The Department of Peace and Security Studies (DoPSS) is a teaching and research centre at the Faculty of Sustainable Development Studies of the University for Development Studies. It was established in 2020 as a Centre by the University for Development Studies to provide a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing conflict and security issues in the northern part of Ghana. In July 2023, the then Centre for Peace and Security Studies was converted into the Department of Peace and Security Studies. The Department is the first of its kind to engage in teaching and research in the areas of peace, conflict studies and security in Northern Ghana. It also remains the only Department in Ghana to run academic undergraduate programmes on peace, conflict and security.

The Department of Peace and Security Studies is predominantly concerned with conducting research, producing graduates with peace-building skills through transformative pedagogy, and developing curriculum content that is designed to prepare students to pursue the objectives of peace and security within the Ghanaian society and beyond. The Department has developed academic programmes that offer courses related to peace and security programming and conflict resolution, as well as practical skills in peace and security education.

The University for Development Studies was established by PNDCL 279 (1992) to blend academic research and community practice as a means of helping communities to solve their development challenges. Peace is central to development and should, therefore, reflect in the academic disciplines of the University given its mandate. Situated at the Faculty of Sustainable Development Studies, the Department of Peace and Security Studies provides an avenue through which the university can integrate peace discourse into its various programmes. This is especially necessary for northern Ghana given the several long-standing conflicts and security issues in the area. The uniqueness of the DoPSS is its integration of peace, conflict, security and development issues.

Vision
To be an academic Centre of Excellence that promotes learning and research as well as advocacy in the areas of peace, conflict and security studies in Ghana.

Mission
To enhance the capacity of various stakeholders, including students, in peacebuilding and conflict resolution through training, education, research, policy dialogues, advocacy and dissemination of knowledge.

Overall Strategic Goal
By the end of 2026, the Department of Peace and Security Studies will become a knowledge hub and a leading institution of higher education in the areas of peace, conflict, security studies and research in northern Ghana.