• Regular MA Programmes
• Environmental Security and Governance
• Environmental Security and Governance, specialization in Climate Change and Security
• Gender and Peace Building
• International Law and Human Rights
• International Law and the Settlement of Disputes
• International Peace Studies
• Media, Peace and Conflict Studies
• Natural Resources and Peace
• Peace Education
• Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development
• Sustainable Urban Governance and Peace
• Special MA Programmes
• Doctoral Programme
• Distance Education
• Educación a Distancia
• Special Programmes
• Training
• Second Degree for UPEACE Alumni

International Peace Studies

Overall Description of the Master Programme

The Master of Arts in International Peace Studies programme is designed to enable students from diverse cultures and backgrounds to attain a deep understanding of the central issues of peace and security. The programme is intended to educate and train practitioners in development, peacebuilding and international affairs, so that they may contribute to greater cooperation among countries.
While most of our students come from social science backgrounds, graduates and professionals from other fields are also encouraged to apply. An undergraduate degree is required. Ideally, prospective students should have some work experience (3-5 years) and show meaningful motivation to pursue a career in international peace and development in line with the aspirations and principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations. Since the university’s language of instruction is English, proof of proficiency is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is an asset.

Key areas of expertise contained in the 33-credit taught component of the programme include the foundations of peace and conflict studies, post-colonial theory, and research methods along with skills-oriented mediation and negotiation training. Thematic courses help develop an understanding of the nature of contemporary conflict, peace and security, violence, democracy-building, and conflict transformation. As a capstone academic endeavour, students complete a graduation project that can be a research-based master’s thesis, an internship, or another project that demonstrates the student’s capacity to identify and systematically analyse an issue and produce a valuable academic report. The graduation project is worth 8 credits. In order to receive the degree, students must complete a total of 41 credits.

The required courses are:

• PCS 6000 Foundation Course in Peace and Conflict Studies (3 Credits) –  UPEACE Resident Faculty
• IPS 6041 Decolonizing Peace (3 Credits) –  Prof. Victoria Fontan
• IPS 6042 Research Methods: Peaces and Peace Research Methodologies (3 Credits) –   Prof. Josefina Echavarría
• IPS 6023 The Nation State, State Weakness and Intrastate War (3 Credits) –     Prof. Balazs Kovacs
• IPS 6039 International Humanitarian Law (1 Credit) –  Prof. Juan Carlos Sainz-Borgo
• IPS 6043 Gender and Peace Operations (2 Credits) –  Prof. Nadine Puechguirbal
• ELECTIVES (3 Credits) Participants can choose an elective course offered by the UPEACE Institute  –  UPEACE Resident Faculty and Visiting Faculty
• IPS 6037 Social Justice, Conflicts and Peacebuilding in the Global South (3 Credits) –  Prof. Virginia Cawagas
• EXPC 6007 Human Vulnerability and Climate Change (2 Credits) –  Prof. Juan Hoffmaister
• IPS 6024 Practices of Conflict Management: Negotiation and Mediation (3 Credits) –  Prof. Yael Efron
• IPS 6036 Human Security in the Developing World (2 Credit) –  Prof. Samuel Ewusi
• IPS 6038 Peace Building, State Building, Resistance and Post-Liberal Peace  (2 Credits) –  Prof. Oliver Richmond
• IPS 6028 Capstone Workshop on Peace and Democracy Building (1 Credit) –  Prof. Victor Valle
• IPS 6027 Seminar: Mainstreaming UPeace Pillars (2 Credits) – Prof. Balazs Kovacs, Prof. Jan Breitling, Prof. Virginia Cawagas and Prof. Mihir Kanade
• IPS 7000 Graduation Project (8 Credits)

For complete course descriptions, course calendar, and information about the professors, please follow the link http://www.upeace.org/calendar/index.cfm  

Graduates of this MA programme are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable them to work in international organizations – both governmental and non-governmental – where they are leading development and humanitarian programmes; in foreign ministries, performing initial diplomatic tasks; and universities, teaching subjects related to peace, security, and conflict management.

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