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Full Description

The Master of Arts degree in Peace and Conflict Studies is designed for students interested in gaining the knowledge and practical skills necessary to become a professional peace practitioner, one who is equipped to promote peaceful change and social justice whether in the local community, across the country or at the international level.

Students have the opportunity to learn at the School of Peace and Conflict Studies, Kent State’s ‘living memorial’ to the four students killed on May 4, 1970, and one of the oldest and most well-known institutions for the study of peace and conflict. Students work with faculty who are leading experts in their field and with students from all over the world — all of whom are dedicated to building peaceful local communities, societies and states in a time of increasing incivility, rancor and conflict.

In the program, students examine the causes and consequences of violence; develop methods for preventing, resolving and transforming conflicts; and critically analyze the values and institutions of peace. Students study relevant academic and policy literature and develop an advanced understanding of the field. Above all, however, they embark on a multidisciplinary program with a strong focus on experiential learning, the development of advanced skills relevant to the field (e.g., mediation, conflict analysis, project management), training in leadership and career planning for future employment, whether as a peace practitioner or researcher.

Through the school's partnership with the Center for Conflict Management at the University of Rwanda, students have the opportunity to undertake a study abroad course in Africa to examine both how the country has responded to the challenges of post-genocide reconstruction, and how it is addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

The Peace and Conflict Studies comprises two concentrations:

• The Applied Conflict Transformation concentration focuses on the domestic dynamics of peace, including human relations, organizational conflict and conflict resolution, group and community conflict transformation. Students specialize in a wide range of electives (e.g., peace psychology, public sector conflict transformation, peace education). This concentration provides students with knowledge and applied skills necessary to pursue a career in fields such as mediation, arbitration and dispute resolution; in the service and social and community service sector; or in roles in businesses, non-profits and government entities that requires skills of mediation and conflict resolution (e.g., human resources).
• The Peace, Conflict and Development concentration explores the intersection between peace, conflict and development in fragile or insecure states and societies around the world. Students examine policy and practice in the fields of international conflict prevention, international peacekeeping, post-conflict peace-building, sustainable development and good governance. Students specialize in a wide range of electives, including on issues such as environmental change and conflict, reconciliation after conflict and the global governance of military technologies. This concentration is designed to appeal to those students wishing to obtain work in fields and organizations dealing with the local and international dimensions of peace, conflict and development in the global south, including governments, international organizations, international development and humanitarian-relief non-governmental organizations (NGO).

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in peace studies or related discipline from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale¹
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Goal statement highlighting relevant professional experience and academic background
• Writing sample
• Two letters of recommendation from professional or academic evaluators
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

Admission to the program is competitive and selective. Applicants will be reviewed holistically, by the school’s graduate coordinator, who may conduct interviews with select candidates to ensure qualifications and fit with the program. The coordinator will render admission decisions after consultations with the faculty and school director.

¹

Applicants who do not meet the GPA criteria but have extensive experience in the peace-building field are encouraged to apply. They may be conditionally admitted if all other admission requirements are met. After earning a 3.000 GPA in their first semester, they will be considered fully admitted.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Application deadline: April 15 (international student) and July 1 (domestic student)

Applications received after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Analyze and apply key theories, concepts and policies relevant to the field of peace and conflict studies, in general and in their specific concentrations.
2. Synthesize the interplay of conflict sources at different levels of analyses (from interpersonal to structural) with the dynamics relevant to all conflict situations.
3. Analyze and apply appropriate intervention practices for successful conflict resolution or transformation at relevant levels of conflict.
4. Describe and evaluate the key role that leadership plays in conflict intervention and crisis management.
5. Integrate and apply learning from across the program to real-world situations.
6. Apply knowledge about the field to develop personally tailored career plans.

Dual Degree with Master of Business Administration

Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.A. degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and the Master of Business Administration degree. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

The M.B.A./M.A. dual degree converges the field of conflict management and the field of business. Students learn how business works alongside understanding the dynamics of conflict and how to successfully transform it to succeed in business and to transform organizational cultures.

Dual Degree Requirements

¹

MGMT 68051 may be waived for students with at least two years of full-time work experience.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

If POL 60010 is not available, students may substitute COMM 65040, GEOG 60900, RMS 65516, SBS 63010 or SOC 62219 with faculty approval.

Applied Conflict Transformation Concentration Requirements

¹

Students who matriculate into the program without requisite mediation experience will take PACS 58080.

Peace, Conflict and Development Concentration Requirements

Graduation Requirements

• No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
• Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus