The planet faces a set of interrelated challenges related to violence and war, peacemaking and peacebuilding, justice and human rights and, increasingly, environmental degradation and climate change. The Peace and Justice Studies Program (PJS) was founded to provide students with an academic means to understand these crises and to explore the means for achieving a just peace and sustainability. To this end, PJS has created an interdisciplinary course structure which examines the obstacles, conditions, and paths to addressing these challenges. It also explores the ways that governmental and nongovernmental organizations, social movements, and individuals have confronted such problems and worked to resolve them. This structure is also designed to develop students' critical and analytical skills as well as competencies in fields that contribute towards peace and social transformation. PJS nurtures an active sense of social responsibility for the human condition, and encourages students to participate actively in developing their education by combining their talents and imagination through formal study and experiential education. The program presents a broad range of educational events and co-curricular activities which promote an engaged intellectual and civic climate on campus. In this sense, PJS complements the university's mission and the liberal arts tradition by encouraging the student's awareness, responsibility, and active engagement in the affairs of the world.