International Peace Studies
The Master of Arts Degree programme in International Peace Studies is designed to enable participants from diverse cultures and backgrounds to attain a deep understanding of the central issues of peace and security, which will determine the future of humanity. The programme is intended to educate and train practitioners in international, development and international affairs, mainly for cooperation among countries.
Participants of this programme may come from all professional or academic backgrounds. Usually they have a minimum baccalaureate or first university degree in any of the social sciences. For admittance, it is important to provide evidence of exposure to relevant working experience (3-5 years), meaningful motivation to pursue a career in international peace issues vis-Ã -vis the aspirations and principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations and clear understanding of professional career ahead. English proficiency is a must, and a working proficiency in Spanish is an asset.
Participants graduating from this programme possess the knowledge and the skills contained in ten courses (32 credits), which include foundational courses in peace and conflict studies and research methods, and other courses that enable them to understand the nature of the conflict and contemporary international issues related to peace, security, violence, democracy building, intra- and inter-state wars, and post conflict recovery. As a capstone academic endeavor participants must complete a graduation project that can be one research, one curriculum development, one internship, one project proposal or any other meaningful project that demonstrate that the participants are able to identify a issue, analyze it and produce a systematic and scholarly report on the project. The graduation project has the recognition of 8 credits. In order to receive the degree, participants should complete a total of 40 credits.
The required courses are:
- PCS 6000 Foundation Course in Peace and Conflict Studies (3 Credits) – UPEACE Resident Faculty
- IPS 6022 Aspects of Conflict: Introduction to a Systemic Approach (3 Credits) – Prof. Victoria Fontan and Prof. Anne Robert
- IPS 6020 Research Methods (3 Credits) –  Prof. Elias Cheboud
- IPS 6023 The Nation State, State Weakness and Intrastate War (3 Credits) –    Prof. Balazs Kovacs
- IPS 6012 Peace Operations (3 Credits) – Prof. Edward Moxon-Browne
- ELECTIVES (3 Credits) Participants can choose an elective course offered by the UPEACE Institute  – UPEACE Resident Faculty and Visiting Faculty
- IPS 6024 Practices of Conflict Management: Mediation and Negotiation (3 Credits) – Prof. Yael Efron
- IPS 6025 Sustainable Development and Social Entrepreneurship (3 Credits) – Prof. Mohit Mukherjee
- IPS 6026 Weapons of Mass Destruction and Small Arms: Disarmament, Non proliferation, and Arms Control (2 Credits) – Prof. Fred Wehling
- IPS 6028 Capstone Workshop on Peace and Democracy Building (1 Credit) –  Prof. Victor Valle
- IPS 6019 Peace Building and Conflict Recovery  (3 Credits) – Prof. Kai Jakobsen
- IPS 6027 Seminar: Mainstreaming UPeace Pillars (2 Credits) – Prof. Victoria Fontan, Prof. Balazs Kovacs, Prof. Ameena al-Rasheed, Prof. Mihir Kanade and Prof. Mahmoud Hamid
- IPS 7000 Graduation Project (8 Credits)
For complete course description, course calendar and information about the professors, please follow the link http://www.upeace.org/academic/calendar/
Graduates in this MA programme should have the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable them to work in international organizations -both governmental and non-governmental- leading development and humanitarian programmes; in foreign ministries, performing initial diplomatic tasks; and universities, teaching subjects related to peace, security, and social and international conflict management.
Here are some examples of the professional involvement of our IPS graduates:
- A graduate from the United States is Director of Communications with the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs.
- An alumnus from Korea is working as a Research Officer at the United Nations Governance Centre in Seoul, Korea.
- A graduate whose country of origin is Nigeria is employed as an Officer with the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Mexico.
- A French alumnus is a Consultant with the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, Global Citizenship Department, in Toronto, Canada.
- An alumni from Romania works for TRANSCEND (A Worldwide Peace and Development Network for Peace by Peaceful Means) and PATRIR (Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania) where she is Director of the International Peace and Development Training Center.
- A graduate from Armenia is Deputy Director/PR Specialist at the Council of Europe Information Office in Armenia.
