The Department of Public Policy and Administration offers the undergraduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution, which serves both current BSU students and community members who wish additional training and coursework in mediation and conflict management.
BSU students may enroll in the Dispute Resolution Certificate program concurrently with work on a bachelor’s degree. The certificate functions similar to an academic minor and is awarded after the degree is awarded.
Community members who are academically eligible may enroll as BSU students in any of the Dispute Resolution courses, except the competency exam course. The certificate will not be awarded unless the student holds an associate or baccalaureate degree.
***NOTE*** Dispute Resolution Certificate Curriculum Change
Students may now earn a Dispute Resolution Certificate (a 12-credit undergraduate program) without completing an internship. This option—called the Life Skills Focus—allows students to replace the Internship and Competency exam (3 credits total) with either of the following:
DISPUT 401 Negotiation (3 credits)
DISPUT 402 Culture and Conflict (3 credits)
Both the newly-approved Life Skills Focus and the original curriculum, the Mediation Focus, integrate skill development in conflict management, negotiation and mediation with relevant theory and research. Both focus areas have 9 credits in common:
DISPUT (COMM/SOC) 390 Conflict Management (3 credits)
DISPUT 400 Basic Mediation Skills (3 credits)
Three credits selected from a variety of DISPUT 494 workshops that provide training in specialized areas of conflict management and mediation
The new Life Skills Focus is intended to help those students who want to earn a Dispute Resolution Certificate, but cannot take time from work to complete the field internship—which most often occurs during weekdays in civil mediation programs provided at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise.
For more information please contact Dr. Bayard Gregory,via email at bayardgregory@boisestate.edu or phone at 208-426-2513.