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Director of Graduate Studies: Eva M. Soeka, J.D.
marquette.edu/cps/disputeresolution/grad.shtml
Degrees Offered
Master in Dispute Resolution; Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution
Program Descriptions
Dispute resolution is an interdisciplinary, graduate program leading to either a master’s degree or graduate certificate in dispute resolution. The program combines the fields of law, business, psychology, sociology, political science, health sciences, education and communication in dealing with today’s multi-faceted issues in resolving disputes. The program seeks to train professionals, primarily those in the fields of law, health care, education and business, to practice as third party neutrals in the field of dispute resolution, or to be knowledgeable participants in the dispute resolution process.
Master's Degree Program
The College of Professional Studies offers a professional degree program leading to a master in dispute resolution (M.D.R.). With an emphasis on mediation and its applications, the primary program objective is to increase the knowledge and skill competency of working professionals across all disciplines. Students are expected to demonstrate their competency in dispute resolution theory and practice by employing critical thinking and the tools of research when completing either a master’s thesis or an integrative capstone project.
Certificate Program
The College of Professional Studies offers a 15 credit graduate certificate in dispute resolution. (For information on a master in leadership studies or a master of arts in public service with a specialization in dispute resolution, see Leadership Studies or Public Service.) DIRS also offers a joint certificate program with the Law School.
Prerequisites for Admission
Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing and minimally two years of work experience preferred.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit, directly to the Graduate School:
- A completed online application form and fee.
- Official transcripts from all current and previous colleges/universities except Marquette.
- Three letters of recommendation. Waived if M.D.R. or C.D.R. applicants are currently attending or have graduated from Marquette’s Law School. Waived if M.D.R. applicants graduated from the DIRS certificate program. Waived if M.D.R. or C.D.R. applicants have completed any advanced degree – M.A., M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., J.D., or M.D.
- GRE, GMAT, LSAT (applicants must score at the 50th or higher percentile), or MAT scores. Waived if the applicant has completed any advanced degree from any school – M.A., M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., J.D., or M.D.
- Applicants are expected to have a baccalaureate degree or its academic equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing, a grade point average of B (3.000 on a 4.000 scale) or above in undergraduate course work and background in an appropriate undergraduate major.
- (For international applicants only) a TOEFL score or other acceptable proof of English proficiency.
Dispute Resolution
The master’s degree requires completion of 33 credits. The degree requirements are as follows:
| DIRS 6600 | Mediation | 3 |
| DIRS 6605 | Advanced Mediation | 3 |
| DIRS 6610 | Dispute Resolution Theory | 3 |
| DIRS 6964 | Practicum in Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| 1 of the following | 6 | |
| Professional Project in Dispute Resolution (27 credit hours in course work plus 6 hours of project) | ||
| Master's Thesis (27 credit hours in course work plus 6 hours of thesis) | ||
DIRS 9984-86 Master's Comprehensive Examination Preparation (33 credit hours of course work plus oral examination) * | ||
| 3 of the following | 9 | |
| Advanced Issues in Dispute Resolution | ||
| Arbitration | ||
| Negotiation | ||
| Dispute Resolution Systems Design | ||
| 2 of the following electives | 6 | |
| Dispute Resolution and the Family | ||
| Dispute Resolution and Education | ||
| Dispute Resolution and the Workplace | ||
| Dispute Resolution and Health Care | ||
| Independent Study in Dispute Resolution | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
| * | See adviser. |
Students must choose a thesis, a professional project or the comprehensive examination (following 6 additional credits of course work). Students choosing the thesis or professional project must submit the applicable outline to be approved by their faculty adviser, program director and by the Graduate School.
Regardless of the plan chosen, students must complete the program within six years. Students are expected to earn a B or above in all courses and must maintain a 3.000 cumulative grade point average to earn the master in dispute resolution. The M.D.R. requires 33 credits of dispute resolution courses.
Certificate Requirements
The certificate program requires completion of five courses (15 credits) selected from a prescribed list of DIRS courses. These five courses are required:
| DIRS 6600 | Mediation (prerequisite) | 3 |
| DIRS 6605 | Advanced Mediation | 3 |
| DIRS 6610 | Dispute Resolution Theory | 3 |
| DIRS 6615 | Advanced Issues in Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| DIRS 6964 | Practicum in Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Students must complete the certificate program within three years. Students are expected to earn a B or above in all courses and must maintain a 3.000 cumulative grade point average to earn the certificate in dispute resolution.
Dispute Resolution
Certificate – J.D. Degree
The Center for Dispute Resolution Education, in conjunction with the Law School, offers a program of joint study leading to a certificate in dispute resolution (C.D.R.) and a juris doctor degree. Students seeking admission to the program must apply to the Law School and meet the Law School’s admission requirements. Students must simultaneously apply to the Graduate School, meeting the application requirements listed above. Students start this program as a law student. Upon completion of the law program, students will be officially admitted to the dispute resolution certificate program for completion of the remainder of the program.
Joint program students must have completed 27 credit hours at the Law School with a cumulative average of 2.00 before entering the graduate program in dispute resolution (DIRS). Students will be able to apply the nine credits taken in DIRS toward their juris doctor degree. Law students may take any of the certificate courses offered by DIRS for up to nine law school credits. A total of 15 credits are required for the C.D.R.
Law students must complete 9 DIRS credits to earn the certificate; of these 9 credits, six must be DIRS 6600 Mediation and DIRS 6605 Advanced Mediation.
To earn the joint C.D.R., a law student will be required to take the following courses:
| DIRS 6600 | Mediation | 3 |
| DIRS 6605 | Advanced Mediation | 3 |
| 1 of the following | 3 | |
| Mediation Clinic | ||
| Supervised Fieldwork | ||
| Practicum in Dispute Resolution | ||
| 1 of the following | 3 | |
| Dispute Resolution Theory | ||
| Advanced Issues in Dispute Resolution | ||
an elective LAW course from a set list as approved by both the Center for Dispute Resolution and Law School | ||
A law student must complete 6 LAW credits and 9 DIRS credits to earn the joint certificate. There is no early or late date for pursuing the C.D.R. Some law students may come to the Law School having already decided to pursue the certificate. A student might wait until some Law School courses are completed and then decide to seek admission to the Graduate School in order to earn the certificate. The only requirement in this respect is that the student cannot wait so long that it becomes mathematically impossible to complete the requirements of both programs in four years (six years for part-time students). Law students must complete a Graduate School application; they do not need to submit test scores, transcripts or letters of recommendation.
In general, joint program students will pay tuition at the full-time (flat tuition) Law School rate while a full-time law student, regardless of whether or not they are taking additional graduate courses. Upon receiving the juris doctor degree, joint program students will pay Graduate School tuition at the per credit rate for graduate courses. Part-time law students will pay the per credit Law School rate for all courses.
Additional details about the C.D.R.–J.D. program are available from the Center for Dispute Resolution Education office or from the Law School Admissions office.
On this page
- Degrees Offered
- Program Descriptions
- Prerequisites for Admission
- Application Requirements
- Dispute Resolution
- Certificate Requirements
- Dispute Resolution
Graduate Professional Studies
- Dispute Resolution
- Law Enforcement Leadership and Management
- Leadership Studies
- Public Service
- Sports Leadership
