Master's Degree in Conflict Mediation
Barcelona, Spain
Master degree
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
Spanish
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 19 / per credit *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 19.37 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2025-2026
Key Summary
The master's degree in Conflict Mediation is characterized by a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. As such, tuition is provided by university lecturers and other professionals a range of fields, including psychology, law, education, economics, business and nursing.
Mediation arises from the need to address the personal, relational, structural and cultural conflicts that arise in public and private settings. The aim of conflict mediation is to transform a dispute in a peaceful way and to facilitate mutual understanding on the social, legal and political levels. In professional terms, mediation is a sector that has experienced rapid growth in recent years, in Catalonia, across Spain, and throughout the European Union.
The last five years have seen a significant increase in the demand for mediators in the public arena and, more recently, growing demand has also been evident among companies and organizations in the private sector.
While for some years there have existed posts within the penal mediation and resolution service of the Catalan Ministry of Justice, it is mainly since the 2005 publication of the book La mediació comunitària: propostes d'actuació ('Community mediation: proposals for action') and the establishment of the Centre for Family Mediation of Catalonia that job offers for mediators within local government offices have begun to emerge. In addition, there has been a notable increase in individual requests for mediators to help resolve conflicts at the family and community levels, mainly regarding consumer and school issues, as highlighted in the White Paper on Mediation in Catalonia (2010), which collates data from a research study undertaken with the specific aim of obtaining an overview of mediation activities.
The master's degree in Conflict Mediation is designed to fulfil the need for quality university training in mediation in the areas of civil and commercial law and business, both for future meditation professionals and for future researchers in the field
Candidates should hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate qualification and have a strong motivation to acquire knowledge of alternative procedures for conflict resolution and to analyse problems using multidisciplinary approaches. Credit will be given for previous knowledge or professional experience in the field of mediation and related areas.
Candidates should have a good level of English, at least equivalent to B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The master's degree in Conflict Mediation provides professional training in conflict management and mediation, giving students them the skills and knowledge to take action in the family, community and business or organizational spheres, and to promote conflict prevention, management and resolution. The course also prepares students for a career in research.
The master's degree offers highly specialized training in mediation techniques and strategies and in research methods in the area of mediation, incorporating methodologies that have a significant practical and participative focus.
The University of Barcelona consistently ranks among the top institutions nationally, in Europe, and worldwide. Its performance in the most prestigious international rankings reflects excellence in teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and global engagement.
- Ranked 1st nationally in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
- Ranked 1st nationally in the THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings
- Ranked 1st nationally and 68th in Europe in the QS World University Rankings
- Ranked 1st nationally and 27th in Europe in the Best Global Universities Rankings
Studying at the University of Barcelona means joining a world-class academic community recognized for its innovation and impact.
Because the program's areas of work address a variety of professional fields, the career opportunities for students of this master's degree cover a wide range of roles, including the following:
- Mediator as a liberal professional or freelance professional in a variety of areas.
- Citizen and community mediator within public institutions that interact closely with the public.
- School mediator within the educational community.
- Mediation in the general field of health.
- Mediation in the general field of sport.
- Mediator in organizations and/or companies, contributing competences to conflict resolution and mediation in human resources and occupational risk prevention.
- Educator and researcher.
- Legal and criminal mediator in the field of justice.
- Coordinator of projects and services.
- Designer of intervention programs for conflict resolution and mediation.