Concentrations consist of three topic-specific courses, three ICAE practitioner workshops, practicum and the capstone or thesis. Concentrations with the capstone option are twenty credits while the thesis option is twenty-four credits.

Master of Arts students can select a concentration in one of the following areas:

Civic Development and Systemic Transformation
Environmental Conflict Analysis and Engagement
Healthcare Conflict Analysis and Engagement
Organizational Conflict Analysis and Engagement
International Mediation
The Evolution of Meaning in Conflict and Identity
Individualized Program Design in Conflict Analysis and Engagement

Civic Development and Systemic Transformation
This concentration develops the understanding, skills, and inspiration needed to advance deliberative democracy and create a livable future. It is designed to prepare citizens from all walks of life to fulfill new forms of leadership now emerging and expected in the US and abroad. The program advances the core principles and recurring patterns that cut across professional fields, seeing not only the necessarily interdisciplinary nature of practice, but also the emerging coherence of a unifying theory.  It distills what is currently known about the best ways to work with people, issues and systems to solve complex problems and minimize risk of breakdown. It provides understanding of which factors in an immediate situation and the larger contexts determine what kinds of processes should be used, when, and with whom, to fulfill purposes most critical in that situation.  Read more

Environmental Conflict Analysis and Engagement
This environmental concentration will significantly advance the participants’ knowledge of how to utilize collaborative approaches to problem solving, while acknowledging the unique political, emotional and ideological influences that are often woven into environmental conflict. It prepares students to enter the field by introducing them to multi-party engagements that address the spectrum of conflict escalation indicators. In addition to those indicators, students will be become knowledgeable about (a) uniqueness, complexity and history of environmental conflict analysis and engagement; (b) managing scientific and technical information in environmental conflicts, and (c) consensus building and facilitation theory relevant to environmental problem solving.  Read more

Healthcare Conflict Analysis and Engagement
The program introduces the American healthcare system as a highly complex system, or more precisely “system of systems,” that has a profound effect on all aspects of our life, our community and our economy. The healthcare system is also highly politicized and is expected to undergo profound change over the next few years. In recognition of the challenges that conflict creates in the healthcare sector, both in regards to patient care and costs incurred, the Joint Commission (on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) now requires healthcare organizations to establish policies and procedures for conflict management within their organizations. Read more

Organizational Conflict Analysis and Engagement
This program concentration is intended for managers and leaders of organization seeking the knowledge and skills to work with the change and conflict natural to all organizations. Read more

International Mediation
International Mediation All too often international peacemaking processes become stalled, go off track, or breakdown completely thus greatly reducing the chances that a lasting and durable peace can be created by these processes. The Concentration in International Mediation will provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary for supporting the creation of durable peace in cases of international armed conflicts. It is designed to progressively build the student’s knowledge levels and abilities related to the analysis of international armed conflict, the design and implementation of corresponding peacemaking responses or interventions, and then the monitoring and evaluation of these responses. A practical and applied focus, drawing upon lessons learned from actual ongoing or resolved armed conflicts, is maintained throughout the concentration. The use of team projects, role-plays, and simulations ensures that this concentration is interactive, experiential, and highly-participatory. Read more

The Evolution of Meaning in Conflict and Identity
This concentration, focusing on the Individual Interior dimension of our Integral Model, is designed to engage students in a deeply reflective and intellectually rigorous exploration of the field of adult developmental psychology as it relates to leadership, and conflict analysis and engagement. This concentration allows students to focus more deeply on the nuances and subtleties of developmental theory and practice and its application to conflict and leadership, and to tailor their own practice to include its use. There will be a strong orientation toward applied knowledge and learning. Read more

Individualized Program Design in Conflict Analysis and Engagement
This program concentration allows participants to custom design an area of study to build knowledge and skills in an area unique to their own interest.