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Minor

Violence

This minor explores the origin of violent behaviour. Why do people, groups, or states commit violent offenses? What are characteristics and explanations of violent behaviour? How can we study and understand violence? This minor offers an interdisciplinary set of courses about various forms of violence, ranging from the interpersonal level, the group level to the level of states and social structures.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Introduction: Setting the stage for the study on violence
    6
  • Violence 1: Interpersonal violence
    6
  • Violence 2: Group violence
    6
  • Violence 3: Structural violence
    6
  • The violence project
    6
You can find course descriptions in the Course Catalogue.

Study programme

What is this minor about?

Lecturer Machteld Hoeve tells you more about it in this video. 

Importance of the interdisciplinary orientation

The appearances, types, and impact of violence in social interactions are complex and far-reaching. In this minor we bring together a diverse array of disciplinary approaches and theories to help students study this complexity and to help them reflect critically on the roles of violence in human life. The multidisciplinary character of the minor will present students with approaches they will not encounter while enrolled in a monodisciplinary program and, as such, will challenge them to think across disciplinary borders and ideas.

The minor is formed around a nucleus of lecturers from anthropology, development studies, child development and political science, with guest lectures from other disciplines. Throughout the minor’s courses – the introductory course, followed by Violence 1, 2 and 3 - these disciplinary perspectives and their differences, overlaps and connections continuously come to the fore. The final course of the minor, the “Violence Project”, sees students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds working together in teams in research projects. Demonstrated (successful) usage of multidisciplinarity will be an important criterion in the grading of the project’s end result.

Entry requirements

You can apply for this minor if you are a Bachelor’s student and have obtained at least 60 ECTS from university-level courses or if you have finished at least 90 ECTS of your HBO degree programme (90 ECTS, Dutch higher vocational education) at the time of application.

When applying, please submit:

  • a signed and stamped extract of your study results (for non-UvA students).

Application and admission

The registration period for a minor in the academic year 2026 – 2027 is 1 April (10 am CET) to 6 May 2026 (5 pm CET).

A limited number of 30 places are available for minor Violence.
If there are more applications than available places, a draw will determine your placement. The timing of your application within the specified registration period will not affect your chances of being placed. 

Apply for this minor

Non-UvA-students: This minor is part of the Pedagogical Sciences degree programme. For your registration as an elective student, select the Pedagogische wetenschappen - elective programme in Studielink.
 

Contact

Mail your questions to the minor coordinator Ilvy Defoe.

Minor Violence
Lecturers of the Minor Violence: Ivy Defoe, Erella Grassiani, Eveline van Vugt, and Don Weenink (left to right).
Facts & Figures
Credits
30 ECTS ECTS, 1 semester
Language of instruction
English
Starts in
September
Location
Roeterseiland campus