<p>What is everyone’s opinion on PJS at Tufts? Im planning to apply at American for International relations but was considering applying here as well for PJS…any suggestions? Pros/cons maybe? (i know that theyre two different majors, but theyre both what i want so basically its dependent on the school, etc.)</p>
<p>I’m not a Tufts student (ahh 3 weeks until my decision!) but I am interested in International Relations and related fields, and I <3 Tufts so I might be able to at least be a little helpful…</p>
<p>I am almost 100 percent sure that I remember reading that PJS is only available as a second major, so you don’t just major in that, you major in say IR or Political Science, or perhaps something not so much connected to it, and then take on Peace and Justice Studies as a double major. There is information about it on the Tufts website if you want to double check :)</p>
<p>Tufts’ PJS department is top-notch among peace studies programs in the country. The professors are amazing and widely published. They are often quoted as experts in their field. It is a multi-disciplinary major, just like the IR major, so you get to draw from the best professors across the university.</p>
<p>Elessar: I am not sure if you have to necessarily double-major. Where did you find that info? On the PJS website, in the FAQ section, one question asks if you can double-major with PJS, and it says Yes. My guess would be that if a double-major were required, the answer would say something about it being a requirement and not just an option.</p>
<p>I have never heard that it’s only a second major.</p>
<p>Oh dear, I am really sorry for providing incorrect information! I really thought that I had remembered reading that somewhere!</p>
<p>Sorry again!</p>
<p>ahh now I know what it was…Environmental Studies is only offered as a second major, that was what I had mixed it up with!</p>
<p>Yes I believe Community Health & Environmental Studies are the only two majors that require that you double-major, though it should be noted that the double-major does not necessarily have to be in a closely-related field though I believe most people do choose to do that.</p>
<p>My daughter is a Peace and Justice studies major. She really enjoys the courses. It definitely is not a second major. They do offer a certificate in Peace and Justice studies in addition to the major. I think you take 6 course to get the certificate and something like 11 courses for the major.
Most of the P&JS courses incorporate some sort of short term internships. You also have to complete a course that is solely an internship.</p>
<p>Check out the P&JS department website for descriptions of requirements and courses.</p>
<p>Well you all know how I feel about this subject but I don’t think my position - though very biased indeed - is without some bit of merit. The fact that every P&JS major that I knew was also majoring in something else sort of confirms my suspicions but who knows really.</p>
<p>What I do BELIEVE to be true is that majoring in “justice” borders on the absurd IMHO. It’s like majoring in Plato’s “Form,” or majoring in the “Good,” or the “Divine.” How can you base an entire program of study on such an abstract concept? How could you ever be sure if you’re coming close to teaching justice or just missing entirely or better yet, teaching something completely different? There’s no way to gage the success of such a program. Nevermind the potentially ironic injustice you might be doing by dubbing a program “Justice.” Shouldn’t “Justice” be something that grounds all disciplines by the way? I just don’t understand it. What’s far more perplexing in my mind however is the sparse course materials that are assigned to take on a lofty and elusive topic like “Justice.” How about basing courses on a Great Books program? Not a chance…</p>
<p>I question whether Peace and Justice is something that can be taught, much less taught using a textbook of all things. Sure, textbooks are great for quantitative subjects (Math, Sciences, Economics, etc.) because those fields call for direct, objective relaying of facts. “Justice” cannot be conveyed in a similar manner and it’s rather oppressive to teach justice as an analytic truth when justice is far better addressed through other mediums, allegory for instance.</p>
<p>You’ll begin to develope your own ideas about justice, the good, etc. in your area of study regardless. I don’t see a problem in double majoring in P&JS along with something else but if you do P&JS alone you’re not going to have any foundation whatsoever when in fact our ideas of justice should arise naturally from our own pursuit of truth. </p>
<p>Just to be absolutely clear I wouldn’t be opposed to forcing everyone to take this as second major…but a major unto itself, I’m sorry I can’t see that.</p>
<p>I would be stunned if the above poster has ever taken a PJS class. Obviously he’s not familiar with the program, and basing his disjointed philosophical rambling upon the name alone, for the department never pertains to study something as broad as “justice”. Leave the pretension at home buddy.</p>
<p>I wish you wouldn’t make assumptions about me like that because I do know the program rather well. Tell me what courses in the P&JS major make use of the Great Books? Why would a textbook be a better source when discussing ethics? How is Global Justice not the focus of the program?</p>
<p>Clearly it’s not an assumption if it’s self-evident. I’m not going to spend time answering your trivia questions, but I encourage everyone else to visit the PJS website in order to understand what the program is about before making bold and ultimately, incorrect judgements.</p>
<p><a href=“http://ase.tufts.edu/pjs/[/url]”>http://ase.tufts.edu/pjs/</a></p>
<p>Alanstewart - thanks for posting the link to the Peace and Justice Studies department. I think it’s a fascinating major - it combines international relations, sociology, political science and more. It doesn’t just focus on global justice, you have to take courses from four different areas. I think in many ways it is a very practical major because of the emphasis on internships.
I also think the mediation courses could be useful for many people in many different situations.</p>
<p>There’s no need for such hostility friend. My concern is not with the program but what is lost if it is a major unto itself. I’m not saying it’s not a valuable program but something is being lost if it is not suplemented by another major.</p>
<p>I look forward to your post.</p>
<p>So is the PJS major religion based? or what? I read everything I could about it…but not im confused on what it actually is. Anyone care to explain (that has experience…not personal opinion)</p>
<p>I don’t believe religion plays a major component in the PJS major. You can probably take classes on faith/religious wars but that’s about the extent of it is my guess.</p>