University for Peace

The Master of Arts Degree in Environment, Development, and Peace (EDP) provides comprehensive training in issues of sustainable development, environmental governance, natural resource management, and environmental conflict management from both ecological and social perspectives. It encompasses a broad range of subjects and themes, including Food Systems, Water Management, Forestry, Coastal Resources, Climate Change, Urban Ecology, and Social Movements. The program focuses on the human dimensions of the environment-development nexus, highlighting the connections between local perspectives and broader processes at the national, regional and global levels and emphasizing the importance of political-economic structures and inequality in access to resources as key drivers in environmental conflict and global environmental change. The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in both environmental and development policy and programming in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.... [-]

The Master of Arts in Gender and Peacebuilding offers critical knowledge and training in gender studies, which is a crucial aspect of any and all peace efforts. The program deals in depth with the diverse and international aspects of gender as they relate to violence, peace negotiations, peacebuilding and peacekeeping in different locations on the planet. The program also encompasses the many fields of knowledge in which gender plays a crucial role. The needs and interests of students and professionals are carefully considered in the design and implementation of the program.

The Master of Arts Degree in International Law and Human Rights Degree offers students an in-depth review of the procedures and practice of international human rights bodies, at the global and UN level as well as at the regional level. Students will gain an understanding of the various judicial and non-judicial bodies that are at the frontline of questions of interpretation, the development of international human rights standards, and enforcement. In addition, students receive training in hands-on skills in the realm of reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of human rights. Finally, as the globalization of business and investment is increasing in force and speed, with important human rights implications, this specialization explores the interaction between economics and rights, asking critical questions about this process and potential solutions.... [-]

The Master of Arts Degree in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes offers students an understanding of the role that international law and institutions play in the settlement of international and transnational disputes. This specialization examines the role of national and international courts and tribunals in contributing to the settlement of disputes. As international and transnational adjudication has acquired a more prominent role in international relations, it is essential to understand how these global and regional courts are responding to the challenges of the early 21st Century. Students will examine the role of law in traditional and not-so-traditional territorial and boundary disputes, and acquire an overview of the law of the sea. And finally, they will examine the increasingly important field of dispute settlement in international economic relations, which will include investment arbitration.... [-]

The Master of Arts Degree in International Peace Studies provides an interdisciplinary and critical analysis of the causes and consequences of a wide range of contemporary conflicts and violence that impact on global, international and human security. Topics to be explored include militarization, armed conflicts, violent extremism, economic, social and gender injustices, cultural and religious identity conflicts, and competition over environmental resources. An in-depth understanding of peacebuilding and peace processes in response to these issues is built.

The Masters of Arts Degree in Media and Peace is for students interested in gaining in-depth knowledge of what role media can and does play in peace and conflict issues of our times. Current or would-be practitioners interested in gaining useful and deep knowledge in media best practices in mitigating conflict and promoting peace will also benefit from this course. In this program, the students gain a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of relevant research, and evidence-based best practices, related to how media can (but often does not) contribute to peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Students will acquire expertise in critical analysis of media’s role in peace and conflict, as well as in the impactful application of media for peacebuilding and humanitarian purposes. The aim of the program is to train students to be insightful researchers, effective policymakers and reflexive communicators, who can make a positive impact on the global humanitarian field. The course will set students on the path to pursuing research-focused, and policy or practice-oriented careers focusing on the media’s role in peace and conflict.... [-]

The Master of Arts Degree in Peace Education seeks to develop and strengthen the capacity of formal and informal educators to build a peaceful world on all levels and in all dimensions of life. Through coursework and independent research or internship experiences, complemented with a unique and cooperative learning environment at UPEACE, students will enhance their values formation, knowledge and skills for living in and building cultures of peace. An understanding of the roles education, educators and institutions can play in resolving and transforming conflicts and violence towards holistic cultures of peace is explored.

The Master of Arts Degree in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development (RMSED) emphasizes the economic and management perspectives of peace while focusing on the concepts of sustainability and responsibility. Its creation was based on the belief that to better contribute to the promotion of sustainable peace, it is imperative to explore what role the economy plays in the world today and its impact on our environment and societies’ well-being. Issues of rural and urban poverty, growing inequalities and disparities, environmental degradation, financial crises, and globalization are challenging political-economic stability and social cohesion in all societies. Modern society faces the growing challenge of sustainability; finding solutions that will maintain and protect social systems for future generations. Students from the RMSED Program will become responsible managers with strong emphasis on sustainability that will be able to work in the corporate sector, public sector or social sector, both in industrialized and developing countries.... [-]

This master's program aims to train leaders with the elements of an integral human development for the 21st century. The essential nucleus of this formation will make it possible to understand that the conflicts we face must be transformed and solved peacefully, because that is the only way to lay the foundations for peace. The combination of these elements allows access to development in all its facets: human development, sustainable and sustainable. For this, our vision supports the notions of the United Nations that peace, human development and the transformation and resolution of conflicts must contain transversally elements related to gender equity and the principle of non-discrimination, be this racial , social, conscience, cult, or other. These statements are considered prerequisites, not only for development but for the survival of the planet. That is why this program addresses these three facets within the four fundamental pillars of the United Nations: Peace, Human Rights, Sustainable Development and the Rule of Law.... [-]