Objectives

While past generations witnessed world wars and other great power struggles, global conflict has evolved to include violent extremism, large-scale displacement, and failed nations. Future leaders must also adapt their concepts and empirical approaches in order to understand the new nature of conflict when proposing solutions for the future.

By focusing on comparative development, political economy, and applied methodology, The Pearson Institute Global Conflict Studies Specialization is designed to prepare students for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or multinational corporations.

Students who complete this specialization will be able to:

  • Develop the ability to discern what makes empirical evidence compelling related to conflict study
     
  • Assess key arguments advanced in the arena of conflict and consider, through an evidence-based lens, the relationship of conflict to factors such as economic opportunity, natural resources, foreign aid, military technology, ethnic divisions and identity, etc.
     
  • Understand the intersection between state-level societal incentives and global governance structures

Harris specializations function as areas of specialization within the degree. Specializations assume knowledge of the 6-course Harris Core and build upon that foundation with coursework in specific policy areas or technical skills.

In addition, we encourage students pursuing the specialization to participate in events sponsored by The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts.

Application Process

The specialization is open to Harris Public Policy graduate students only. Please indicate your intent to pursue this specialization using the Harris Specialization Declaration Form.

For specialization registration questions, please reach out to harrisregistration@uchicago.edu.

Planning for the Specialization

For information on which quarter(s) each course will be offered see the Harris Courses page and filter by specialization. 

Specialization Requirements

The specialization will be awarded to students who complete any three of the qualifying courses. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course. No specialization course may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis. 

The following two courses are recommended as a fundamental sequence of the specialization:

  • PPHA 35570 Conflict and Humanitarian Intervention: Blurring Humanitarian, Development, and Security Policy
  • PPHA 38740 Conflict and Applied Data Science

Other qualifying specialization courses

  • PPHA 32740 Order and Violence 
  • PPHA 32750 Hydropolitics: Water Policy and Conflict
  • PPHA 33510 Nuclear Policy
  • PPHA 33840 Managing Chaos: Competing Strategies in a Disordered World
  • PPHA 60000 Policy Lab (Global Conflict and International Development sections only)
  • INRE 43000 Core Seminar: International Order and Security
  • PBPL 20115 / PPHA 47420 Women, Peace, and Security
  • PLSC 40610 Seminar on International Security Affairs
  • PLSC 48401 / PPHA 39830 Quantitative Security
  • SSAD 46922 Structuring Refuge: U.S. Refugee Policy and Resettlement Practice
  • SSAD 47812 Human Rights and Social Work: Opportunities for Policy and Practice
  • Not offered in 24-25:
    • PPHA 38765 The Politics of Authoritarian Regimes

Specialization Contacts

Anna (Medearis) Ingabire, Administrative Director

Oeindrila Dube, Specialization Director

Oeindrila Dube

Philip K. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies

Oeindrila Dube

Oeindrila Dube is an economist and political scientist who studies conflict and crime. Her current research interests span from religious extremism in developing countries to effective policing in the United States.