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Insights and Skills for Managing Conflict

UMass/Boston was among the first to offer graduate programs in the critical area of international conflict, 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.

The programs are especially 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.

Graduate Programs Offered

The Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution focuses on pragmatic approaches to the resolution of conflict, and offers a choice of curriculum between four 12-credit concentrations or two 18-credit dual-specializations. Students study the theory, methods, and ethical perspectives of conflict resolution and may participate in a field internship in the district court system. Successful completion of one of the mediation certificate programs 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.

Graduate 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. Course 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 the location of our campus in 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.