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Why Major in Community and Justice Studies at Allegheny College

As a Community and Justice Studies student, you’ll learn about systems of power and inequality, engage with communities, and graduate ready to build a more just and egalitarian world.

Unusual Combinations
Students often combine Community and Justice Studies with:

 

Division

  • Interdisciplinary Studies

Program Type

  • Major
  • Minor

Number of Credits

44 for major24 for minor

 

Where Community and Justice Studies Alumni Work Today

Education and Equity Consultant

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Will Tolliver Jr. ’14

Business Analyst

Grant Street Group

Cory Rectenwald ’13

Founder and Co-Artistic Director

Gum-Dip Theatre

Katie Beck ’14

Your Four-Year Journey

Community and Justice Studies Overview

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.

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.

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.

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.

Research and Internships

Allegheny community and justice studies students turn knowledge into action

We’ll set the stage for your success by teaching you how to demonstrate effective community engagement and organizing in concrete, real-world settings.

Our community and justice studies students solidify their skills through independent and collaborative research, internships, community engagement, study away, and more.

Community Engagement

Students explore the meaning and power of community by working with local non-profits, government agencies, and grassroots organizations to address real-world issues, from systemic racism to the lack of affordable housing.

Student-Faculty Collaboration

Many community and justice studies students carry out independent research or collaborative research with faculty in addition to the Senior Comp.

Study Away Opportunities

Allegheny offers sponsored study-away programs in more than 15 countries across the world.

Recent Senior Comps

The Senior Comp is the culmination of four years of experience, imagination, and study. It is the moment when you demonstrate what you’ve learned by teaching us something new.

  • Considering Extinction: The Anthropocene, Zoos, and Human Divorce from the Natural
  • Global BIPOC Climate Activism vs. Mainstream Environmentalism: A Case Study
  • A is for Activism, Z is for Zombies: Social Change in Disney Movies
  • Finding Meaning through Youth Organizing: A Politics of Belonging in Meadville
  • Fouling Out: A Community Reflection on the Academic Ejection of Black Male Student-Athletes

Faculty and Staff

Heather Moore Roberson

Dean of Inclusive Excellence

Ph.D., M.A., Purdue University, B.A., Trinity College

Joe Tompkins

Associate Professor

PhD., University of Minnesota; B.A., University of Minnesota

Frequently Asked Questions About the Community and Justice Studies Program

What type of degree is a Community and Justice Studies major?

Students who major in Community and Justice Studies at Allegheny College will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Are there any clubs and activities available for Community and Justice Studies students?

Yes, there are multiple campus organizations that can benefit students in the Community and Justice Studies program, such as Allegheny Student Government (ASG) and Allegheny Ambassadors. Explore all Allegheny College clubs and organizations.

 

Program Contact

Heather Moore Roberson

Assistant Professor of Community and Justice Studies; Dean of Inclusive Excellence

Email(814) 332-2396