Master of Arts in
International Peacebuilding
From exploring restorative peace after collective trauma to examining passages in religious texts that have led to current and historic incidences of violence – our Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding program deeply engages students in a skills-focused application of interfaith learning that changes behavior.
Our students examine the history and theology of the Abrahamic faiths, religious leadership, mediation, trauma awareness, and restorative justice as a collective movement toward peaceful, lasting change. They graduate with an understanding that empathy, spirituality, and trust are essential elements of connection, leadership, and reconciliation.
Program Structure
The Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding is a one-year, 36-credit, master’s degree program where students develop interreligious literacy and acquire constructive conflict intervention skills through a combination of service learning, traditional courses, experiential courses, and project-based learning.
The Value of Experience
Experiential learning, field education, and capstone projects allow MA in International Peacebuilding students to build upon their classroom learning with real-world experience through service in local communities.
Students examine case studies, participate in role plays of incidents, meet with Hartford-area leaders, and more to gain a meaningful understanding of world issues and the lived reality of conflict mediation and transformation efforts.
For capstone projects, students can return to communities they know well and derive an ethical project that arises from a need in that community. Students who are going to a new community are able to use their capstone project as an active investigation of an issue they find in their new home.
Where Your Journey May Lead
MA in International Peacebuilding Career Paths
Lead a Non-Profit or NGO
Teach Theology
Lead a Faith Organization
Engage in Social Services
Work in International Affairs
Who Thrives Here?
Peacebuilders have thick skin, a tender heart, and a spine like a steel cable. They are emotionally intelligent, humble, and make sense of the ambiguous spaces between us. The students who thrive here are those who learn that we find salvation when we understand that we’re all in this together. Whether your faith is personal or professional, you approach religious freedom and justice as a collective movement.
Meet Our Program Director
Phoebe Milliken
Faculty Associate in International Peacebuilding, Director of the International Peacebuilding Program
I have worked in international education since 1996. This work has included: developing literacy programming in Zimbabwe, managing a teacher education project spanning 25 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia for the International Literacy Association, teaching courses in African History in the U.S., and directing Augsburg College’s study abroad program in Namibia. Prior to coming to Hartford International University I served as a Program Manager for Plowshares Institute, a small non-profit which taught conflict transformation skills to community leaders around the world. As leader of the International Peacebuilding program I emphasize experiential education, constructive conflict intervention, and the relationship-building skills that help Hartford students drive lasting, peaceful change.
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