Graduate Programs
At the graduate level, the SPCS offers a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies. Our faculty can also be found in Kent State's Political Science graduate program (under the Conflict Analysis and Management concentration) and the College of Business's Leading Through Challenge Graduate Certificate Program.
Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies
Beginning in Fall 2023, SPCS offers a Master of Arts degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (MAPCS). Students matriculating into this program will choose from concentrations in Applied Conflict Transformation (ACT), or Peace, Conflict, & Development (PCD). Students taking the MAPCS program will examine the causes and consequences of violence, develop methods for preventing, resolving, and transforming conflicts; and analyze the values and institutions of peace. They will study relevant academic and policy literature, develop an advanced understanding of the field and the applied skills necessary to become effective practitioners.
The Applied Conflict Transformation concentration focuses on the intellectual foundations and applied skills necessary to pursue careers embedded in the domestic dynamics of peace and conflict, including human relations, organizational conflict resolution, and group and community conflict transformation.
The Peace, Conflict, & Development concentration explores the intersection between peace, conflict, and development in fragile or insecure states and societies around the world, particularly in the global south. This has relevance for policy in fields such as international conflict prevention, international peacekeeping, post- conflict peacebuilding, sustainable development and good governance.
Read more about the Master of Arts degree in Peace and Conflict Studies
Conflict Analysis and Management (CAM) track in the Political Science Graduate Program
Since 2013, SPCS faculty have been teaching courses in the Conflict Analysis and Management concentration in the Political Science graduate degree program. This program allows students to earn a PhD (or an MA) in Political Science with a focus on conflict analysis and management.
For more information about the Conflict Analysis and Management concentration in Political Science, contact:
Dr. Daniel Chand
Associate Professor and Graduate Studies Coordinator, Department of Political Science
330-672-8939; dchand@kent.edu
Dr. Landon Hancock
Professor, School of Peace and Conflict Studies
330-672-0904; lhancoc2@kent.edu
Go to the Political Science Graduate Program page
Leading Through Challenge Graduate Certificate (through the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship)
The Leading Through Challenge Graduate Certificate, offered through the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is designed to develop skills for managers in dealing with challenging situations. This certificate program consists of five graduate-level courses, which include three Peace and Conflict Studies courses and two Management courses.
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Dual Degree with Master of Business Administration
Students further have the opportunity to earn an M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies and an M.B.A. in Business Administration simultaneously. This dual degree program not only teaches students the essentials of the business world but incorporates understanding of the dynamics of conflict, empowering graduates with a deeper knowledge of how to transform organizational cultures.
Other Graduate Degree Programs
Some graduate degree programs at Kent State allow students to take electives in other departments. Student seeking graduate degrees in other programs may be able to take courses in Peace and Conflict Studies to enhance their study in other disciplines.