Master of Dispute Resolution

What is this course about?

CSU's Master of Dispute Resolution provides students with an understanding of the causes of conflict and the various methods of dispute prevention and resolution. Students learn the principles and skills of mediation and conflict management and how to apply these skills in various situations.

Conflict and dispute resolution skills are now recognised as essential for relationships to function on small, large, national, international and community levels. Professionals involved in areas such as law, social work and support agencies within government, business and the not-for-profit sector require a knowledge and understanding of conflect and the process of dispute resolution. In business today, managers and professionals deal with dispute and conflict as an everyday element of work and organisations are placing increased value on mediation, relationship development and conflict resolution skills in the workplace.

The program is designed to meet the needs of people engaged across a wide range of business, legal and human resource professions, including those in public service and voluntary roles who seek to gain knowledge and understanding of the cause and effect of conflict and the process and techniques for dispute resolution applicable to their workplace settings.

Flexible offering

As with all our courses, the Master of Dispute Resolution, Graduate Diploma of Dispute Resolution and Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolutionare designed and delivered with study flexibility in mind. You can choose between full-time and part-time study options to fit in with work and lifestyle commitments. You could choose to study just one subject in an academic session or, with approval, fast-track degree completion by undertaking four subjects per session.

This course is offered across a three-session academic year, with sessions commencing in February, July and November each year.

Professional recognition

Professional accreditation is currently being developed in Australia. There has been no single accrediting body. What has existed are separate accrediting organisations who accredit their own mediators / convenors.

Because of the new National Accreditation Standards, Government (e.g. Community Justice Centres, Legal Aid, Health Conciliation Registry) and private dispute resolution organisations (e.g. LEADR, ACDC, Relationships Australia) are in the process of reviewing their training and assessment in order to upgrade their mediation panel members to the new National Standard. For more information, go here or here.

Private organisations can now be declared Recognised Mediator Accreditation Bodies (RMABs) who will be able to monitor members, provide or attest to CPD requirements, a complaints scheme and insurance. LEADR, which is a Recognised Mediator Accreditation Body, has indicated it will regard CSU's Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution as fulfilling the necessary educational requirements for graduates to apply to be accredited by LEADR to the National Standard.

Although being accredited to the National Standard is voluntary at the present time, it appears there will be a flow-on effect, with practising members forced to met the standards in order to be employed in the industry.