The online Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to resolve organizational conflicts that can have a significant impact on both budget and morale. Coursework focuses on real-world skills, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration and facilitation, along with other foundations of dispute resolution and alternative dispute resolution.
The Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution program is taught by instructors who bring years of industry experience to the classroom. You will receive a thorough education in how to handle disputes effectively, for both individuals and organizations. And because conflict resolution is an expanding and evolving field of professional practice, courses will teach the most up-to-date information possible.
When you graduate, you will possess the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to successfully resolve conflict for companies and individuals. You will be able to handle disputes as a manager, union representative, advocate or consultant or pursue a position such as arbitrator and mediator.
Note: This degree does not lead to any form of licensure or certification.
What makes this MA in Dispute Resolution program different?
*Degree can be earned in 12 months by those who take two courses per term for six consecutive terms.
What Can You Do With a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution?
Earning an online Master of Arts in Dispute Resolutions prepares graduates for success in a wide variety of fields. The skills learned in the program are immediately applicable to real-world situations. Students develop expertise in areas that include negotiation, mediation, arbitration and facilitation, as well as the other foundations of dispute resolution and alternative dispute resolution. Graduates from the master’s degree program can quality for jobs that include:
- Mediator
- Arbitrator
- Conflict Resolution Consultant
- Ombudsman
- Human Resources Specialist
- Community Relations Coordinator
- Legal Consultant
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists a wide range of jobs available with a MA in Dispute Resolution. The BLS reports the median salary for arbitrators, mediators and conciliators is $67,710.
The online TUW MA in Dispute Resolution curriculum is taught by instructors with years of industry experience. Graduates possess the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to successfully resolve conflicts for companies and individuals.
Source for BLS numbers: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes231022.htm#ind
Core Requirements
36 Semester Credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The field of conflict resolution has been developed academically as a discipline from diverse fields of knowledge. This course provides a foundation to the major schools of thought that contribute to the developments in social psychology, law, political science, social work, and business. The field of conflict resolution is also dynamically transforming, and the course introduces recent developments, particularly in the area of dynamical systems.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Negotiation is one of the most important strategies in conflict resolution and is used routinely by all humans to resolve conflict and potential conflict successfully. This course examines both theoretical and practical implications of diverse assumptions and strategies. Students develop a deeper self-awareness of their role in the creation, perpetuation, escalation and resolution of conflicts, as well as in relationship with the other party.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Mediation is a strategy frequently used by parties in conflict to constructively address incompatibilities. The role of the third party differs depending on the type of mediation being employed. New models of mediation have been developed recently and the field continues to develop and grow. Traditional methods of third party intervention, as well as, more recent alternative dispute resolution approaches will be explored. Students practice applying constructive conflict resolution skills toward becoming an effective impartial third party mediator.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The ombuds profession has seen a tremendous growth in interest as interest in alternative dispute resolution and integrated dispute resolution systems within organizations has increased. However, when asked, the average person in the United States still neither knows what an ombudsperson is nor the functions that an ombudsperson fulfills within an organization. This course will introduce students to the major theoretical and practical issues inherent in the ombuds profession. With particular focus on the Standards of Practice as articulated by the International Ombudsman Association, students will learn about the unique services that organizational ombuds people provide to organizations and to individuals within those organizations.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) refers to any means of settling disputes outside of the courtroom. ADR typically includes early neutral evaluation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration. As burgeoning court queues, rising costs of litigation, and time delays continue to plague litigants, more states have begun experimenting with ADR programs. Some of these programs are voluntary; others are mandatory. This course provides the foundation of legal basis of ADR and the theoretical and practical processes involved in its implementation and management.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course covers ethical obligations of attorneys and neutrals in commonly used ADR processes, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration. The course will examine applicable ethical standards as mandated by statutory law and court rules, interpreted by case law, and proposed by trade organizations or service providers, and the practices and situations most frequently giving rise to ethical questions.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course is a survey of the global system that supports, regulates and promotes the resolution of cross-border commercial disputes. The course will begin with an introduction to the mediation of international business disputes and review the various model laws and rules which reflect international norms and practices in this area. Following this, students will then turn to the study of international arbitration. As the premier and arguably only binding and truly international means of resolving cross-border commercial disputes, international arbitration merits the bulk of this course’s attention. During this portion of the class, the students will review the conceptual underpinnings of international arbitration, the regulatory framework which supports the enforcement of final awards, the practice and procedures which are most commonly employed, and the interplay between national laws and the conduct of arbitrations throughout the world. Additionally, students will be introduced to growing field of international investment arbitration and state-to-state arbitrations.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course covers key legal principles important to the practice of arbitration in a variety of transactions and settings. The students will learn how to prepare for and conduct an arbitration hearing from the commencement of the process through the rendition of an arbitration award including the pre-hearing conference, development of a procedural order and setting a timetable for arbitration. The course will provide students with the ability to identify and explain issues or process choices likely to arise during the course of an arbitration and understand the kinds of remedies available in arbitration and ways of framing arbitration awards, and what happens after an award is rendered. The course will teach the students how to differentiate between ethical and unethical practices in arbitration and identify potential ethical dilemmas and solutions.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course is premised on the reality that the practice of law requires the use of negotiation as a tool to resolve disputes and legal claims often through the process of mediation. This course introduces students to the processes of negotiation and mediation, explores the theoretical approaches underlying both systems, and cultivates students’ advocacy skills to become effective negotiators in mediation. In the first half of the course, students will focus on negotiation as an independent technique and as a fundamental building block to the related process of mediation. In the second half of the course, students will build upon negotiation principles as they learn about mediation procedure as a form of dispute resolution. Through simulated exercises and reflective discussions, students will develop skills as negotiators and a proficiency in mediation advocacy.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Facilitation skills are fundamental to constructive dialogue and collaboration, including successful negotiation and mediation. Specifically, the process-oriented practice of facilitation provides procedural guidance to promote productive and transformative dialogue essential to alternative dispute resolution practices. Topics include exploration of individual conflict styles and strategies; facilitative management techniques; small-group consultant problem solving; facilitation of strategic planning; and practice in listening, framing, and reframing skills.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students in this course explore theories and practice of Restorative Practices within alternative dispute resolution models. Restorative practice is a philosophical approach to be used in conjunction with traditional justice and conflict resolution systems. This concept is increasingly used when an offense has occurred, as a method of healing individuals and communities who have been harmed/impacted by that action. With beginnings in indigenous societies, the basic principle is to bring those harmed together with the community in a dialogue aimed at reestablishing personal and relational balance for all involved. Restorative practice’s initial practitioners were often within the traditional justice system, yet this method of conflict resolution has expanded to a wide range of applications including education, non-profit, government, human resources, classroom management, and healthcare.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Capstone Course is the final course in the MDR degree program. The capstone is intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to integrate all facets of alternative dispute resolution study by applying what has been learned to a real-world project.
CREDITS
3
Credit Hours
36
Class Type
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 9 credits
Accreditation
WSCUC
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Tuition Information
TUW’s tuition is $500 per semester credit. A range of tuition assistance programs are available to prospective students to help reduce the out-of-pocket expenses associated with continued education, including scholarships and students loans.
Many employers offer tuition assistance programs, so make sure to check to find out if additional financial support is available to you. TUW tuition assistance counselors are available to determine your eligibility for financial aid and other tuition assistance programs.