Naropa University Launches New Online BA in Political & Justice Studies
Students learn to analyze power, practice compassion, and drive change—anywhere they live.
BOULDER, COLORADO—November 14, 2025—Naropa University has announced the launch of its Bachelor of Arts in Political & Justice Studies, a groundbreaking 100% online degree program designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical grounding needed to shape more just, compassionate, and resilient societies.
Enrollment for the program opens now, with the first cohort beginning in Fall 2026.
The program is being introduced at a moment when political polarization, systemic inequities, and global crises demand leaders who can combine rigorous policy knowledge with mindfulness, ethical reflection, and practical action.
“The study of politics and justice is not merely about systems of power, but about cultivating the consciousness capable of transforming them,” said Stephen Polk, Dean of Naropa College and Core Associate Professor. “The contemplative approach of Naropa’s Political and Justice Studies major begins with the individual—each student’s values, principles and lived experiences form the foundation for deeper political understanding. In the spirit of popular education, students use this personal insight as a starting point for engaging the world with clarity and purpose.”
A Contemplative and Experiential Approach to Politics and Justice
Rooted in Naropa’s pioneering model of contemplative education, the program brings together Political Science and Justice Studies with hands-on community engagement. Students will explore the intersections of law, governance, globalization, migration, justice reform and ecological responsibility while reflecting deeply on their own values and leadership.
Key program hallmarks include:
- Mindfulness-based approach: Every course integrates mindful inquiry and self-reflection, helping students examine not only systems of power but also their role in shaping change.
- Experiential learning: Students complete service-learning projects and internships with nonprofits, government agencies, advocacy groups or restorative justice programs.
- Community-based problem solving: Curriculum emphasizes practical solutions to systemic challenges, from urban policing to climate justice, ensuring students engage with the issues most urgent to communities.
- Faculty mentorship: Small class sizes and close interaction with scholar-practitioners offer students the chance to learn from leaders in ethics, political theory, and grassroots organizing.
The program culminates with a capstone project and an internship, enabling students to apply academic knowledge to real-world challenges in governance, advocacy or community organizing.
“At Naropa University, all programs are uniquely distinguished by contemplative education that blends the best of conceptual and experiential learning—for the head and the hands—with an intentionally mindful approach to emotion and spirit for the heart,” said Dr. Paul Burkhardt, president of Naropa. “In these times of growing anxiety and upheaval, Naropa’s approach to contemplative education is the cure. Naropa teaches people how understandings of systems of oppression—coupled with mindful approaches for compassion and collaboration from different wisdom traditions—enable transformative change through the peaceful power of solidarity.”
The BA in Political & Justice Studies will be offered 100% online, making Naropa’s distinct contemplative approach accessible to students nationwide who want to pair academic excellence with meaningful social impact. Learn more at BA Political and Justice Studies Online.
About Naropa University
Naropa University, nestled in Boulder, Colorado, was established in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Drawing its name and inspiration from the teachings of the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, this private university stands out distinctly among America’s higher education landscape in its effort to integrate eastern wisdom with traditional western scholarship. Recognized as the pioneering force behind contemplative higher education and the start of the modern mindfulness movement, Naropa University is the sole institution to integrate a university-wide contemplative pedagogical approach.
At Naropa, education transcends the ordinary; the institution embraces the entirety of its students—mind, body and spirit—augmenting traditional methodologies with practices like meditation. Since receiving its accreditation in 1986, Naropa University consistently upholds the exacting standards for quality and accountability set by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Learn more at naropa.edu.
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