The Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at Brandeis University’s Heller School is a 16-month program designed to prepare students for practical peacebuilding work in conflict-affected areas and communities. The program is built around three pillars: understanding conflict, developing conflict intervention skills, and supporting people and communities through conflict resolution.
The curriculum is practical and skills-based while also drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from fields such as social psychology, international politics, sociology, law, anthropology, and cultural studies. Brandeis describes the curriculum as 56 credits, including one academic year in residence, six months of combined fieldwork, and a final paper that may lead to an internship report, master’s paper, or master’s thesis.
The program may suit students interested in humanitarian aid, development, mediation, negotiation, policy work, inter-communal cooperation, international conflict resolution, and community-based peacebuilding.