Program Overview
The online Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution at Touro University Worldwide prepares students to address conflicts that affect organizations, budgets, and workplace morale. Coursework focuses on conflict resolution skills, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and facilitation, while building a foundation in conflict and alternative dispute resolution.
The program is designed for working professionals in California and nationwide, including those in human resources, government, healthcare, education, and legal support who manage conflict as part of their existing roles. It may also suit career changers interested in mediation, conflict resolution consulting, or ombuds work.
The MDR does not lead to professional licensure or certification. There is no national license for arbitrators, mediators, or conciliators, although some states and individual courts set certification or other requirements for specific types of cases.
Admission Requirements
Applicants entering the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution must meet one of the following academic criteria:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Be a graduate transfer student in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.75.
International applicants must also meet TUW’s international admission requirements. Applicants using TOEFL to demonstrate English proficiency need a minimum score of 500 on the paper-based TOEFL or 61 on the iBT. TUW’s TOEFL code is 3157.
To complete the admission process, applicants must:
- Submit an application.
- Submit official transcripts directly from each issuing institution. Applicants educated outside the U.S. must follow TUW’s transcript translation and credential evaluation requirements.
No GRE is required, and six start dates are offered throughout the year.
Tuition, Financial Aid & Scholarships
Tuition for the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution is $500 per semester credit. At that rate, tuition for the full 36-credit program is $18,000 before scholarships, financial aid, employer assistance, or approved transfer credit.
Eligible students may use federal financial aid, scholarships, student loans, and employer tuition assistance to help pay for their education. TUW tuition assistance counselors are available to help students review available funding options.
The Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution is among the graduate programs eligible for TUW’s Achieve Your Success Scholarship, subject to the scholarship’s eligibility requirements.
Military & Veteran Benefits
Eligible military-affiliated master’s students may qualify for TUW’s reduced military tuition rate. TUW also provides military-specific advising to help service members, veterans, and eligible family members understand tuition assistance and VA education benefits.
TUW participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and accepts eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits. Military training and service may also be evaluated for possible credit under TUW policies, although applicability to individual MDR requirements depends on academic review.
Conflict resolution, mediation, and ombuds functions are used across military and veteran-service organizations, making the program relevant to professionals whose work involves personnel matters, grievances, or organizational disputes
What Can You Do With a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution
Employment of arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dispute resolution skills also apply in larger fields where professionals manage workplace, regulatory, organizational, or community conflicts.
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
Credits
36
Format
100% online, eight-week courses; no residency
Next start
October 26, 2026
Apply by
October 23, 2026
Accreditation
WSCUC
Tuition
$500 per semester credit
Transfer credits
Up to nine
Entry requirement
Accredited bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.5 GPA; graduate transfer applicants must be in good standing with a minimum 2.75 GPA
Application deadlines are generally the Friday before the term begins. Confirm the date with an enrollment counselor.
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Accreditation & Institutional Recognition
Touro University Worldwide is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole, including its online academic programs.
TUW is a California-based nonprofit university and part of the Touro University System. The Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution is delivered online under TUW’s institutional accreditation.
Employers may set their own requirements for education, professional experience, certification, or other qualifications for individual dispute resolution roles.
Why TUW: Faculty, Proof & Credibility
TUW’s Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution combines coursework in conflict resolution with faculty experience in mediation, arbitration, law, and alternative dispute resolution. The program also introduces students to professional standards used in organizational ombuds practice.
Faculty expertise
Michael Berger, JD
He is a co-founder of Aevos Legal and Dispute Resolution Services and works as a federally active arbitrator handling healthcare reimbursement disputes under the No Surprises Act. He also founded TUW’s Master of Dispute Resolution program.
Gemma George, PhD
Her professional experience includes mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and she previously served as chair of the State Bar of California’s Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Professional community
TUW’s MDR 606 The Ombuds Profession introduces students to the theoretical and practical issues involved in organizational ombuds work, with particular attention to the Standards of Practice established by the International Ombuds Association (IOA).
The IOA is the professional association for organizational ombuds practitioners and establishes Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics for the profession. Studying these standards gives students direct exposure to the professional principles used in organizational ombuds practice, although completing the course does not itself confer an IOA credential or certification.
