The Master’s in Conflict Resolution and Governance offers you education on the broad spectrum of conflict resolution theory, research and practice. The causes, characteristics, significance and consequences of conflicts are studied in relation to the dynamics of public governance. You will learn how to analyse conflicts, negotiate their resolution and link conflict research with its practice.
Would you like to know more about conflicts? Their shifts in character and significance? The possibilities for actions in real-life situations? And how to transform conflict into a resource for democratic governance?
The Conflict Resolution and Governance programme provides you with a foundation in theory and research that helps you analyse conflicts and conflict resolution efforts in relationship to the dynamics of public governance.
You are given the opportunity to develop a command of diverse resources needed to respond to analytical challenges presented by local, regional, and global conflicts and to situate contemporary events in a historical and comparative perspective.
The case-oriented approach of the programme helps you to develop skills and experience through the analysis of action in settings that are grounded in comparative and historical perspectives.
The programme is rigorous and intensive. You are expected to develop your capacity to work independently and in groups. Students come to the programme from a wide range of disciplinary and cultural backgrounds. This diverse group is linked by a shared interest in developing their theoretical and research competence in close relationship with practices located at the boundary between conflict resolution and governance.
You will develop the capacity to employ theoretical orientations to make sense of the range of influences (from global to local and instrumental to identity-based and institutional) that shape conflicts and their relationship to governance. Your capacity to draw on the most vexing features of contemporary conflicts to shape governance regimes from the fabric of crisis will be increased. You will gain skills in conflict analysis, in negotiation and conflict resolution, and in linking research with practice.
All lecturers in the Master’s programme in Conflict Resolution and Governance are prominent researchers at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). This connection with the AISSR provides students with access to various academic opportunities. The Master’s thesis is based on a topic that students develop individually within a common research project. Research and writing are conducted in a tutorial setting with a member of the programme faculty.
Upon successful completion of Conflict Resolution and Governance, students receive a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Conflict Resolution and Governance.
Join a community of scholars working in Paris across languages, cultures and different educational systems to develop conflict resolution and humanitarian skills, global solidarity networks and future civil society alliances. The MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution and Civil Society Development is a two-year, bilingual program with the University of Paris I-Sorbonne.
Our close working relationship with the Sorbonne enlarges our community of scholars, permitting students of the program to focus on multidisciplinary study, ethical reflection and internationalism.
The joint program between AUP and the Sorbonne-Paris I provides several unique features:
Learning two languages and studying across two universities, you will be uniquely immersed in two ways of viewing the world.
As part of the program, you will engage with the world outside of AUP through The Hague, Oxford and Ecole de Guerre practica, along with cultural trips offered by other programs, such as those in India, Fez and Cambodia. This type of on-site learning or fieldwork encourages you to interact with a professional environment and often within the context of another language and culture.
As a student of the MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution and Civil Society, you will engage with discipline-specific theoretical constructs through modules designed to enhance critical thinking, as well as graduate-level research and writing capacities.
The program features core and elective courses, allowing you to focus on various fields of practice. We cover a rich scope of content from law to international relations and diplomacy, from conflict resolution to human rights, including:
Graduates from the MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution and Civil Society Development go on to meaningful careers in diverse fields. The interdisciplinary and rigorous nature of the program produces professionals and scholars equipped to engage with and lead in a rapidly evolving global landscape. View career results for graduates of the MA in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development program.
Our faculty and staff work closely will work closely with you to provide one-on-one intellectual mentoring and support that will enable you to make a difference in the world when you graduate.
This postgraduate programme in mediation and conflict resolution, now in its fifth year, provides a thorough, practical and exciting introduction to this developing area.
Still the only course of its kind in the UK, the programme is rigorous and multi-disciplinary, exposing you to a wide range of approaches as well as being taught by experts from across the UK.
The skills of conflict resolution are crucial in contemporary life. Professionals in business, public bodies and the law are increasingly expected to act in a collaborative way and to resolve disputes without the delay and expense of litigation. Mediation is fast becoming a core skill. For those working in international settings the core modules can be combined with other classes such as International Human Rights Law to provide the foundation for work with charities and non-governmental organisations committed to conflict resolution.
In response to popular demand, from 2014/15 you can graduate with either an LLM or MSc. Students whose dissertations deal with significant legal or justice questions receive recognition via an LLM. Those who take a social science or empirical approach will graduate with an MSc. This division reflects the range of students taking the course, who include:
The course combines theoretical and practical elements. It's recently been accredited by the Scottish Mediation Network.
You’ll enhance your confidence in dealing with interpersonal and organisational conflict while developing your communication and problem-solving skills. You can also gain practical experience through our Mediation Clinic.
Successful completion of the course will provide you with:
The course can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis via a combination of evening and weekend classes, distance learning and personal study.
On a full-time basis, the LLM/MSc requires you to complete three modules in each of two semesters followed by a dissertation in a chosen research topic. Part-time students would normally undertake three modules per year.
As well as a rigorous theoretical grounding in the principles of mediation and conflict resolution, the course provides opportunities for you to acquire the skills of a mediator through simulations and case studies.
A unique aspect of studying for this qualification is that, as a student on the course, you can become a member of the Mediation Clinic. This is a student-led mediation service for the Greater Glasgow area.
The clinic exists to help people resolve disputes without going to court or tribunal. Since February 2014, it's been providing an in-court mediation service for small claims party litigants at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Each mediation is conducted by a lead mediator and student mediator.
Find out more about the mediation clinic.
Our library has a wide range of law reports, legislation, serials and monographs. It also has duplicate sets of key law report series, houses extensive collections in government publications and other related areas.
You’ll have access to a wide range of electronic information sources which can be accessed from home, including all the major legal databases.
Graduates at Certificate, Diploma or Masters level all fulfil the training requirements for the Scottish Mediation Register.
Lectures are delivered on weekday evenings and weekends.
There are normally two assessments for each class – a practical and written assessment.
Many students take their qualification into their existing professions, for example law, human resources, construction, education, management, social work and trade unions. A number of large law firms now have dispute resolution departments. Legal practitioners find the qualification a useful addition to their CV. HR managers who have taken the course report regular use of their mediation skills. Managers and social workers say they use them daily.
Former students are now working in community, homelessness and family mediation. Others have integrated mediation into their business offering.
Our Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies MA offers a multidisciplinary, comparative study of national, ethnic and religious conflicts in deeply divided societies. It focuses on cases from the Middle East, comparing these to case studies from around the world, examining the theoretical literature on the causes and consequences of conflict, conflict regulation, and internationally led and grassroots peace processes.
This course examines the causes, consequences and outcomes of national, ethnic and religious conflicts in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It will give you an understanding of theories of conflict and conflict regulation in deeply divided societies and how these apply to a wide range of cases, with special but not exclusive attention given to the Middle
East. Topics covered include, indicatively, the dynamics of nationalism, sectarianism and identity, the role of civil society in peace processes, truth and reconcilation commissions, and the role of collective memory.
Teaching
For every 20-credit module, we will provide you with two hours of teaching a week during term time, and we expect you to undertake 180 hours of independent study. For your dissertation, you will have a twelve-session Research Methods course and four hours of consultation with a supervisor. You will undertake 580 hours of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Taught modules: Full-time students can typically expect six hours of lectures/seminars per week and part-time students can expect four hours of lectures/seminars per week in the first year and two hours of lectures/seminars per week in the second year, plus the dissertation methods course and the dissertation module.
Dissertation module: 12-session Research Methods course and four contact hours of consultation with a supervisor.
The approximate workload for 20-credit modules offered by the Department of Middle Eastern Studies is 20 hours of lectures and seminars and 180 hours of self-guided learning. Dissertation: 580 hours self-study and project work.
Assessment
We assess Conflict & Coexistence in Divided Societies module by essays and class participation.
We assess optional taught modules by essay and, in some cases, by class participation.
Our graduates take the skills that they develop to become leaders in the public and private sectors, academia, government, diplomacy and journalism.
This MA programme is designed to critically examine the theoretical and methodological issues surrounding the dynamics of peace and conflict in the contemporary world. The programme engages with the work of leading peace and conflict studies scholars, at both conceptual and empirical levels, and draws on evidence from a range of recent armed conflicts.
The programme also addresses techniques in conflict resolution, such as mediation, in order to deepen your understanding, and to develop practical skills in conflict analysis. The programme also uses optional modules from Politics to support the core programme.
You will take five taught modules each assessed by a 5,000 word essay. The programme culminates in the writing of a 20,000-word dissertation in a subject area of your own choosing.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
The M.S. in Conflict Analysis & Resolution is designed to train reflective professionals in the practice, design, and evaluation of a variety of conflict resolution applications. The M.S. program focuses on pragmatic approaches to solving problems inherent in human social relations. Students are exposed to a wide array of techniques and strategies to help people achieve nonviolent, non-litigious solutions for conflicts that arise in many personal, professional, organizational, and social environments. The M.S. program consists of a 12-course (36 credits) sequence that includes conflict resolution theory, practice skills, field placement, research design, and program evaluation.
Graduates of our Master's program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution who decide to continue their studies and are accepted into our Ph.D. program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, can transfer up to 15 credit hours to the Ph.D. program, thereby reducing the total number of credits for the doctoral program.
The M.S. program is offered in both residential and distance learning formats. These flexible formats allow mid-career working adults and those unable to attend the on-campus program, to study conflict resolution in a creative, rigorous, and structured fashion.
Students may enroll full or part time, taking six to nine credit hours per trimester. Students who attend full-time can expect to complete the program in 15 months. Part-time students will complete the program in 2 years. Summer attendance is mandatory.
Students taking online classes are required to attend 2 Residential Institutes (RI) per academic year. Each RI is 5 days. Currently the RIs are held in February and October. Please visit the Residential Institute for current information.
Master's students are provided NSU computer accounts including email and Blackboard, but must obtain their own Internet service providers, use their own computer systems and have a usable web camera. Online students use the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and other information, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of Blackboard as a course management system. Online activities facilitate frequent student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction. They are supported by threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, Blackboard enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors' reviews of assignments online in the same formats.
Masters students must complete a minimum of 36-credits; successfully pass a field practicum and a Comprehensive Examination or an optional thesis to be eligible for the degree. Students must also maintain a 3.0 GPA through completion of the degree. Some courses have specific prerequisite requirements that students must meet; these should be checked to ensure compliance. If a student chooses to they may opt to do the master's thesis.
Core Courses
Masters Theses Option
The student may write a research thesis. The thesis is 6 credits and counts as two electives. Instead of the electives offered in the fall and winter trimesters of the second year, thesis students register for Master's Thesis. Entrance into the thesis track is not automatic; students must meet eligibility requirements. For details regarding the Master's, please visit Conflict Analysis and Resolution Student Resources for the Master's Thesis handbook.
Practicum is a student centered learning experience that is supervised by professionals at a variety of local, regional, national, and international organizations, as well as monitored by the practicum coordinator and guided by faculty teaching the practicum sequence. Practicum I and II are offered both residentially and online, during the fall, winter and summer terms. Doctoral students do have the option of doing Teaching and Training which is offered in the fall, followed by a Teaching and Training practicum in the winter term. Students may follow either of these tracks.
Practicum provides opportunities that you must be active in creating. It provides the chance to explore employment settings and obtain a realistic feel for your level of expertise in conflict analysis and resolution. Practicum also offers you a preview of locations where conflict resolution is currently being used or where it can be introduced. Practicum essentially allows you to explore the field in an individually focused, yet supervised manner. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore and to appreciate the new contacts you make. Experiences like these can help establish your personal and professional reputation within the community.
Please visit Student Resources for the Practicum Handbook and forms.
This MA explores how contemporary politics, conflict and debates about human rights and security are informed by the processes of globalisation.
You will study topics including human rights and humanitarian intervention, the world economy and the changing global order, global governance and the United Nation system, the growth of global networks and movements, global security, conflict resolution and peace-building, international relations and law, global poverty and development, and the politics of sustainability and environmental decline. Because globalisation transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, our MA takes an interdisciplinary approach to challenge conventional political and international relations approaches.
There are two core modules: Globalisation and Global Politics, and Conflict, Security and Human Rights. You can also select two optional modules to focus on an area of particular interest, for example human rights and humanitarian intervention, global environmental politics, the Middle East, conflict resolution, genocide, international relations theory, the nature of warfare, and global ethics.
On the Globalisation: Politics, Conflict and Human Rights MA, you will:
The programme is founded on the notion that politics, conflict and human rights must now be understood in the context of contemporary globalisation.
Globalisation and Global Politics
This module begins by examining a range of approaches to globalisation and global politics before exploring the processes, institutions and ideologies that are widely considered to be driving them. For example, economic globalisation is studied in relation to the financial crisis of 2008 and wider debates about global economic disorder. In particular, the emphasis is on fostering an informed understanding of contemporary globalisation through study of critical theories, debates about power, patterns of global poverty and inequality, and development responses.
In relation to claims about a shift in global power, the rise of China and its implications for the Asia-Pacific Region and the rest of the world are explored. At an institutional level, the Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights are examined. The politics of global sustainability is considered in relation to the formation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, the politics of a transnational/global movement is investigated through the study of La Via Campesina.
Conflict, Security and Human Rights
This module examines contemporary conflict, security and human rights debates in relation to globalisation and the evolution of global politics. Areas and issues examined include: the relationship between global security and international relations theory; conflict resolution theory and the prospects of conflict resolution in Syria; state building and peace-building in Somalia; and a global NGO (Amnesty International) dedicated to monitoring conflict and human rights abuses.
Environmental security is considered within the context of global environmental decline, focusing in particular on Moscow’s apparent resource-based approach to international relations. As for human rights, the major theories and critiques are examined, with specific reference to humanitarian intervention and the emergence of the concept of human security. In this vein, the politics of movement under contemporary globalisation is explored by studying the Geneva Convention and the rights of refugees.
Modules
Two from:
This MA is relevant to careers in the public sector, teaching, the media, the legal profession, business, journalism, management and human resources, as well as to further research. You may also seek work in development, charities, non-governmental organisations and the environment, as well as the European Union and the United Nations.
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