For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum (below)

Two years of a single foreign language, or placement into the third year of a foreign language by examination, or one year each of two modern foreign languages*.

Required
The following two courses (6 credits):
PSTD 1010Introduction to Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
PSTD 3190Capstone Seminar (Offered only in the fall semester)
Electives
Eight courses (24 credits selected from the following categories as indicated:
Philosophical and religious approaches to peace: two courses (6 credits)
PHIL 2132Social and Political Philosophy
or PHIL 2132W Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 2133Philosophy and Nonviolence
PHIL 2134Philosophy of Human Rights
REL 2921The Religions Wage Peace
REL 2922Ethics and World Religions
REL 3923Violence and Peace in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
REL 3931Interfaith Dialogue in World Religions
REL 3990Selected Topics in Religion
PSTD 3099Variable Topics
PSTD 3191Special Topics Peace Studies
PSTD 3999Independent Study
International peace and conflict: three courses (9 credits)
ANTH 3506Politics, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
COMM 3174Intercultural Communication
GEOG 2120World Regional Geography
GEOG 2147Military Geography
GER 3185Literary Voices and the Fascist Experience—in English
HIST 2340U.S. Diplomatic History
HIST 3033War and the Military in American Society from the Revolution to the Gulf War
HIST 3035The United States and the Wars in Indochina, 1945–1975
HIST 3045International History of the Cold War
HIST 3046The Cold War in the Third World
HIST 3061The Holocaust
HIST 3062War Crimes Trials
HIST 3332History of American Foreign Policy Since World War II (Part 1)
HIST 3333History of American Foreign Policy Since World War II (Part 2)
HIST 3334The Nuclear Arms Race
PSC 2334Global Perspectives on Democracy
PSC 2336State–Society Relations in the Developing World
PSC 2338Nationalism
PSC 2440Theories of International Politics
PSC 2442International Organizations
or PSC 2442W International Organizations
PSC 2444Public International Law
PSC 2446U.S. Foreign Policy
PSC 2449International Security Politics
or PSC 2449W International Security Politics
PSC 2451Theory of War
or PSC 2451W Theory of War
PSC 2476The Arab-Israeli Conflict
Social, economic, and environmental justice: three courses (9 credits)
ANTH 3513Anthropology of Human Rights
or ANTH 3513W Anthropology of Human Rights
ECON 2136Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ECON 2151Economic Development
or ECON 2151W Economic Development
ECON 2167Economics of Crime
ECON 3161Public Finance: Expenditure Programs
GEOG 2133People, Land, and Food
GEOG 2134Energy Resources
GEOG 2136Water Resources
GEOG 2148Economic Geography
GEOG 3132Environmental Quality and Management
GEOG 3143Urban Sustainability
or GEOG 3143W Urban Sustainability
GEOL 3131Global Climate Change
PHIL 2124Philosophies of Disability
or PHIL 2124W Philosophies of Disability
PHIL 2125Philosophy of Race and Gender
or PHIL 2125W Philosophy of Race and Gender
PHIL 2135Ethics in Business and the Professions
PHIL 2281Philosophy of the Environment
PSC 2221African American Politics
PSC 2225Women and Politics
PSC 2240Poverty, Welfare, and Work
PSC 2337Development Politics
PSC 2367Human Rights
or PSC 2367W Human Rights
PSYC 3125Cross-Cultural Psychology
PSYC 3126Multicultural Psychology
or PSYC 3126W Multicultural Psychology
PSYC 3173Community Psychology
PUBH 2114Environment, Health, and Development
PUBH 2115Health, Human Rights, and Displaced Persons
PUBH 3132Health and Environment
PUBH 3133Global Health and Development
PUBH 3150Sustainable Energy and Environmental Health
SMPA 3460Race, Media, and Politics
SMPA 3471Media in the Developing World
SMPA 3472Media and Foreign Policy
SOC 2170Class and Inequality in American Society
or SOC 2170W Class and Inequality in American Society
SOC 2173Social Movements
SOC 2175Sociology of Sex and Gender
SOC 2177Sociology of the Sex Industry
SOC 2179Race and Minority Relations
SOC 2184Violence and the Family
Special topics courses may count toward the major with the approval of the program director.

*Students are encouraged to study abroad.

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

Special Honors are awarded to students who meet the requirements stated under University Regulations, maintain a grade-point average of 3.5, and receive a minimum grade of A– in PSTD 3190 Peace Studies Seminar.