Program Director: Mary Lee Brock, M.Ed.
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program Vision
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program (NCR) forms conflict-competent agents of social change for a just and equitable world.
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program Mission
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NCR) Program is grounded in the belief that dealing constructively with conflict is essential for professional, personal, and community growth. Our mission is to prepare agents of social change to engage and resolve conflict effectively, efficiently, and humanely. In advancing this mission we are guided by and build on the Jesuit Catholic commitment to social justice, responsible leadership, and professional distinction.
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Master's Degree Learning Goals
Integrating applied and scholarly approaches, the learning goals for the Master Degree are to provide students with the ability to:
- Identify and assess underlying dynamics of conflict using theories, concepts, and/or frameworks from diverse disciplines;
- Design and implement conflict engagement processes incorporating perspectives from diverse stakeholders/participants;
- Synthesize and critically evaluate differing approaches to conflict engagement considering underlying cultural and power dynamics;
- Recognize and apply systems thinking as it relates to conflict engagement processes;
- Practice reflective professional and personal development, and the pursuit of social justice in alignment with Ignatian values;
- Clearly and effectively communicate relevant information about conflict interventions across all modes of expression.
Admission Requirements
The requirements listed below apply to the Graduate Certificates and the Master of Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.
- Completed application (requires non-refundable $50 fee)
- Two letters of recommendation from persons other than family members who can speak to your performance in an academic or professional setting
- Statement of purpose. Write 500-750 words focusing on your long-term goals and why you believe this program is a perfect fit for you.
- Short response to the NCR Admissions Writing Exercise (1000 words maximum).
- Resume
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and transcripts for all bachelor’s and post-bachelor’s coursework. Transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing school with the institution’s official stamp.
International Students Only:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). International applicants from countries in which English is not the primary language must demonstrate proficiency in English language by submitting a minimum TOEFL score of 90 iBT (213 CBT/550 PBT).
- Certification of Available Finances. All international applicants must submit a Certification of Available Finances form in order for an I-20 to be issued.
The certificate curriculum establishes a foundation for further development of the skills and concepts relevant to the student's capacity to:
- Communicate effectively
- Define and apply the theoretical frameworks in conflict engagement and different processes (e.g. negotiation, facilitation, mediation, civic engagement)
- Demonstrate core competencies and practical skills for effectively understanding and engaging in conflict situations in a productive and constructive manner
- Demonstrate an enhanced capacity for engaging diverse stakeholders in creative problem solving and engage in critical thinking
- Practice reflective professional development in alignment with Ignatian value
- Collaborate effectively with other individuals and design conflict engagement processes across diverse groups of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, religion and sexual orientation
Certificates
Courses
NCR 603. Negotiation. 3 credits.
This course introduces students to negotiation as a method of conflict engagement. Students identify the theories, concepts, and skills necessary to negotiate in interpersonal, intergroup, and intragroup settings. The course provides students the opportunity to practice their negotiation skills in a variety of activities and exercises intended to strengthen their confidence as negotiators. The course emphasizes self-reflection by drawing special attention to students’ personal conflict styles and determining the strengths and shortcomings of those styles in negotiations.
NCR 620. Introduction to Conflict Engagement. 3 credits.
This course introduces students to the field of conflict engagement. It presents theoretical explanations of the causes of conflict and leads students to an identification and understanding of their response to and style of conflict engagement. There is a focus on explaining and distinguishing between a broad range of conflict engagement processes including negotiation, mediation, and facilitation, so that students will be able to apply the appropriate process to various types of conflict which they may encounter in their lives and practice.
NCR 622. Conflict Engagement and Leadership. 3 credits.
This course considers leadership through a conflict engagement lens. Conflict perspectives provide useful insights into traditional views of leaders and leadership. Insights into social groups and dynamics have shifted, however, away from a hierarchical and directive understanding of leaders. Understandings of complex systems and networks highlight a less centralized, more distributed type of leadership. Relationships and stories are the fabric of leadership, and we dive into these in the contexts of organizations and communities.
NCR 624. Dynamics of Conflict Resolution and Engagement. 3 credits.
This course examines the fundamental nature of conflict: how conflict arises; the patterns it follows; the different levels at which it gets expressed; and the different ways in which people, communities, organizations, and societies understand and approach conflict. The course considers a range of theoretical approaches to conflict and conflict resolution and looks at particular dynamics that define the way in which conflict plays out. The course considers particularly how conflict is defined by the interplay of power, communication, and culture.
NCR 626. Culture, Gender and Power Differences in Conflict. 3 credits.
This course takes an interdisciplinary look at issues related to the role of culture, gender and other factors in conflict analysis and resolution. The course provides an overview of relevant theories and research from social psychology, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines. Topics such as the meaning of culture and conflict from a cultural perspective, cross-cultural communication, stereotypes, and differences in attitudes toward racism, sexism and ethnicity are discussed. Additionally, the relationship between culture, gender, and oppression is discussed.
NCR 629. Organizational Collaborative Practice and Conflict Engagement. 3 credits.
In today’s competitive environment, organizations increasingly must cope with complexities, uncertainties, and conflict. The ability to build teams for collaborative work and to manage and learn from conflict effectively is critical in today’s organization. In this course students learn techniques and approaches for organizational teambuilding, conflict management, and process facilitation and consulting.
NCR 630. Health Care Collaboration and Conflict Engagement. 3 credits.
With a focus on practical application of process tools and systems design strategies, students learn effective conflict engagement techniques that can be integrated into clinical settings to improve clinical outcomes, reduce medical errors, reduce risk of lawsuit, increase patients’ trust in the healthcare system, and effectively manage legal and ethical issues that may arise.
NCR 632. Effective Conflict Engagement for Educational Leaders. 3 credits.
This course explores personal response to conflict as well as a variety of conflict interventions for elementary and secondary schools such as negotiation, mediation, facilitation, and formal hearing. The course addresses strategies for having difficult conversations with individuals or groups. Other topics include the restorative justice approach to discipline, special education mediation and IEP facilitation, and child custody conflicts between parents. P: DC.
NCR 635. Facilitative Conflict Engagement. 3 credits.
In this course, students examine group process theories and the skills needed to facilitate groups of all sizes in a variety of settings. Characteristics of collaborative decision-making processes, participatory dialogues, and the value of diversity are explored. Students apply theory to practice through simulations, case studies and interactive group discussions.
NCR 690. Family Systems in Conflict. 3 credits.
This course focuses on the special nature of family conflict, some of the dynamics to be considered when dealing with families in conflict and the different approaches to intervention and engagement in family conflict by a third party.
NCR 733. Practicum. 3-4 credits.
In consultation with the practicum faculty, students develop a practical field experience to further engage and apply their skills in a professional or organizational setting of their choice. Working with a site supervisor in the student's community, students demonstrate their ability to apply theory to practice and analyze situations using knowledge gained from previous coursework. P: DC.