Minors: Conflict Resolution

The minor in conflict resolution provides theory and opportunities for problem-based practice to doctoral students wishing to develop professional skills in the area of conflict and conflict resolution. It is designed to empower emerging leaders for the roles of mediator, facilitator, and negotiator.

EDD 7810: The Nature of Conflict in Society
This course identifies the origins and nature of various conflicts that exist in today’s society. The course focuses on the human and emotional aspects of conflict, and includes the influence of gender and culture. Various categories of conflict ranging from political terrorism to family conflict will be explored through pragmatic as well as theoretical paradigms that focus on the process of conflict, its stages, analysis, and conflict management.

EDD 7811: Theories and Principles of Conflict Resolution
This course presents the major theories and contexts of conflict resolution. Students will examine levels of interventions and processes in the field of conflict resolution. This course is designed to present a variety of theories used to mediate conflict at various social and psychological levels. Students will learn basic conflict management techniques and ways to assess conflict situations from a cross-cultural perspective.

EDD 7812: Strategies and Models of Mediation and Negotiation
This course examines conflict intervention from the perspective of the disputant/negotiator. The major theme of study includes the overview of the entire mediation process, activities that occur prior to mediation, the steps of the mediation process, and the various steps involved in reaching settlement. Students will explore negotiation tactics that focus on people, interests, opinions, and criteria. The course develops negotiator skills and knowledge leading to collaborative based actions and solutions.

EDD 7813: Managing Organizational Conflict
This course examines the nature and varieties of organizational conflict. The causes, manifestations of organizational conflict, and intervention techniques will be presented. Students will learn to apply mediation and conflict resolution techniques and theories at the organizational level as facilitative leaders. Issues such as the facilitator’s role in helping groups resolve issues and meet organizational as well as effective group intervention skills will be practiced.

EDD 7814: Special Topics in Conflict Resolution
This course proved the students with an opportunity to study in depth an area of conflict or violence. Included in the range of study topics are violence in the schools, family violence, violence in the work place, divorce and custody conflicts, cultural terrorism, victim-offender conflicts, etc. Violence intervention and prevention strategies developed for interpersonal, group and societal levels will be examined.