Dispute Resolution Certificate

Course Descriptions

DISRES603 Advanced Negotiation and Mediation
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
This is a "changing topics" course. Each semester it examines the resolution of conflict in a different context(s), which is announced prior to registration. The topics covered have included Arab Israeli Negotiation, Women and Conflict, Public Policy Disputes, Organizational Conflict, and Workplace Conflict.
DISRES621 Negotiation
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
Negotiation is the bedrock skill in the study of conflict. This course focuses on building students’ skills as negotiators and developing strong analytic skills. Students learn about alternative strategies available to negotiators and how to choose among those alternatives to achieve a desirable settlement. Negotiation simulations and critiques are a major component of this class.
DISRES622 Ethical, Professional, and Policy Issues in Dispute Resolution
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
The process of resolving conflicts raises a number of ethical problems for neutrals (mediators), for advocates (negotiators), and for dispute resolution system designers. The field of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) raises a set of public policy questions linked to such ethical problems. In this course students critically examine the philosophical basis of ethical practices in the field; consider and apply ethical standards in diverse, ambiguous, complex, changing circumstances, and reflect on the ethical practices and standards in the field in order to respond to a wide variety of situations with proficiency and sensitivity.

Prerequisite: DISRES 690.
DISRES623 Theories of Conflict Resolution
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
This course engages students in a systematic examination of conflict resolution theories. Readings are drawn from a broad range of academic disciplines, including economics, law, social psychology, and anthropology, as well as dispute resolution. Students learn how to critically evaluate the respective bodies of theory and are invited to test theoretical principles against their experiences in managing conflict.
DISRES624 Cross-Cultural Conflict
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
A full understanding of cross-cultural conflict requires the integration of knowledge from a range of different fields. This course takes an interdisciplinary look at the special problems posed for conflict resolution by cultural and inter-group differences. We will draw on relevant theory and research from social psychology, anthropology, sociology, business, and other fields. Topics to be considered include the psychology of inter-group relations, definitions of culture, ethnocentrism, cross-cultural communication, cultural differences in attitudes toward conflict, racial and ethnic conflict, and approaches to training in cross-cultural mediation.
DISRES625 Conflict, Organizations & Systems
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
The course considers conflict in a variety of organizational settings including formal, voluntary, and community organizations and focuses on the emergence, manifestation, and resolution of disputes. It is designed to deepen students’ understanding of open and hidden organizational conflict and the formal and informal dispute resolutions systems that address or obscure these conflicts. Students will examine different kinds of conflict management systems and the criteria for measuring their effectiveness, and discuss the analysis and design of dispute management systems. Readings, discussions, and course projects challenge students to deepen their knowledge and apply theory creatively, appreciating the contingencies of context.
DISRES690 Mediation Internship
Hrs to be arranged, 6 Credits
This course combines theory and practice, pairing a field placement in District Court with a seminar designed to provide an intellectual and academic context for the court practice. Topics include theories and models of mediation and negotiation, issues of practice and technique, and constructs such as cognitive bias and mindfulness that affect both parties and mediators. The course provides an opportunity to acquire the ideas, skills and strategies needed to be an effective mediator. In the court placement, students mediate cases, under close faculty supervision, in one of the small claims courts in Greater Boston. Each day of mediation is followed by a debriefing session with the supervisor.