Bridging Past, Thought, & Peace
The Department of History & Philosophical Studies is a dynamic academic unit that brings together the rigorous exploration of historical narratives, philosophical inquiry, and the renowned Peace Studies program.
This department creates an enriched environment where students delve into the forces shaping human society, interrogate fundamental questions of ethics and meaning, and advance the university’s legacy as home to the world’s first undergraduate peace studies program—established in 1948. By merging these interrelated fields, the department fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, and a deep commitment to understanding and resolving conflict, equipping graduates to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the challenges of our times.
Recent Placement into Graduate Programs
Manchester University philosophy and religious studies majors and minors are prepared for an expansive selection of options after finishing their undergraduate degrees. Here are some of the fields and institutions our graduates have chosen to pursue:
- Medicine: Harvard University, University of New Mexico
- Law: IUPUI, IU/Bloomington, Ohio Northern University
- Philosophy: Colorado State University, Cornell University, Indiana University/Bloomington, Purdue University, St. Andrews University (Scotland), University of Minnesota, University of Notre Dame, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, Temple University
- Theology/Religious Studies: Bethany Theology Seminary, Candler School of Theology (Emory), Iliff School of Theology, Catholic University of America
- City Planning: MIT
- Economics: University of South Florida
- Library Science: Kent State, University of Illinois (Champagne/Urbana), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- Museum Studies: IUPUI
- Political Science: University of Chicago.
Program & Degrees
History Program Learning Outcomes
Students will develop an understanding of and an appreciation for the diversity, complexity, and richness of the human past.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will explore the intellectual, social, political, cultural, and economic dimensions of the human past.
- Students will investigate the human past through the lenses of race, gender, class, ethnicity, and more,
Students will have an understanding of chronological reasoning as it relates to change over time.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will explore the intellectual, social, political, cultural, and economic dimensions of the human past.
- Students will investigate the human past through the lenses of race, gender, class, ethnicity, and more.
Students will achieve written and oral proficiency in the skills of historical inquiry.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to support well-reasoned historical arguments and draw valid conclusions.
- Students will write cogently, critically, and analytically on historical questions.
- Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills, through presentation of their research, active and attentive listening skills, and direct and meaningful responses to the questions, arguments, and interpretations of others.
Philosophy Program Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate critical and independent thinking
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explicate, elucidate, and evaluate philosophical arguments.
2. Develop a sense of self and of responsibility to others with respect to philosophical frameworks.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Understand major philosophical theories and their applications
- Analyze the assumptions that underlie different ways of understanding the human and natural world
- Apply philosophical frameworks to personal and social circumstances and evaluate these positions.
Political Science Program Learning Outcomes
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of political theories and ideologies that underpin the study of political phenomena
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Identify key political concepts, ideologies and theories, explain their historical development and relevance to contemporary politics.
- Analyze and critique key political concepts, ideologies, and theories, identifying their core elements and shortcomings, and how they contribute to political knowledge.
2. Understand and evaluate political institutions, processes, and systems.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain the structure, function, and role of political institutions (e.g., legislatures, executives, courts) at local, national, and/or international levels.
- Apply political theories to current events and global issues, evaluate the factors that shape political behavior, institutions, and policymaking, and assess how these elements influence outcomes within and beyond nation-states.
3. Develop critical thinking and communication skills and cultivate social science research skills.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Critically evaluate historical and contemporary debates, the underlying assumptions in political discourse, and engage in reasoned debate and discussion on political issues, demonstrating the ability to articulate well-supported arguments.
- Construct research questions, design research projects, and apply appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative research methods to investigate political phenomena.
- Produce evidence-based persuasive arguments and/or research findings in clear, concise written and oral forms, effectively communicating complex ideas to both academic and non-academic audiences.
Peace Studies Student Groups & Co-Curricular Engagement
Peace Studies students at Manchester are actively involved in discussion, activism, service, and environmental justice through several student-led groups and initiatives:
Kenapocomoco Peace Coalition
This informal group meets weekly to discuss social, environmental, and political issues of conscience. Meetings often include guest speakers, videos, and planning for on-campus action. Open to all interested students, the coalition fosters critical dialogue and community engagement.
Amnesty International Chapter
Manchester’s student chapter of Amnesty International meets biweekly in the Peace Studies Lounge. The group organizes human rights campaigns like Write4Rights and Refugees Welcome resolutions, encouraging advocacy through informed action.
Center for Environmental Resilience and Social Engagement (CERSE)
A joint initiative of the Peace Studies and Environmental Studies programs, CERSE connects students to education and action on environmental and social justice. CERSE is a cross-campus faculty initiative, shaped by Manchester’s mission statement and understanding of the importance of the liberal arts in service to the world. CERSE courses, projects, and programs emphasize interdisciplinary perspectives, moral frameworks, and community engagement to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to confront environmental and social challenges and to build just and resilient ecological and human communities.
Projects include:
Foodscape development funded by Duke Energy
Partnerships with local food security and justice organizations
Restorative justice efforts with the Miami Nation of Indiana
UN Sustainable Development Goal convocations
Research on native/invasive wasp populations for public health and education
Other Involvement Opportunities
Peace Studies students also participate in:
Internships with justice and advocacy organizations
Practicums tied to nonviolence and peacebuilding
Cross-cultural experiences like the PEAC 250 travel course
These opportunities empower students to apply their values in real-world contexts while building leadership and collaboration skills.
For more information on the Center for Environmental Resilience and Social Engagement, contact Katy Gray Brown, professor of philosophy and peace studies and director of the Peace Studies Institute, at klgraybrown@manchester.edu.
History of MU Peace Studies
In 1948, Gladdys Muir established the world’s first undergraduate peace studies program at Manchester. But to believe that Muir’s program focused narrowly on the prevention of war is to largely miss the point, says Katy Gray Brown ’91, director of Manchester’s Peace Studies Institute.
Muir took an interdisciplinary approach to peace studies, with a distinctive emphasis on philosophy. From the start, “Muir made all these completely nuanced connections” examining issues of interpersonal conflict and structural injustice, such as economic disparity. Muir’s pioneering program was not only foundational and unique – 23 years passed before another U.S. institution offered an undergraduate peace studies major – it was visionary, says Gray Brown.
In particular, Muir is remembered for the personal interest she took in students. She invited them to her home for weekly teas and corresponded with them long after they graduated. Her approach to peace studies, says Gray Brown, was “very interdisciplinary, very applied, very interpersonal.” For all those reasons, it also was “very Manchester.”
The University has raised $1.5 million to establish the Gladdys Muir Endowed Professorship in Peace Studies.
The Gladdys Muir Endowed Chair
Manchester is enhancing its reputation as a global leader in peace studies education with the Gladdys Muir Endowed Professorship in Peace Studies.Gladdys Muir
A revered professor, Muir launched the world’s first undergraduate peace studies program at Manchester in 1948. She believed that if she planted the seeds of creative nonviolence in the hearts of her students, that they would scatter those potent ideas across the globe. Indeed, for nearly 70 years, many Manchester graduates have done just that.
Muir’s groundbreaking program, which examined issues of interpersonal conflict and structural injustice, was so visionary that 23 years passed before another U.S. institution followed her lead. Today, there are more than 300 peace studies programs nationwide.
An endowed professorship is a prestigious achievement. The new position will encourage scholarship and effective teaching, and strengthen our ability to educate students across disciplinary boundaries.
A national search will begin in 2016 and Manchester expects to have the Muir Professor of Peace Studies on board by fall 2017.
Meet the Faculty
Dr Katharine Gray Brown
Professor of Philosophy and Peace Studies, Director of the Peace Studies Program, and Dept Chair of Philosophy & Religious Studies
