StudyQA — Master: Dispute Resolution

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

An innovative curriculum will prepare you for a specialized career in dispute management. You will learn theory, tools and tactics to analyze and negotiate disputes, and apply these learnings to improve facilitation and communications in public policy disputes, as well as design dispute systems with optimal engagement. This will allow you to take on leadership roles in a government, community or private organization.

The courses are delivered over two academic semesters, interleaved with two optional co-operative work term semesters. Academic and work terms are grounded in a problem-based learning approach and are integral to develop capacities in strategic awareness, analytical thinking, engagement and communication, and professionalism and leadership. Students also complete a client-focused capstone project which provides strategic options for a government agency, non-profit organization, or community client on a real dispute management challenge. The project involves reviewing literature, undertaking empirical work, conducting process and design analyses, and developing options and detailed plans for implementing recommended options. All of the MADR courses prepare students for this capstone project.

Conflict, Culture and Diversity
Public Policy, Law and Dispute Resolution
Collaboration and Engagement
Analysis for the Public & Non-Proft Sectors
Co-op Seminar: Introduction to Professional Practice
Professional Integrity in the Public and Non-Profit Sectors
Mediation Processes and Skills
Dispute Resolution System Design and Public Interest Disputes
Public Leadership and Management
Policy Making and Policy Communities
Master's Project or Master's Thesis

Requirements

To be eligible for admission, you must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study. Applicants need at least a B+ average (6.0 GPA) for the last two years of university work. Relevant post-baccalaureate professional experience is desirable but not necessary.
Complete the Online application
Assessment reports are required from a minimum of two referees. If you have graduated within the last five years two academic references are required. If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, we recommend that you include the email addresses from three current or former employers or professional references who are familiar with your work in place of academic referees. The names and email addresses of your chosen assessors are required when you submit your application. To strengthen your application, we recommend that your referees attach a Letter of Reference in addition to the Assessment Report.
A detailed résumé of background information, professional or other relevant experience
A 500 word statement of intent outlining reasons for applying to the program
Other evidence of suitability for admission that you feel is relevant (e.g., academic records from non-degree courses)
If you do not have a Canadian undergraduate degree, you are required to write and submit official results for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
International students whose first language is not English are required to provide test results for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum TOEFL for the MPA program is 610 for the paper-based test or 102 for the internet-based test.
Upon receiving a written offer of admission from the School of Public Administration, applicants accepted to the MADR program are required to pay a non-refundable confirmation deposit of CAD $400; instructions for submitting this deposit, including timelines, are contained in the offer letter.