Curriculum & Course Descriptions

MS in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies

Courses listed here are subject to change.

Course List

Required

Residency Electives

Online Electives

MED 533 - Legal Issues in Mediation
MED 536 - Technology, Mediation and Conflict Resolution
MED 531 - Land-Use Mediation
MED 532 - Public Policy
MED 534 - International Mediation and Conflict Resolution
MED 535 - System and Conflict
MED 537 - Thesis

Class Descriptions

MED 501 - Negotiation (3 credits)

Negotiation is one of the basic components of mediation. This course is designed to integrate knowledge of negotiation theory and behaviors into your conflict intervention strategies. You will focus on the sources and role of “power” in negotiation, explore the strengths and weaknesses of integrative and distributive bargaining techniques, understand which ones you tend to use, and develop your ability to manage the consequences of different negotiation styles coming into contact with one another.

MED 502 - Interpersonal Conflict (3 credits)

Mediators do not check their “conflict selves” at the door — every mediator is influenced by beliefs about conflict and the ways they engage conflict in their own lives. This course invites you to explore your “conflict self,” the ways your own conflict engagement behavior enhances and limits your effectiveness as an intervener. You will confront conflict as a way to more deeply understand and appreciate the experience you ask your parties to undertake in each mediation. This course has a 2-day residency.

MED 503 - Conflict Intervention Skills (6 credits)

Students will learn to use tools, techniques and strategies to assist parties in problem solving and conflict engagement. We will explore various theoretical frameworks and approaches to conflict and learn to identify when specific tools might be most useful within any given framework. This course relies heavily on the concept of reflection in practice, and students will learn how to use self-reflection as a tool for building competence. The course has a 9-day residency.

MED 504 - Principles of Conflict Analysis (3 credits)

An important part of being a competent mediator is the ability to use conflict theory to inform practice. This course explores interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks for interpreting conflict through a broad range of academic disciplines — communications, law, social psychology, anthropology and dispute resolution. Students critically evaluate the respective bodies of theory and test theoretical principles against their own experiences in managing conflict. Current models, approaches and styles of mediation and their theoretical underpinnings and applications are also introduced.

MED 505 - Fieldwork I (3 credits)

Students will be expected to observe and participate in 40 hours of real mediations/interventions in their home community. Students will bring questions and descriptions of real cases for classroom discussion and supervision. Case supervision will focus on mastery of skills, conflict analysis, evaluation of appropriateness for mediation, and an ability to utilize conflict theory, application considerations, agreement writing and professionalism.

MED 511 - Advanced Practice I (1.5 credits)

This course moves the student into intensive work in understanding the “mind of the mediator” and developing practice to the form of an art. This course directs the student to look at and understand how their preferences and beliefs affect the mediator’s work with clients. Students will also become proficient at making and explaining strategic choices in a conflict process.

MED 512 - Advanced Practice II (1.5 credits)

This advanced skills course advances the ability of students to strengthen and nuance the skills developed in MED 511. Students will gain competency in applying analysis, strategic thinking and process design to a number of types of conflicts including multi-party issues. Continuing their work on basic skills and self-reflection, students will also explore and gain competency in working in conflicts in cultural settings other than their own.

MED 513 - Applied Research and Evaluation for Mediators (3 credits)

Students develop the practical research, evaluation and project proposal-writing skills needed to keep current with, and contribute to, academic and professional research in the field of mediation and conflict studies. Through examining topics of strong interest to students, we will explore qualitative and quantitative research methods, create powerful research questions, design a research strategy, craft a program evaluation, develop a short literature review and formulate a grant proposal.

MED 514 - Ethics and Impartiality (3 credits)

Mediators have a responsibility to their clients, the public and the field to practice in an ethical manner. In this course you will explore the nature of ethical practice by examining the principle tenants of mediation, with particular emphasis on impartiality. Impartiality is a keystone characteristic and paramount ethical obligation of the independent mediator in North America. The skill of being fully engaged while maintaining the commitment to serve without bias toward either party is both difficult and essential.

MED 515 - Models of Mediation & History of the Field (3 credits)

Mediation, as a professional field of practice, has evolved from a long history of dispute resolution. This course samples traditional underpinnings in dispute resolution, takes an historical tour of mediation in the United States, surveys current mediation models and explores a variety of third party roles.

MED 516 - Fieldwork II (3 credits)

This is the second and final fieldwork class in the program. Students are nearing the end of their academic career. They therefore need to round out their education by thinking specifically and strategically about their careers and what content and skills areas they want to work on in the remaining time they have in the program.

MED 521- Organizational Conflict (1.5 credits)

Students will explore mediation and conflict management with organizations, work groups, departments or entire institutions. Issues of power, role and structure will be addressed and students will examine basic models of organizational life and specific approaches and tools for understanding and engaging organizations. Students will investigate values-based conflicts as they occur in organizational life and examine how mediator standards relate to this particular area of practice. Requires a 2.5-day residency.

MED 522 - Identity-Based Conflict (1.5 credits)

An essential part of conflict analysis and intervention is the ability to distinguish conflicts based on competing claims for limited resources from conflicts where the stakes involve the personal or social identities of the parties. Recognizing the identity dimension of conflict helps to inform choices of tools and strategies to support parties in their work. Students will explore this dimension of identity from the inside out, beginning with reflection on their own sources of personal and social identity.

MED 523 - Facilitation (1.5 credits)

Conflict intervention professionals are often called upon to design and facilitate formal and informal group processes to assist with group development, performance, conflict resolution, decision-making, and change management. Success in this type of work requires knowledge of the complexities of group dynamics, group conflict and cohesion, decision-making, process design and facilitation. This course prepares you to work with formal and informal groups, examines the professional role of the facilitator and offers opportunities to learn, practice and refine facilitation skills.

MED 524 - Family Mediation (1.5 credits)

This course explores the scope and practice of family mediation. Students will explore some of the challenges of family mediation referred by the courts and also of business or estate-planning mediations. Students will explore how the work interfaces with the work of other professionals such as attorneys, accountants, financial planners, alcohol and drug counselors, therapists, etc. Students will explore working with those professionals. Requires a 2.5-day residency.

MED 533 - Legal Issues in Mediation (3 credits)

Mediation of disputes often occurs in the “shadow of the law.” This online course introduces students to the legal process and the roles of its primary actors — lawyers, judges and legislators. By exploring the nature of civil law suits and rights-based advocacy, students will be able to appraise the relationship between mediation and the law, and understand how both the legal system and the mediation process affect disputing parties. The course also examines specific legal issues relevant to mediators, such as document drafting, professional liability, mandatory mediation and mediator certification.

MED 536 - Technology, Mediation and Conflict Resolution (3 credits)

Students develop the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to utilize information and communication technologies in their mediation, training and peace-building practices. We explore the history and development of these technologies and consider the ethical issues presented by online conflict intervention work. Emphasis is placed on hands-on experiences with various technologies: we examine and test out several leading online platform providers, Web-based initiatives, and information and communication technologies and apply our learnings through participation in Web-based demonstrations, case studies and simulations.

Other program course offerings:

MED 531 - Land-Use Mediation (3 credits)
MED 532 - Public Policy (3 credits)
MED 534 - International Mediation and Conflict Resolution (3 credits)
MED 535 - Systems and Conflict (3 credits)
MED 537 - Thesis (3 credits)