Community and Justice Studies

Year 1: Understanding

In our foundational course, you’ll start to develop a sense of what social issues matter to you. We encourage students to explore lots of different courses during their first year so that they can find where they want to make a difference. You’ll take courses in philosophy, communication and culture, political science, psychology, and more. There are so many possibilities, and this year is all about exploring those possibilities.

Featured Courses:

• PHIL 140 – Ethics and Community 
• POLSC 140 – Introduction to Political Theory 
• PSYCH 162 – Human Social Behavior 

Year 2: New Approaches

In COMJ 270 Power, Society, and Social Change, you will engage with social theory in order to clarify your own commitments as a young scholar. You will continue to explore those commitments and also may take elective courses focused on ethics, the importance of place, or the power of political participation. This is the year to begin your community engagement journey if you haven’t already.

Featured courses:

• PHIL 210 – Oppression and Liberation 
• ENVSC 250 – Environmental Education 
• POLSC 221 – Law, Courts, and Judicial Processes 

Year 3: Delving Deeper

This is a big year. In COMJ 460 Community Organizing and Civic Professionalism, you will learn concrete organizing skills that you can take with you into their community-based work while at Allegheny and beyond. You will also finalize the focus on your COMJ major and take your Junior Seminar, where you’ll learn research methods and develop proposals for your Senior Comp.

Featured Courses

• HIST 326 – The American Revolutionary Era 
• COMM 376 – Ethnographic Methods in Media and Cultural Studies 
• BLKST 355 – Black Meadville

Year 4: The Comp

In your last year, you will conduct your Senior Comp and finish any remaining coursework. At this point, you will be deeply involved in community initiatives and will have developed strong relationships with faculty and community members. Some students may serve as teaching assistants and peer mentors, helping younger COMJ students find their path to a better world.

Featured Courses

• POLSC 319 – Policing, Resistance, and Justice?
• PSYCH 375 – Community Psychology  
• COMJ 560 – Community and Justice Studies Junior Seminar