Overview of the program

The Master of Arts in Conflict Studies aims to train analysts who can study international, national or local conflicts and propose interventions and policies to manage or resolve them.

Our master’s program pays particular attention to ethnic and religious conflicts, but we also study international conflicts, political conflicts, work conflicts and environmental conflicts.

We offer a multidisciplinary analysis of conflicts stemming from the social sciences, social psychology and the human sciences.

Admission details

Registration: full-time (with some exceptions for part-time admissions)
Program length: 4 terms (a year and a half, part-time)
Program delivery: some courses are also offered online.
Language: this program is also offered in French.

This degree is conferred jointly by the Senates of Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa.

Admission to the program is competitive. Minimum requirements are:

Four year undergraduate degree with honours (or a major) in Political Science, Psychology, Theology, Ethics or the equivalent, such as a BA with honors (or a major) in criminology, philosophy, or law;
A minimum B (70%) average in the baccalaureate degree.
Experience in the field of conflict resolution or a related area will also be taken into consideration. Candidates may be interviewed as part of the selection process.

If the minimum requirements for admission to the first year are not satisfied, a candidate may enroll in a qualifying program, the content of which is determined by the Coordinator of the program on a case by case basis. See details below.

In accordance with the University regulation, assignments, examinations, research papers and theses can be produced in either English or French.

Qualifying Program

Candidates may enroll in a qualifying program on the recommendation of the Admission Committee (it is not possible to apply directly to a qualifying program).
The number of units taken in a qualifying program may not exceed 36.
The qualifying program must be completed within three consecutive sessions or less.
The student must obtain a minimum grade of C+ in each course, and have an overall B average.
Students wishing to complete their qualifying courses at another university are advised to have their course of studies approved in advance by the program coordinator.

Program Requirements

The MA program provides two options:

Research Paper option: six compulsory courses; five optional courses; Research Paper (ECS6140).
Thesis option: six compulsory courses; three optional courses; Thesis (ECS7999).

Compulsory Courses (18 units)

ECS5101      Identity-Based Conflict (3u)
ECS5103      Research Methods (3u)
ECS5110      History of Conflict Resolution (3u)
ECS5131      Design and Evaluation of Conflict Resolution Interventions (3u)
ECS5302      Theories of Conflict (3u)
ECS5304      Ethical Dimensions of Conflict (3u)

Optional Courses (15 or 9 units)

Students select five courses (Research Paper option) or three (Thesis option) from the list of optional courses.

ECS5112      Trauma, Healing And Reconciliation
ECS5114      Genocide And Reconciliation
ECS5116      Political Economy Of Conflict
ECS5118      Contemporary Peacebuilding
ECS5119      Mediation And Negotiation: Theory And Research
ECS5120      Selected Topics In Conflict Studies
ECS5140      The Adaptive Leader
ECS5141      The Comprehensive Approach To Complex Operations
ECS5142      Complexity Thinking For Integrative Peacebuilding
ECS5143      Intercultural And Inter-Religious Engagement
ECS5144      Peacebuilding, Identity-Based Conflict And Reconciliation
ECS5311      Religious Identities And Conflict
ECS5313      Spirituality And Conflict
ECS5315      Gender And Conflict
ECS5316      Indigenous Cultures, Conflict And Coexistence
ECS5921      Research Internship
ECS6140      Research Seminar
ECS6999      Master Thesis

A maximum of two graduate courses (6 units) may be taken from other programs and universities with prior authorization from the director of the program.

Research

ECS6140 Research Seminar (3u) (Research Paper option)
or
ECS7999 Thèse de maîtrise / Master's Thesis (Thesis option)

For admission to the thesis option, a student admitted to the MA in Conflict Studies program must first obtain 9 units (through courses or through advanced standing), and then apply to the the director of the School for permission to enroll in the thesis option. To do so, the student must find a suitable supervisor and submit a detailed topic and plan of research. The director will examine the application and inform the student of its decision.

If a student chooses the thesis option and the thesis uses a quantitative methodology, a course in quantitative methodology is required. If the thesis uses a qualitative methodology, one of the following is required: a course in qualitative methodology, participant observation, content analysis, or evaluation research.

Note: Check with the institution regarding start/end dates, prices, and delivery method. These may vary according to program, section, and/or semester.

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Research Seminar

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