YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE
Kroc School of Peace Studies Master's in Conflict Management & Resolution
Beyond the Courtroom
How Law and Peace Work Together to Create Justice
Transforming Conflict Into Positive Change
Conflict is a normal part of all aspects of life—whether it happens within a family, a workplace, the communities where we live or between states—we can expect it as a natural part of human interaction. Through studying and learning more about the nature and dynamics of conflict, we can therefore respond to it constructively and let it shape the potential growth, development and opportunities that can emerge.
Where most see conflict as a problem, the Kroc School of Peace Studies considers it a normal part of the human experience and an opportunity to cultivate positive change.
Those who choose to work in conflict management and resolution intentionally develop the insights and tools that help encourage cultures where people move beyond the potentially destructive and violent aspects of conflict in order to maximize its creative potential.
Anyone who has a desire to positively impact relationships between individuals, between and within organizations, communities and nations will benefit from the advanced skills developed in a conflict management and resolution program.
A master’s degree in conflict resolution primarily benefits two types of professionals.
- Professionals who plan a new career dedicated to resolving conflict, such as:
- future mediators
- negotiators
- facilitators
- program monitors
- evaluation specialists
- Mid-career professionals in other fields who encounter conflict in their daily work, such as:
- human resource professionals
- healthcare workers
- military and law enforcement professionals
- management professionals
- Professionals who plan a new career dedicated to resolving conflict, such as:
- future mediators
- negotiators
- facilitators
- program monitors
- evaluation specialists
Applying effective conflict management and resolution skills is key to transforming conflict into positive social change and achieving harmony in our workplaces, communities, and nations. Pursuing peace and conflict studies can equip you with the knowledge and experience to:
- understanding the underlying causes of conflict
- anticipate, prevent, resolve or transform conflicts wherever they arise
- build more peaceful, just and collaborative societies
As a result, a conflict management and resolution degree will make you competitive in every sector: public, private or not-for profit.
Interested in learning where a conflict management and resolution degree can take you? Download our eBook, How Peace and Conflict Studies Make You a Top-Tier Job Candidate: Exploring The Field of Conflict Management and Resolution.
Why Choose the Kroc School's Flex MS in Conflict Management and Resolution?
The Flex Master of Science in Conflict Management and Resolution (MSCMR) prepares students to understand and transform interpersonal, group, organizational, community, and system level conflict in a variety of contexts.
The 30-unit Flex MSCMR program can be completed in 15-24 months. Full-time, part-time, and hybrid options are available.
- The only Peace Studies School on an international border
- Globally diverse student and alumni population from over 50 countries
- Explicit focus on identity-based conflict (ethnic, racial, national, gender and religion)
- Emphasis on human skills (dialogue, critical thinking, ethnography and trauma-informed practice)
- Scholar-practitioner professors actively engaged in applied peacebuilding
- Competitive fellowships and graduate assistantships offered
- Multidisciplinary approach that fosters creative and effective approaches to seemingly intractable situations
- Ongoing experimentation simulation and practice throughout the program
- Experiential learning opportunities in locations such as Colombia, Rwanda, Armenia and Mexico
- Focused study of organizational conflict using theories and real-world cases to uncover its root causes
Conflict Management and Resolution students learn conflict management skills and pursue a wide variety of careers across industries.
Some of our featured courses include:
FALL [YEAR 1]
Foundations: Peace, Justice & Social Change
3
Required
Conflict Analysis & Resolution
3
Core
Mediation
3
Skills & Methods
Restorative Justice Workshop
1
Elective
TOTAL
10
Required
SPRING [YEAR 2]
Intervention Design
3
Core
Facilitation & Dialogue Skills
2
Elective
Program Design, Monitoring & Evaluation
3
Skills & Methods
Intercultural Competency
2
Elective
Professional Portfolio
1
Required
TOTAL
11
Required
FALL [YEAR 2]
Intervention Design
3
Core
Facilitation & Dialogue Skills
2
Elective
Program Design, Monitoring & Evaluation
3
Skills & Methods
Intercultural Competency
2
Elective
Professional Portfolio
1
Required
TOTAL
11
Required
MSCMR Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA
3.0 (4.0 scale) in all undergraduate course work
Additional Requirements
- Essay response to prompts
- Professional Resume
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Official Transcripts
- No GRE Required
International Students
Review the Graduate Admissions website for additional required application materials.
MSCMR Graduate Requirements
Requirements
- Full-time or part-time status as a graduate student
- Approval of courses by faculty advisor
- Mandatory orientation
- 30 units of graduate work with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher
- Foundations: Peace, Justice & Social Change course (3 units)
- Core courses (6 units)
- Skills and methods courses (at least 6 units)
- Electives** (at least 11 units)
- Professional portfolio with a “B” or better (1 unit)
**Electives are chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Up to 6 units ofcoursework may be taken outside of the Kroc School. A maximum of 3 different 1-unit pass/fail electives can be taken, unless a faculty advisor approves otherwise.
Graduates have enrolled in the MSCMR program from around the world with a wide range of educational backgrounds and professional disciplines including non-profits, government agencies, advocacy organizations, the military, the arts, media, science and education and more. Immerse yourself in this diversity and gain a range of perspectives, empathy-building and stimulate your creative problem-solving.
The world needs more peacebuilders like you. Hone the skills and knowledge to guide your colleagues and communities through conflict ethically and effectively.