UMass/Boston was among the first to offer graduate programs in the critical area of conflict management and dispute resolution. Since 1986, nearly 1000 students from North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have participated in our programs.

The Graduate Programs in Dispute Resolution benefit students from such varied fields as business, education, elder care, environmental sciences, public policy, health care, human resources, labor relations, law and law enforcement, ministry, and both public and private sector management. It is useful to:

• mid-career professionals for whom negotiating and handling conflict is a major part of their working lives, as well as those wishing to make a career shift into dispute resolution,and

• recent graduates planning a career dealing with conflict management and resolution.

WHAT OUR GRADUATES SAY

“Great professors, great student colleagues, great discussions helped me gain a deeper grasp of the theory behind some of the “boundary spanning” I had been doing…. The internship was a particular highlight for me. It provided an opportunity to try, test and fine tune my mediation skills in a very different environment (the MA court system) under the watchful eye of a trained mediator. The program…has enriched my work life.”
Jon Braley, Director, Global Bid Desk, Hewlett Packard Corp; Master’s Graduate, 2000

“The program has a solid reputation as one of the best in the nation-- not in small part due to the excellence of the faculty. I was privileged to study and work with some of the brightest minds in the field. UMass Boston gave me solid academic and practical bases for my future. After graduating, I was offered a job working as a full-time professional mediator, facilitator and, later, as an Ombudsperson.”
Camilo Azacarte, Ombudsperson, Princeton University; Master’s Graduate ‘99

“In every professional, volunteer, and personal context the enhanced perspective that came from the program has made me more understanding, analytical, relaxed---and therefore, I truly believe, more effective in communications, problem-solving, and negotiations.… It’s definitely made me a happier and more capable lawyer/citizen/friend/volunteer/family member.”

“I met some excellent people among the fellow students, faculty, and staff. I also liked studying at UMass Boston, a "people's university." I wish I had done this earlier in my life!”
Jody Williams, Juvenile Care & Protection Attorney; Certificate Graduate ‘99

“I had been working in the ADR field since 1991…However, I knew I was missing something…. My practice lacked what I consider substance…until I entered the Dispute Resolution Program at UMB. Prior to studying at UMB, I … lacked a deeper understanding of the rich history, culture, traditions and values that play such an important role in resolving conflict.”
Jeannie Adams, Director of the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division at the District of Columbia Courts; Master’s Graduate, 2004

PROGRAMS OFFERED

The Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution focuses on pragmatic approaches to the resolution of conflict. Students study the theory, methods, and ethical perspectives of conflict resolution and participate in a field internship in the district court system. Successful completion of the certificate program allows practitioners to meet current and proposed qualification standards of most professional Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) organizations.

The Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution is designed to allow students and professionals to explore the practice, design, and evaluation of a variety of conflict management and resolution applications. It allows for in-depth investigation of conflict in specific settings, be they organizational, international, or interpersonal in nature.

UMass Boston also offers a PhD in Public Policy with a concentration in Dispute Resolution. The Public Policy PhD is designed to educate students in methods and approaches to public policy analysis in a variety of policy areas.  The program provides interdisciplinary study at both the theoretical and applied levels, drawing on a variety of academic disciplines. The nine-credit concentration in Dispute Resolution allows students to focus on the role of conflict and conflict resolution in policies affecting areas such as international relations, state and local government and non-profit organizations.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Outstanding Faculty
Our full-time faculty includes respected researchers and practitioners in the field of conflict resolution. They combine theory and practical experience in settings ranging from public schools and business/labor disputes to international conflicts. Part-time faculty, drawn from the Boston area’s rich academic and professional ranks, provide specialized-focus courses.

• Interesting Classmates
The majority of our students are mid-career professionals. We also attract a consistent stream of international students, as well as some students just starting out on their career. Students come from a variety of fields and backgrounds, adding to the richness of in-class discussion, providing exposure and insights into different fields, and enabling networking opportunities.

• Course Schedules Designed to Accommodate Working Professionals
Classes are scheduled exclusively during late afternoon, evening and week-end hours.

• Flexible Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Our curriculum allows students to explore a wide range of options. Once students have developed and honed their basic skills, they can explore conflict in specific contexts. Couse offerings within the department allow Masters students, if they choose, to concentrate their studies in either organizational or international conflict.

Through the use of elective courses in other departments of UMass Boston, students in the Masters program can also focus on conflict analysis and management in health care, public policy, education, environmental issues, labor relations, and family systems, to name a few.

• Location, Location, Location
Students in this program benefit from our location of our campus -- metropolitan Boston, which has become a world-renowned center for the study and practice of conflict management and dispute resolution. Our students participate in advanced field placements with many public and private dispute resolution organizations actively engaged in conflict intervention. Public lectures, workshops and networking opportunities are available weekly at UMass Boston and neighboring universities. Few metropolitan areas offer dispute resolution resources comparable to those found in Boston.

Once you’re in Boston, UMass Boston is easy to get to either by private vehicle or public transportation. It's located right off Route 93, adjacent to the JFK Library. A free shuttle bus runs regularly between the UMass/JFK Red Line MBTA station and the UMass Boston campus.

The University of Massachusetts Boston, part of the five-member UMass system, is an urban public university. Its modern campus, located just three miles from downtown Boston, sits on a peninsula overlooking Boston Harbor.

In addition to the Dispute Resolution programs, UMass Boston offers more than 30 master’s degree programs, 19 graduate certificate programs, and 9 doctoral programs; it is also home to various institutes and centers fostered by the Graduate College of Education and the McCormack Graduate School for Policy Studies. These diverse resources provide Dispute Resolution students with opportunities to expand and enhance their learning.

WORKSHOPS, SPEAKERS, AND CONFERENCES

Our students have the opportunity to enhance their learning in a variety of settings outside the classroom. Monthly “Brown Bag” discussions and the annual Slomoff Visiting Lectureship give students access to practitioners from a variety of fields and perspectives. A biennial Conflict Studies Conference brings to campus speakers and graduate students from across the country and international locations.

Recent speakers have included Eric Green (mediator in the settlement agreement between Microsoft and various government agencies), John Marks (President of the international group Search for Common Ground), and Lt. General Romeo Dallaire, former UN Commander during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.