Learn to turn conflict into a more positive dynamic through collaborative problem-solving and alternative dispute resolution, and find yourself in great demand.
"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
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 program in Maryland—integrates a range of interdisciplinary perspectives to give a broad understanding of what conflict is, why it happens and how to resolve it. When you graduate, you will be prepared for an exciting career managing conflict in many different arenas:
- management and organizational settings, including employee and labor relations
- health care, social work ad human services
- public administration and non-governmental organizations
- law, law enforcement and courts
- local, state and federal government
- international relations
- peacebuilding, social justice and advocacy work
What You'll Learn
You'll learn how to:
- analyze, understand and address various forms of social conflict
- work with individuals, communities, organizations, regulatory bodies, conflicting social and ethnic groups, and even nations
- promote understanding of conflict while mitigating its destructive aspects
- negotiate, facilitate and pursue conflict transformation
- embrace conflcit as a catalyst for social change.
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. Electives are sometimes offered online and opportunities to study abroad are also available.