The purpose of this exploratory research study was to examine the perceptions of seven northeast United States, college-based, Peace Education program directors regarding their respective programs' characteristics and the challenges they face. This qualitative study was designed to fill a gap in the literature by examining the perceptions of university peace studies directors in order to better understand the organizations they operate, as well as aspects of their leadership that help them navigate the complexities of higher education. With Bolman and Deal's (2013) four frame model as a conceptual framework, the study used interviewing in a semi-structured format for data collection. Additional data was collected using the results of the Bolman and Deal's (1991) Leadership Orientations Survey completed by the program directors, as well as reviews of program websites.The findings indicated that program directors demonstrate strong communication skills, take great care to foster collaborative relationships, and empower staff to participate in decision making. Directors consistently cited the importance of building trust through open and collaborative relationships, the need to foster high levels of participation and involvement of others in their program, and showing high levels of support and concern for others. There was strong evidence that community building activities were an integral part of the programs. The findings of the leadership orientations survey indicated a focus on the human resources frame and symbolic frame by the peace education directors. This is consistent with the high value they placed on human resource and symbolic characteristics of their programs during the interviews. Overall, perceptions of program directors indicated that despite the ongoing challenges and fierce competition for limited resources in higher education, the program directors are managing to find ways make their programs viable, which a testament to their leadership capabilities and principled direction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]