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Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Faculty
Blechman, Clements (Director), Cheldelin, Druckman, Jeong, LeBaron, Mitchell,
Pearson-d'Estrée, Rubenstein, Sandole, Warfield
Other Faculty
Avruch, Black, Blakeway, Broome, Gopin, McFerson, Paden, Scimecca, Stone, Taylor,
Wilkins
Administrative Faculty
Drake
Course Work
The Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution offers all course work designated
CONF in the Course Descriptions section of this catalog.
Graduate Programs in Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Conflict Analysis and Resolution, M.S.
The Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, offered by the Institute
for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, is a two-year professional program that prepares
students for practice through the integration of conflict theory and such conflict
resolution processes as negotiation, mediation, third-party consultation, and analytical
problem solving. Students study the theory, methods, and ethical perspectives of
the field and apply this knowledge in laboratory-simulations and workshops, and in
field internships. The internships are contracted with agencies in the Washington
area and elsewhere, including abroad. Graduates of the program work in a variety
of settings where conflict resolution is usefulžbusinesses, unions, government agencies,
religious groups, court systems, educational institutions, community centers, and
conflict resolution consulting firms.
Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting all admission requirements for graduate study, an applicant
to the M.S. program must have a GPA of no less than 3.000 in all undergraduate work
and must submit the following:
- All undergraduate and graduate transcripts
- GRE verbal, quantitative, and analytic scores*
- Three letters of recommendation, one of which should be from a faculty member
in the applicant's undergraduate or graduate major field
- A four- to five-page essay stating the applicant's goals and reasons for seeking
admission to the program
* The GRE must have been taken in the last five years; if the GRE is more than
five years old at the time of application, it must be retaken; MAT scores may be
substituted. Students holding M.B.A.'s may substitute the GMAT; J.D.'s the LSAT (which
also must have been taken within the last five years).
Background courses in the social sciences, as well as prior work experience, are
desirable. A personal interview may be required by the admissions committee. Prior
graduate-level academic work is evaluated on an individual basis for possible transfer
credit and fulfillment of program requirements; normally, the university does not
permit any reduction in the total credits required for the degree. Although students
may enroll on a full- or part-time basis, entry into the program is in the fall semester
only.
Degree Requirements
A total of 41 credits are required: 18 credits are required core courses, 12 credits
are selectives (students can choose from a defined list) and 11 credits are electives
(students may select appropriate graduate courses that expand their education relevant
to their areas of interest). The choice of electives can significantly vary according
to each student's individual goals or needs. Therefore, each student should develop
a Program of Study plan that should be discussed once each semester with his/her
advisor and updated as appropriate.
Required Courses
Usually offered in the fall:
CONF 501 Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 610 Philosophy and Methods of Conflict Research
CONF 713 Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict
Usually offered in the spring:
CONF 601 Theory of Conflict and Conflict Resolution CONF 642 Integration of Theory
and Practice CONF 720, 730, or 740
Selective Courses
Students must select at least two courses from the following list:
CONF 701, 709, 802, 803 Advanced theory CONF 703, 714, 715 Advanced practice CONF
611 Advanced research
Students must complete six credits (two courses) of integrative work:
CONF 690 Practicum in Conflict Analysis and Resolution CONF 694 Internship CONF
799 Master's Thesis
Elective Courses
ICAR supports three primary concentrations (see below). Once students have taken
CONF 720, 730, or 740, they may construct emphases that cross these concentrations
and may choose approved master's-level courses from related disciplines. CONF 695
and CONF 795 may be repeated for credit as electives. Courses not used in the selective
blocks may be used as electives.
72X series: Courses numbered 72X focus on conflict related to diversity, cultural,
and regional issues.
73X series: Courses numbered 73X focus on aspects of structural or institutional
conflict.
74X series: Courses numbered 74X focus on practice and application of conflict
analysis and resolution to various situations.
Directed Readings: Only two (2) directed readings (CONF 697) may be applied toward
requirements for a master's degree.
Field Opportunities
Internship. The internship is intended to provide students with opportunities
to use and further develop applied conflict resolution skills; integrate theory and
practice of conflict analysis and resolution; apply theory through practice; and
network with professionals in the field to enhance employment opportunities. Experience
does not necessarily have to be explicitly „hands onƒ: interns need not actually
be intervenors, because such opportunities may not be readily available; rather,
the goal is to get as close to analysis and resolution practice as possible. It is
George Mason policy that internships for which academic credit is received cannot
be paid.
Students taking CONF 694 are required to register and pay for three credits of
CONF 694 during the summer session. Internships consist of at least 160 hours of
supervised work on a project involving the analysis and/or resolution of conflict.
Such work must be spelled out in a Memorandum of Agreement to be signed by the student,
the site supervisor, and the internship coordinator, Dennis Sandole, before the internship
begins. At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a 25- to 40-page
report on the experience, analyzing it in light of conflict and conflict resolution
theories. In effect, the internship is an opportunity to apply theory or to test
models, hypotheses, or processes; the internship paper is an opportunity to integrate
the field experience with corresponding theory and research in the field. Also, upon
completion of the internship, the site supervisor submits to Dr. Sandole a report
describing what the intern did, how well he/she did it, and a grade for the student's
work.
Students are encouraged to arrange their own internships; however, Dr. Sandole
is available to discuss internship possibilities and requirements. Additionally,
an Internship Binder is kept in the Student Resource Room. Students are also encouraged
to contact ICAR alumni for internship possibilities. Students will meet with Dr.
Sandole as required.
APT. The Applied Practice and Theory (APT) program is a six-credit course
running yearlong. It is designed to take the concepts presented in class and practiced
in labs into real situations with real conflict and real consequences. Students work
in teams integrating research and practice with theory development and applied ethics.
Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Ph.D.
The doctoral program, the first of its kind in the United States, provides advanced
study for students in the fields of conflict and conflict resolution. Students are
prepared for careers as researchers, theoreticians, and teachers in higher education,
and as policy administrators, analysts, and consultants in both the public and private
sectors.
The program stresses a close link between knowledge of theory and of process in
the resolution of conflict. For this, training in the methods of research and analysis
is necessary and is emphasized through the two-semester APT program (see M.S. program)
required for doctoral students. In addition, students are expected to obtain a background
in a substantive area of conflict, usually related to the topic of the dissertation.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the four requirements listed for applicants to the M.S. program, requirements
for the Ph.D. program include a written sample of work that shows the applicant's
potential for completing dissertation research in a doctoral program.
Although students may enroll on a full- or part-time basis, entry into the program
is in the fall semester only.
Degree Requirements
For students with a master's degree accepted as of fall 1998 and later, a total of
57 credits are required. The semester in which courses are usually offered is indicated
in parentheses.
Required Core Doctoral Courses
| CONF 713 Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict |
3 |
| CONF 801 Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution |
3 |
| CONF 802 Micro Theories (Fall) |
3 |
| CONF 803 Macro Theories (Spring) |
3 |
| CONF 810 Philosophy of the Social Sciences (Spring) |
3 |
| CONF 811 Advanced Research Methods I (Fall) |
3 |
| CONF 812 Advanced Research Methods II (Spring) |
3 |
| CONF 900 Integrating Theory, Practice, and method in conflict analysis (Spring) |
3 |
| Total: |
24 |
Selective Courses
Students must take two (six credits) of the following:
CONF 601, 701, 709, 901 Advanced theory
CONF 703, 714, 715 Advanced practice
CONF 795 Advanced methods
Total: |
6 |
Elective Courses A total of 15 credits of electives from among any appropriate
graduate courses, provided that one is in the cultural/regional stream (72X series),
one is in the structural conflict stream (73X series), and one is in the processes
stream (74X series). The intent is for students to build specialization and skills
that will be needed in their dissertation work. These courses are to be completed
before „comps.ƒ
CONF 695, 795, 895 can be repeated for credit as electives.
Directed Readings
Only two (2) directed readings (CONF 897) may normally be applied toward doctoral
elective requirements.
Dissertation Units
CONF 998 (Up to 6 credits) Doctoral Dissertation Proposal; CONF 999 (up to 12 credits)
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credit for a Master's Degree Students with an M.S. in Conflict Analysis
and Resolution from George Mason University may be forgiven up to 18 credits toward
the doctoral degree. The actual number of forgiven credits is determined in consultation
with the student advisor and the program coordinator, after a review of courses taken.
Students entering with an M.S. in a related field or a J.D. are forgiven up to
15 credits of electives. The actual number of forgiven credits is determined in consultation
with the student advisor and the program coordinator, after a review of courses taken.
Entering the Doctoral Program without a Master's Degree In some cases,
students may be admitted to the doctoral program directly without completion of a
relevant master's degree (in conflict analysis and resolution or a related field).
Such students will be required to take the following 21 credits at the beginning
of their doctoral course of study: CONF 501, 601, 610, 713, 720 or 730 or 740, and
799.
Foreign Language Requirement Every doctoral student must show competence
in a foreign language, (that is, a language other than their native tongue), preferably
before „comps.ƒ This requirement must be completed before beginning the dissertation.
On no account will dissertations be accepted without evidence of meeting this requirement.
Overseas students may use English as their „foreign languageƒ and the TOEFL examination
as a demonstration of competency. The Department of Modern and Classical Languages
has ruled that American Sign Language or computer languages cannot be used to fulfill
this requirement.
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