Masters Program
The Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution [M. A.] offers a comprehensive curriculum encompassing dispute resolution skill, practice, analysis, theory, and research. Students have the opportunity to explore conflict in a context of particular interest to them. Areas of concentration offered by the department include organizational and international conflict. These concentrations, as well as other topics of student interest, can be pursued through foundation and elective courses within the department, elective courses in other areas of the University, field placements in organizations, and design of final projects.
The M. A. program comprises 36 credit hours with two options for completing the requirements: Students can design a capstone final project unique to their individual interests and goals, or complete an intensive Integrative Seminar based on the theoretical concepts and approaches to practice that have been studied in their coursework. Both programs of study are detailed below.
The Masters program can be completed in two years of full-time study, or 3-4 years of part-time study.
Programs of Study
36 credits total, plus attendance at Department Colloquia [see below]
Masters Project Option: required courses [15 credits total]
DisRes 621: Negotiation 3 credits
DisRes 623: Introductory Theory 3 credits
DisRes 635: Research Methods in Dispute Resolution 3 credits
DisRes 693: Master's Project 6 credits
Balance of 21 credits (7 elective courses):
- Minimum of 12 credits (4 courses) within the Dispute Resolution department
- Maximum of 9 credits (3 courses) from other departments
Integrated Seminar Option: required courses [9 credits total]
DisRes 621: Negotiation 3 credits
DisRes 623: Introductory Theory 3 credits
DisRes XXX: Integrative Seminar 3 credits
Balance of 27 credits (9 elective courses):
- Minimum of 15 credits (5 courses) within the Dispute Resolution department
- Maximum of 12 credits (4 courses) from other departments
Concentrations in International Conflict and Organizational Conflict
Masters students, if they so desire, may earn their Masters with a formal concentration in either Organizational Conflict or International Conflict by taking a minimum of three courses from a pre-approved list of courses in each of these subject areas. These concentrations will be composed of courses both within the department of Dispute Resolution (see Optional Concentrations) and other departments on campus. The concentrations will be identified on the student’s transcript.
Elective credits
The department will establish and maintain a list of pre-approved courses offered by other graduate departments on campus that may be taken for elective credit. Graduate courses taken at other universities may be accepted for transfer credit with prior approval of the department. Any course offered in the Dispute Resolution department will automatically qualify for elective credit. Elective courses offered in any given year will vary. Elective offerings have included:
- 690: Mediation Internship [6 credits]
- 624: Cross-Cultural Conflict [3 credits]
- 625: Conflict Resolution Systems for Organizations [3 credits]
- 626: Advanced Intervention [3 credits] Overview of Conflict Intervention Processes
- 631: Family and Divorce Mediation [3 credits]
- 633: ADR in the Workplace [3 credits]
- 636: Conflict in Workgroups [3 credits]
- 697: Special Topics in Dispute Resolution [3 credits] - topics vary by term; recent topics have included International Intervention, Dispute Resolution in Public Disputes, and Terrorism and Conflict Resolution.
- 603: Advanced Negotiation and Mediation [3 credits] - topics vary by term. Recent topics have included Approaches
to International Conflict; Building Democracy in Africa: State, Society and Conflict Resolution; Multi-Party Disputes; Women
and Conflict; Arab
Israeli Negotiations; and Conflict
in Health Care.
Click here to view the current Academic Calendar and Class Schedules.
Dispute Resolution Colloquium Series
An important part of the Dispute Resolution program is the interaction with faculty and fellow students which takes place outside of the classroom. Departmental colloquia, which are scheduled monthly, provide an opportunity to discuss issues and share viewpoints.
Attendance at 5 of the 7 colloquia offered during the academic year is a graduation requirement.
All students in both the Masters and Certificate programs are strongly encouraged to attend as many of the colloquia as possible.
Click here to view the current Colloquium Series schedule
The Masters Project
Students design projects that integrate the knowledge and skills acquired during their training. Projects can take a variety of forms; examples include empirical research, apprenticeships with professionals or agencies, evaluations or analyses of existing practices, and creation of new conflict resolution programs or curricula tailored to specific, identified, unmet needs. Each project culminates in a work product, such as a research paper or written account of the applied project that demonstrates substantial progress beyond previous learning. Projects are reviewed by outside evaluators, and graded on a pass-fail basis.
The Integrative Seminar
Sudents participate in an intensive 3 credit seminar during their last semester of study. It requires the student to review all readings done in previous courses and complete at least three papers, integrating and comparing those readings. The seminar will support this exploration through class discussion and reading on the skills of integrating and comparing theoretical concepts and approaches to practice. Papers are reviewed by at least 2 faculty members, and graded on a pass-fail basis.