Justice and Society

The Justice and Society major in the Justice and Peace Studies (JPS) Program empowers students as agents of change who advance justice, peace, and environmental sustainability in our complex world.

The flexible curriculum complements any major, supports any minor, can be tailored to support any interests, and helps prepare students for any career.

The interdisciplinary curriculum is anchored in Creighton's Catholic, Jesuit tradition and cultivates the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis by developing the skills of:

  • Social analysis to diagnose the root causes of problems.
  • Ethical reflection to make moral judgments about pressing issues.
  • Vocational discernment to discover personal and professional pathways for a better world.

JPS Program alumni are well-rounded "men and women for and with others" and have careers in health care (as doctors, nurses, mental health practitioners, and administrators), law, social work, public policy, education, pastoral ministry, negotiation and conflict resolution, mediation, and more.

B.A., Major in Justice and Society Requirements: 40 Credits

Introductory Course3
Select one of the following:
Introduction to Anthropology: Human and Cultural Diversity
Introduction to Anthropology: Culture, Ecology and Sustainability
Introduction to Anthropology: Social and Cultural Determinants of Health
Introduction to Sociology: Self and Society
Sociology/Anthropology
SOC/ANT 301Social and Cultural Theory3
SOC 312Research Design for the Social Sciences3
SOC/ANT 314Statistics for the Social Sciences4
SOC/ANT 316Qualitative Methods, Ethnography, and Engagement3
SOC 499Senior Capstone: Applying the Social Sciences3
Justice, Service, and Vocational Discernment
JPS 460Models and Heroes of Service and Justice3
JPS 499Land More Than a Job: Justice, Career, and Vocational Discernment3
JPS/THL 565Catholic Social Teaching3
Peace Studies3
Select one of the following:
An Introduction to Conflict Resolution
Ultimate Questions: Reconciliation
Christian Ethics Of War And Peace
Ecological Sustainability3
Select one of the following:
Sustainability Across the Rural Americas
A History of (Un)natural Disasters
History of Environmental Inequalities
Global Environmental History
Philosophical Ethics: Energy and Environment
Environmental Ethics
Environment & Society: Sociological Perspectives
Sustainable Practice: The Examined Life
The Human Induced Climate Crisis:Origins and Solutions
Divine Providence, Catholic Social Teaching, & the Problem of Climate Change
God is Green
Elective Courses6
Six additional elective credits from 300+ Anthropology (Cultural or Medical), Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Education, Encuentro Dominicano, English, Environmental Science, Health Administration and Policy, History, Honors, Justice and Peace Studies, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Sustainability Studies, or Theology chosen in consultation with the JPS director.
Total Credits40