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Program's overarching characteristics:

I. Focus on prevention

The program is prevention-focused, preparing students to recognize and disrupt a sufficient number of known risk factors at all stages – before, during and after mass atrocities. Students will learn about the importance of structural factors in upstream prevention before the onset of violence. Among the key factors are those related to democratic processes and peaceful transitions of power; equitable provision of health, education, employment and other basic services; and protection of fundamental human rights. Students will learn how humanitarian aid, peace keeping, economic sanctions, or military interventions, as well as the actions of individual rescuers, can help stop or mediate the effects of a genocide in progress as forms of midstream prevention. Students will also be prepared to design and participate in aspects of the post-conflict transitional justice process, including truth and reconciliation processes and constructive use of memorialization.

II. Interdisciplinary approach

The program is interdisciplinary, drawing upon scholarship, courses, and faculty from a wide spectrum of academic disciplines, thereby preparing students to serve as boundary spanners who are able to communicate across a range of professions. In contrast to genocide and Holocaust studies programs which are often grounded primarily in History, peace building or international relations programs based principally in Political Science, or transitional justice programs based in law schools, the GMAP program will draw upon theories, models, and research from a wide variety of disciplines from the entire university campus. In the initial design, the coursework and the faculty involved span four schools/colleges at ßÙßÇÂþ»­ (Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Community and Public Affairs, the Decker School of Nursing, and the Watson School of Engineering). As the program evolves we hope to include all colleges across campus.

III. Multi-level and multi-sectorial scope

The program is multi-level and multi-sectoral in its scope. It prepares students to apply micro, meso, and macro strategies for prevention and to be prevention actors in the governmental, civil society, and corporate environments. At the micro level graduates will understand the opportunity for themselves and other individuals to be prevention agents in their personal, volunteer, and work lives. At the meso level, the program will prepare students to incorporate prevention strategies into the management and leadership of governmental, nongovernmental, and profit-driven organizations. At the macro level, the program will develop in students the skills to design and implement national and international policies and practices to promote prevention.

IV. Professional orientation

The degree is professional in that it will provide not only knowledge, but also skills that prepare students for employment; the degree will provide students with regular interaction with practitioners and includes a required field placement. It will generally be completed in two or two-and-one-half years. The program is comprised of three or four semesters of academic coursework, and a semester-long domestic or international field placement. The program has been developed by and will operate in affiliation with the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) and will be closely linked to several practitioner components of the Institute.