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College of Public Affairs

Negotiations and Conflict Management

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Life is rife with conflict, and the Negotiations and Conflict Management program has offered me a new and interesting way of viewing it. The professors are very knowledgeable and ensure that their students are challenged while reshaping their ideas about conflict and its resolution. I recommend this program to anyone who would like to instill peace and social order in an often unjust society.

—Dwayne Gould, M.S. '07

Learn to turn conflict into a more positive dynamic through collaborative problem-solving and alternative dispute resolution, and find yourself in great demand.

You can also complete this program as a dual J.D./M.S. in Negotiations and Conflict Management , which allows you to earn both degrees with 18 fewer credits than would be required to earn the two degrees independently.

In this 42-credit Master of Science program—the first-ever such program in Maryland—you'll:

  • gain a broad understanding of what conflict is, why it happens and how best to manage it from a rich mix of legal, business, social science and humanities perspectives
  • immerse yourself in an interdisciplinary curriculum that draws on the expertise of the College of Public Affairs, the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the Merrick School of Business and the School of Law
  • develop skills that will enhance your value in your current career and open doors to new opportunities.

What You'll Learn

  • Analyze, understand and address various forms of social conflict.
  • Work with individuals, families, neighborhoods, organizations, regulatory bodies, conflicting social and ethnic groups, and even nations.
  • Facilitate understanding and mitigate destructive aspects of conflict.
  • Mediate and implement structured resolution.

Beyond the Classroom

Your capstone internship experience will allow you to gain insight into practical applications of negotiation and conflict management in the field. The program's remarkable range of internships has partnered students with:

  • the Department of Energy
  • the Office of the Maryland Attorney General
  • the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland
  • the national Association for Conflict Resolution
  • the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • and the Baltimore City Office of the Labor Commissioner, among others.

You are encouraged to join the Negotiations and Conflict Management student association, which keeps students in this master's program informed and educated about relevant issues, provides peer support and guidance, and organizes events that nurture the professional growth of the student body.

Classes are offered evenings, and some courses are offered in the summer for continuing students.