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Peace and war are among the oldest dreams and most difficult challenges of human experience. The curriculum brings together faculty and courses from many disciplines to provide undergraduates with a range of approaches to the fundamental issues of human conflict and national and global security and defense.
| Core Requirements | ||
| HIST/PWAD 351 | Global History of Warfare | 3 |
| PHIL/PWAD 272 | The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense | 3 |
| PWAD 350 | National and International Security | 3 |
| Four courses from one concentration (see course lists below) | 12 | |
| Two courses chosen from outside the area of concentration | 6 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Through level 5 of a single modern foreign language. 1 | 3 | |
| All General Education requirements must be met. In fulfilling General Education requirements, majors should consider the following courses as helpful preparation for the curriculum: | ||
|
ANTH 101 |
General Anthropology H | |
|
ECON 101 |
Introduction to Economics H | |
|
HIST 127 |
American History to 1865 | |
|
HIST 128 |
American History since 1865 | |
|
HIST 140 |
The World since 1945 | |
|
HIST 158 |
Early Modern European History, 1450-1815 | |
|
HIST 159 |
From War to Prosperity: 20th-Century Europe | |
|
MATH 152 |
Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | |
|
PHIL 160 |
Introduction to Ethics H | |
|
PHIL 170 |
Social Ethics and Political Thought H | |
|
POLI 100 |
Introduction to Government in the United States H | |
|
POLI 150 |
International Relations and World Politics H | |
|
POLI 239 |
Introduction to European Government H | |
|
PSYC 101 |
General Psychology | |
|
SOCI 101 |
Sociological Perspectives H | |
|
STOR 151 |
Introduction to Data Analysis | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
| H |
Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| 1 |
Alternatively, students can take one semester of POLI 281 or STOR 151 or STOR 155, or students may suggest a substitute statistics-heavy methodology course. |
Concentrations
The three concentrations consist of the following groups of courses.
The Culture of Peace and War
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 280 | Anthropology of War and Peace | 3 |
| ARAB 452 | Imagining Palestine | 3 |
| ASIA/HIST 276 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| ASIA/JWST/PWAD 425 | Beyond Hostilities: Israeli-Palestinian Exchanges and Collaborations in Cinema and Literature | 3 |
| CMPL/PWAD 489 | Empire and Diplomacy | 3 |
| COMM 376 | The Rhetoric of War and Peace | 3 |
| COMM 390 | Special Topics in Communication Study (with approval, based on topic) | 3 |
| COMM 574 | War and Culture | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 355 | Terrorism and Political Violence | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 575 | Presidential Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENGL 659 | War in 20th-Century Literature H | 3 |
| ENGL 660 | War in Shakespeare's Plays | 3 |
| ENGL 488/PWAD 484 | Critical Security Studies | 3 |
| GERM/PWAD 283 | Freedom, Terror, and Identity: Modern Philosophy from Kant to Arendt | 3 |
| HIST 132 | Southeast Asia since the Early 19th Century | 3 |
| HIST 134 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 254 | War and Society in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST 268 | War, Revolution, and Culture: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| HIST 275 | History of Iraq H | 3 |
| HIST 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST 281 | The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy | 3 |
| HIST 373 | The United States in World War II | 3 |
| HIST 421 | Alexander | 3 |
| HIST 422 | Ancient Greek Warfare | 3 |
| HIST 432 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HIST 528 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 565 | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848-1900 | 3 |
| HIST 570 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 354/WMST 353 | War and Gender in Movies H | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD/WMST 517 | Gender, Military, and War in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| LAW 252 | International Law (permission of the PWAD chair and instructor) | 3 |
| MUSC 289 | Sounds of War and Revolution | 3 |
| PLCY 455 | 9/11 and Its Aftermath | 3 |
| POLI 260 | Crisis and Change in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| POLI 416 | Constitutional Policies and the Judicial Process | 3 |
| POLI 423 | Peace Settlements in Ethnically Divided Societies | 3 |
| POLI 449 | Human Rights and International Criminal Law H | 3 |
| POLI 450 | Contemporary Inter-American Relations H | 3 |
| POLI 457 | International Conflict Processes | 3 |
| POLI 469 | Conflict and Intervention in the Former Yugoslavia H | 3 |
| PWAD/SOCI 411 | Social Movements and Collective Behavior | 3 |
| PSYC 490 | Current Topics in Psychology H | 3 |
| RELI 481 | Religion, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism | 3 |
| RELI 583 | Religion and Culture in Iran, 1500-Present | 3 |
| RUSS 475 | Literature of Russian Terrorism: Arson, Bombs, Mayhem | 3 |
| SLAV 84 | First-Year Seminar: Terror for the People: Terrorism in Russian Literature and History | 3 |
| SLAV 85 | First-Year Seminar: Children and War | 3 |
| SLAV 465 | Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| SLAV 467 | Language and Political Identity | 3 |
| SOCI 442 | Conflict and Bargaining | 3 |
| H |
Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
International Security and Intelligence
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 280 | Anthropology of War and Peace | 3 |
| ARAB 452 | Imagining Palestine | 3 |
| ASIA/HIST 276 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| CMPL/PWAD 489 | Empire and Diplomacy | 3 |
| COMM 390 | Special Topics in Communication Study (with approval, based on topic) | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 575 | Presidential Rhetoric | 3 |
| ECON 460 | International Economics | 3 |
| ENEC 108 | Our Energy and Climate Crises: Challenges and Opportunities | 4 |
| GEOG 120 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 453 | Political Geography | 3 |
| HIST 134 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 205 | Statecraft, Diplomacy, and War, 1618-1815 | 3 |
| HIST 213 | Air Power and Modern Warfare | 3 |
| HIST 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST 528 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 577 | United States Foreign Relations in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 206 | Statecraft, Diplomacy, and War, 1815-1945 | 3 |
| HPM 634 | Public Health Issues in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management | 3 |
| LAW 252 | International Law (permission of the PWAD chair and instructor) | 3 |
| PLCY 210 | Policy Innovation and Analysis H | 3 |
| PLCY 220 | The Politics of Public Policy H | 3 |
| PLCY 455 | 9/11 and Its Aftermath | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 101 | Making Public Policy H | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 110 | Global Policy Issues H | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 430 | Analysis of National Security Policy | 3 |
| POLI 150 | International Relations and World Politics H | 3 |
| POLI 231 | Latin America and the United States in World Politics | 3 |
| POLI 252 | International Organizations and Global Issues | 3 |
| POLI 253 | Problems in World Order | 3 |
| POLI 256 | The Politics of the First Era (1880-1914) of Globalization | 3 |
| POLI 260 | Crisis and Change in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| POLI 423 | Peace Settlements in Ethnically Divided Societies | 3 |
| POLI 443 | American Foreign Policy: Formulation and Conduct | 3 |
| POLI 446 | Defense Policy and National Security | 3 |
| POLI 449 | Human Rights and International Criminal Law H | 3 |
| POLI 450 | Contemporary Inter-American Relations H | 3 |
| POLI 469 | Conflict and Intervention in the Former Yugoslavia H | 3 |
| POLI 631 | European Security: The Enlarging European Union and the Trans-Atlantic Relationship | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 287 | Strategy and International Relations | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 444 | Seminar on Terrorism | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 459 | Trans-Atlantic Security | 3 |
| PSYC 490 | Current Topics in Psychology H | 3 |
| PWAD 352 | The History of Intelligence Operations | 3 |
| PWAD 353 | Intelligence Analysis: Research Methods and Writing | 3 |
| PWAD 356 | Strategic Intelligence and International Security | 3 |
| PWAD 357 | International Intelligence Services | 3 |
| PWAD 358 | Cyber Security: Advanced and Persistent Threats to National Security | 3 |
| PWAD 486 | National Security Decision Making | 3 |
| PWAD 487 | Intelligence for National Security | 3 |
| PWAD 488 | Nuclear Security in the 21st Century | 3 |
| PWAD 670 | Peace Making in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| PWAD 672 | Political Violence and Insurgency | 3 |
| RELI 481 | Religion, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism | 3 |
| RUSS 475 | Literature of Russian Terrorism: Arson, Bombs, Mayhem | 3 |
| SLAV 84 | First-Year Seminar: Terror for the People: Terrorism in Russian Literature and History | 3 |
| SLAV 85 | First-Year Seminar: Children and War | 3 |
| SLAV 465 | Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| SLAV 467 | Language and Political Identity | 3 |
| SOCI 481 | Managing International Conflict | 3 |
| H |
Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
The Evolution of Warfare
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 390 | Special Topics in Communication Study (with approval, based on topic) | 3 |
| COMM/PWAD 355 | Terrorism and Political Violence | 3 |
| ENGL 660 | War in Shakespeare's Plays | 3 |
| HIST 212 | History of Sea Power | 3 |
| HIST 213 | Air Power and Modern Warfare | 3 |
| HIST 254 | War and Society in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 262 | History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews | 3 |
| HIST 268 | War, Revolution, and Culture: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| HIST 275 | History of Iraq H | 3 |
| HIST 277 | The Conflict over Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST 281 | The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy | 3 |
| HIST 368 | War and American Society to 1903 | 3 |
| HIST 369 | War and American Society, 1903 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 373 | The United States in World War II | 3 |
| HIST 421 | Alexander | 3 |
| HIST 422 | Ancient Greek Warfare | 3 |
| HIST 432 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HIST 564 | Revolution and Nation Making in America, 1763-1815 | 3 |
| HIST 565 | Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848-1900 | 3 |
| HIST 570 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST 577 | United States Foreign Relations in the 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 205 | Statecraft, Diplomacy, and War, 1618-1815 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 206 | Statecraft, Diplomacy, and War, 1815-1945 | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 207 | The Global Cold War | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 251 | The Thirty Years War (1618-1648): Europe in an Age of Crisis | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 528 | Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 486/PWAD 485 | Extremism, Terrorism, and Security in Postwar Europe | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD 354/WMST 363 | War and Gender in Movies H | 3 |
| HIST/PWAD/WMST 517 | Gender, Military, and War in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| MUSC 289 | Sounds of War and Revolution | 3 |
| POLI 150 | International Relations and World Politics H | 3 |
| POLI 446 | Defense Policy and National Security | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 444 | Seminar on Terrorism | 3 |
| POLI/PWAD 459 | Trans-Atlantic Security | 3 |
| PSYC 490 | Current Topics in Psychology (with approval, based on topic) H | 3 |
| PWAD 352 | The History of Intelligence Operations | 3 |
| SLAV 465 | Literature of Atrocity: The Gulag and the Holocaust in Russia and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| H |
Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
PWAD 396, PWAD 680, PWAD 490, PWAD 690 and PWAD 691H may be applied toward the concentration requirement with the permission of the chair. Students can request that relevant courses not on this list, but offered as first-year seminars, honors seminars, or topics courses in other departments, be used to fulfill major requirements. This requires the approval of the chair.
- All students, regardless of their residency and/or citizenship, apply to UNC using The Common Application. The application will ask you for more information, including your personal biographical information, parent and sibling information, educational history, and extracurricular activities. There are also three writing samples: one essay on The Common Application and two short answer responses on the UNC-Chapel Hill Member Page.
- Secondary School/High School Transcripts
- All applicants are required to submit a statement from an official at their secondary school. This is often a University Counselor at your school, or an advisor, headmaster, or other official. Please note that this must come from someone at your secondary school. We will not accept statements from private counseling companies or agents.
- We require one letter of recommendation from a teacher who has taught you in your secondary school.
- We require all applicants, regardless of where they are from, to submit SAT or ACT scores. Our SAT code is 5816 and our ACT code is 3162. We have no preference between the SAT or ACT. If you send us both scores, we will look at whichever score is higher in our review of your application.
- TOEFL minimum is 100
- IELTS minimum is 7.0
- We do not require or offer interviews as part of our admissions process. However, non-native English speakers are welcome to submit unscripted interviews with third-party services such as InitialView, Vericant or Naviance Advantage. This is not a requirement and will only be used as supplemental information as needed by the Admissions Committee.
Want to improve your English level for admission?
Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.
- ✔️ Flexible study schedule
- ✔️ Experienced teachers
- ✔️ Certificate upon completion
📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.
Scholarships
We consider all students, including international students, for a limited number of merit-based scholarships. There is no separate application for these scholarships—just by applying for admission, you’ll automatically be considered for these opportunities. Because these are quite limited in number, we encourage all students to be prepared to pay the full cost of attendance.
Students attending one of the 12 United World Colleges (UWC) are eligible for the Davis Scholars Program,providing they demonstrate financial need according to UNC-approved methodology. Admitted Davis UWC students will receive instructions regarding requisite forms for determining financial need. Qualifying Davis UWC Scholars can receive a scholarship of up to $10,000.
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