Ndagire Brendah is the PACS Undergraduate Academic and Administrative Officer and is the primary academic advisor for all students pursuing a PACS academic plan.
You can reach Ndagire at bndagire@uwaterloo.ca to set up an appointment or ask any questions about PACS requirements.
All PACS academic plans are made up of half PACS courses and half PACS Approved courses from other departments. This will give you a rich interdisciplinary experience undergirded by a strong foundation in core theory and practice from Peace and Conflict Studies.
The Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar is the official and primary source for up-to-date degree requirements for all students. Here you will find specific requirements for PACS academic plans, as well as overall Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements.
Make sure to note which academic calendar year you are following for your PACS requirements. In particular, the PACS Approved courses included in PACS plans can change from year to year and you will need to make sure you know which list they are registered under. If you are unsure, check the Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements page, or contact the PACS Academic Advisor.
To help you understand your academic plan, the PACS department has created checklists to help students organize and track their requirements.
The official list of PACS-approved courses is updated annually in the University of Waterloo Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar according to each academic plan. The list of PACS Approved courses can change slightly from year to year, so you should verify that you are using the list for the calendar year you are registered in. All of the Undergraduate Calendar years are available to view online. If you are not sure which academic calendar you are registered under, check the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar page on Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements or contact Ndagire Brendah, the PACS Academic Advisor.
Where you find the list of Peace and Conflict Studies approved courses inadequate for your needs, you may petition the Peace and Conflict Studies administration to have specific courses accepted as Peace and Conflict Studies approved courses. We recommend that you submit your request before registering in the course because there is no guarantee that the request will be approved. Any questions about this process should be submitted to Ndagire Brendah, the PACS Academic Advisor.
Instructions for PACS Approved Course Petition (PDF)
The field of Peace and Conflict Studies is very broad and covers a lot of territory from interpersonal to international conflict, theory and practice, local and global issues. There are four streams in PACS that are designed to give students a suggested direction of study within the broader field of PACS and assist in course selection based on your area of interest.
These are not formal specializations, but rather suggested courses based on student interest. Taking courses in a specific stream will help you focus your studies on a particular theme, but there will be no notation on your final diploma of this concentration.
The four streams of study are:
The PACS program is located at Conrad Grebel University College, which also houses the Milton Good Library. This library specializes in Peace and Conflict Studies collections and is an excellent resource to PACS students! Laureen Harder-Gissing, the PACS Liaison Librarian, is also located at Grebel and is available to provide specialized research assistance to PACS students.
The Student Success Office offers study skills workshops, online resources to help you organize and manage your university life (academically and otherwise), peer mentorship programs, and so much more.
The Writing and Communication Centre offers workshops, drop-in appointments, and online resources to help you improve your writing and communication skills. From getting help on a specific piece of writing to developing those presentation skills, the Writing Centre is a great resource.
The Centre for Career Action offers workshops, one-on-one career advising, and an abundance of career-related resources. Appointments can be booked with a career advisor to discuss career exploration and strategy, job search tactics, mock interviews, and resumes. Generally, you can book up to 3 sessions for each appointment during your time at Waterloo.
| Institution | Degree |
|---|---|
|
University of Waterloo |
Master of Peace and Conflict Studies |
| Royal Roads University Vancouver, British Columbia |
|
| St. Paul University Ottawa, Ontario |
MA in Conflict Studies |
| University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia |
MA in Dispute Resolution |
| University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies |
International graduate programs
| Institution | Degree |
|---|---|
| Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies University of Notre Dame Indiana, U.S.A. |
MA in Peace Studies |
