Semester 1

- Research Methods

- Understanding Conflict & Dispute Resolution

- Arbitration: Law & Procedure

- Mediation: Theory & Practice

Semester 2

- Negotiation: Theory & Practice

- Elective 1*

- Elective 2*

*Elective Choices:

- Advanced Mediation Skills & Techniques

- International Commercial Dispute Resolution

- Dispute Resolution in Family Law

- Workplace & Industrial Relations Dispute Resolution

Semester 3

- Dissertation

Students must also complete a dissertation of between 15,000 to 20,000 words.

The course is assessed by way of course-work and end of semester, closed book examinations.

The MA is a unique and innovative interdisciplinary programme which provides students with the academic knowledge and practical skills to resolve disputes between parties in a non-adversarial manner. The MA provides students with both an academic qualification and a professional qualification as a certified mediator from the Mediators Institute of Ireland.

Dispute resolution is one of the fastest-growing fields and academic disciplines both in Ireland and internationally, offering professional opportunities in the corporate, legal, educational, political, HR, health, and community settings, as well as many others.

With the new Mediation Bill 2012 and the Arbitration Act 2010, legislative provision and a heightened demand for dispute resolution services is predicted.

The MA in Dispute Resolution focuses on a wide range of non-adversarial dispute resolution processes including arbitration, mediation, conciliation and negotiation across a number of different sectors, including family, commercial, construction, and workplace. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, combining concepts from law, business management, international relations, policy studies, sociology, psychology and organisational development.

The mixture of experience-based learning through role plays and formal lectures by industry experts will give students a hands-on understanding of a full range of this exciting and fast-growing sector and it is designed for individuals new to the field, as well as for professionals who want to enhance current capabilities and skills in their chosen field.

Nicola White LL.B, LL.M (Dub), Attorney at Law (New York), Mediator

Nicola White is regarded as a national and international expert in the area of dispute resolution. She joined CEDR in October 2011 and is the Practice Manager for CEDR Ireland. She was the legal expert for the Law Reform Commission’s project on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). In 2010, Nicola was selected as a Weinstein International Fellow in Dispute Resolution by JAMS.As part of her fellowship, she spent a number of months working in California in JAMS and she also spent time researching at the Gould Center for Negotiation and Mediation at Stanford University Law School.

Nicola is the Course Director and lecturer on the Masters in Dispute Resolution programme at Independent Colleges. She has also spoken at a number of conferences, both in Ireland and internationally, on the area of dispute resolution. She is the Country Expert for a number of projects on dispute resolution with the European Commission,. She is a qualified New York attorney.

This MA is suitable for graduates of law or related disciplines (2.2 honours degree or higher) or those who have relevant work experience and who wish to develop their knowledge of this increasingly important area field. The entry requirements may be outlined as follows:

Law Graduates:

Candidates should have an upper second class honours degree in law at Level 8 (or equivalent). Students with a lower second class honours degree will be considered. Qualifications from candidates based outside of Ireland will be assessed using the NARIC International Comparison System. This ensures there are equal opportunities for overseas students.

Non-Law Graduates:

Candidates should have an upper second class honours degree at Level 8 (or equivalent). Students with a lower second class honours degree will be considered. Qualifications from candidates based outside of Ireland will be assessed using the NARIC International Comparison System. This ensures there are equal opportunities for overseas students.

AND

Candidates should have a minimum of two years professional experience. Such professional experience will be assessed on the basis of the College’s Regulations on Accredited Experiential Learning which may be defined as learning achieved through experience gained by an individual outside formalised learning arrangements where the learning outcomes are open to assessment by the College.

AND

Candidates will be required to complete a two week “bridging course” prior to the commencement of the programme. The focus of the course will be to provide non-law graduates with grounding in some of the basic concepts of the Irish legal system. Attendance on this course will be compulsory.

Other Candidates:

Candidates who do not hold an honours degree (or equivalent) may be accepted under the College’s Academic Regulations on the basis of Accredited Experiential Learning which may be defined as learning achieved through experience gained by an individual outside formalised learning arrangements where the learning outcomes are open to assessment by the College.

AND

Candidates will be required to complete a two week “bridging course” prior to the commencement of the programme. The focus of the course will be to provide non-law graduates with grounding in some of the basic concepts of the Irish legal system. Attendance on this course will be compulsory.