 | 3 |
| PLCY 349 | Immigration Policy in the 21st Century | 3 |
| POLI 255 | International Migration and Citizenship Today H | 3 |
| POLI 258 | Political Economy of Migration and Mobility H | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 444 | Terrorism and International Peace | 3 |
| POLI 451 | Race, Ethnicity, and Political Change in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 452 | Africa and International Conflict | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 469 | Conflict and Intervention in the Former Yugoslavia H | 3 |
| POLI 474 | Global Justice | 3 |
| PWAD 675 | War, Crimes against Humanity, and Justice | 3 |
| SOCI 122 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| SOCI 124 | Sex and Gender in Society | 3 |
| SOCI 125 | Sociology of Sexualities | 3 |
| SOCI 274 | Advocacy Strategies: Communication Across Movements | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
PWAD Major Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PWAD 89 | First-Year Seminar: Special Topics | 3 |
| PWAD 290 | Special Topics in Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| PWAD 400 | Briefing for National Security | 3 |
| PWAD 490 | Special Topics in Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| PWAD 680 | Research Seminar in Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| PWAD 690 | Seminars in Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| PWAD 691H | Honors in Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
Special Opportunities in Peace, War, and Defense
Additional information on all of these subjects, including lists of internship possibilities, can be found on the curriculum's website.
Honors in Peace, War, and Defense
The honors thesis program provides PWAD majors with the opportunity to pursue an original research project under the mentorship of a faculty advisor. To be eligible to apply for the honors thesis program, students must be a PWAD major with at least a 3.3 grade point average (overall and in the major) through their junior year. Interested students must also have taken a PWAD research seminar (e.g., PWAD 680), HIST 398, or a parallel course in another discipline providing an appropriate background in research design and that produced a significant paper (20 pages or more). Applications for the PWAD honors thesis program are due on April 30 in the spring preceding the senior year.
Students admitted to the program enroll in PWAD 691H and PWAD 692H in consecutive semesters. PWAD 691H will normally be taught as an in-class seminar with all thesis students enrolled. PWAD 692H is an independent study course with a student’s thesis advisor. Upon successful completion of the program, which includes an oral defense of the thesis, students are awarded a degree with honors or with highest honors in peace, war, and defense.
Internships
Internship courses provide PWAD majors with the opportunity to earn academic credit while obtaining practical work experience. To receive credit, the work or mission of the organization or institution sponsoring the internship must be meaningfully connected to the problems of peace, war, or defense. The internship must involve at least 100 hours of work that is primarily directed toward the substantive mission of the organization.
Before the start of the internship, students must sign an internship contract with their agency and faculty supervisor, setting out expectations and course requirements. Once approved for an internship, students will be enrolled in PWAD 393, which is offered on a Pass/Fail basis only and does not count toward the nine courses required for the major. Interns are required to keep a daily internship journal, and some form of on-site supervisor evaluation of the intern must be received for credit to be granted.
Note that it is entirely the student’s responsibility to find and secure an internship. PWAD does not serve as a placement service for students wishing to pursue internships. Students can consult with University Career Services for more information and help with obtaining internships.
Study Abroad
The curriculum encourages all undergraduates to study abroad either for a week-long sponsored exchange, summer, semester, or entire year. Students should consult the study abroad website and meet with a study abroad advisor as early as possible to discuss the best options for thier educational goals.
Students can receive PWAD major credit for relevant coursework taken while studying abroad. Students are encouraged to review the study abroad website to learn more about the processes for receiving UNC credit for study abroad courses, as well as a list of pre-approved PWAD courses at universities around the world.
Undergraduate Research
Students who qualify are encouraged to experience original research by writing a senior honors thesis described in the honors section above.
Department Programs
Majors
Minors
Courses
