Honors B.A. in Conflict Studies
Ottawa, Canada
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English, French
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* April 1: for International applicants. June 1: for Canadian citizens and permanent residents
Key Summary
About: The Honors B.A. in Conflict Studies at Saint Paul University prepares you to analyze and manage disputes with objectivity and empathy. You examine political, psychological, and social causes and dynamics through case studies, exercises, and lectures. You learn active listening, negotiation, and mediation techniques and explore nonviolent, humanitarian, and diplomatic solutions to promote peace, social justice, and reconciliation.
Career Outcomes: You can work as a conflict management facilitator, international programs officer, labor relations advisor, conflict analyst, or community conflict resolution organizer. Other options include mediator, policy advisor in peace-building, program coordinator in humanitarian aid, and organizational training officer roles.
The B.A. in Conflict Studies is designed to prepare you to analyze and manage various disputes in a professional manner by demonstrating both objectivity and empathy. No matter what the conflict situation, whether it is local, national, or international, you will be equipped to resolve disputes.
In order to do so, you will examine the origins and dynamics that underlie conflicts while taking into consideration their political, psychological, and social dimensions. With the help of case studies, practical exercises, and lectures, you will deepen and apply methods that serve to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts. You will learn how to use various active listening techniques and several negotiations and mediation tools. To do this, you will explore a wide range of non-violent, humanitarian, and diplomatic solutions to conflicts, as well as actions that promote peace, social justice, and reconciliation.
By the end of the program, you will know how to act as a neutral third party while being able to propose conflict resolution strategies and comprehensive response plans.
Foundational Courses (12 units)
Compulsory Courses: 12 units
- Approaches in the Humanities: Interpreting the Human Experience
- People, Social Justice and Ecology
- Critical Analysis, Reading and Writing Academic Works
- The First Peoples of Canada
Discipline-Specific Courses (60 units)
Compulsory Courses: 42 units
- Negotiation
- Mediation
- Research Methods in Conflict Studies I
- Research Methods in Conflict Studies II
- Introduction to Conflict Studies
- Inequality, Conflict and Social Justice
- Political Conflicts and their Resolution
- Listening and Interaction in Conflict Resolution
- Peaceful Resolution of Violent Conflict
- Gender Relations and Conflict
- Causes of Conflict I: Biological and Psychological Approaches
- Causes of Conflict II: Sociological and Rationalist Approaches
- Human Behavior and Spirituality: Theoretical Foundations
- Human Behavior and Spirituality: Empirical Observations
Optional Courses: 18 units
6 units from:
- Local and Community Responses to Conflict
- Indigenous Peoples and Conflict
- Causes and Dynamics of International Conflicts
- Language and Conflict in Canada / Conflits linguistiques au Canada
- Neutral Third Party/ Tierce partie neutre
12 units from:
- Introduction to Technical and Legal Aspects of Conflict Resolution
- Internship I
- Psychological Impacts of Conflicts
- Conflict in Organizations
- Group Processes and Conflicts
- Consultation and Coaching in Conflicts
- Special Topics in Conflict Studies
- Dialogue
- Advanced Topics in Conflict Studies
- Advanced Internship in Conflict Resolution / Stage avancé en résolution de conflits
With the approval of the School of Conflict Studies, students may also choose optional courses from among those offered by the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (course code ECH).
Elective Courses (48 units)
Students choose 48 units or complete a minor (30 units) and 18 units.
12 units must be of 3000 or 4000 levels.
The Center for Informal Dispute Resolution
The Center for Informal Dispute Resolution is an organization with a practical orientation run by the School of Conflict Studies. It offers students the opportunity to enhance their practical training in the informal, inclusive and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Related careers
- Conflict management and resolution facilitator in a large organization;
- International programs officer in an organization focused on international development, humanitarian aid, or peace-building;
- Labor relations advisor in a state institution, union, or association;
- Conflict and conflict resolution analyst for a public or non-governmental organization;
- Local or community conflict resolution organizer.
Who should apply?
Anyone who wants to reflect on the political, psychological, and social aspects that are often at the root of the conflict. Also, anyone who is interested in human rights and international affairs and wants to participate actively in the resolution of any type of conflict.
