Conflict Resolution
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Dean: Dr. Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo
Lam Family College of Business
Dean: Dr. Eugene Sivadas
College of Ethnic Studies
Dean: Dr. Grace Yoo
College of Health and Social Sciences
Interim Dean: Dr. Andreana Clay
Conflict Resolution Program
Communication Studies Department
Humanities Building, Room 289
Coordinator: Dr. Ashmi Desai (ashmidesai@sfsu.edu)
Program Scope
The Conflict Resolution Certificate is an interdisciplinary 21-28 unit certificate program offering undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn to manage conflict perspectives and positions in various contexts and to develop constructive ways to engage in dispute management or conflict negotiation. Students may use this certificate to enhance their understanding of the critical role that conflict and its resolution play in the world today. This certificate complements degree programs in Communication, Criminal Justice, Labor and Employment Studies, Ethnic Studies, Business, International Relations, Psychology, Political Science, and Women and Gender Studies. The certificate consists of 7 courses (4 courses in the core and 3 courses selected from one focus area), including an internship focusing on conflict management.
Note: Non-degree students apply through the College of Professional & Global Education, (415) 405-7700. For additional information, visit www.cel.sfsu.edu. The Certificate in Conflict Resolution is available to anyone admitted through the College of Professional & Global Education/Open University.
Timeline
- Interested students make an appointment with the coordinator to sign a Declaration form and submit an unofficial transcript. After submission of Declaration form, it generally takes 2-3 weeks for the enrollment to show up on a student's Degree Progress Report. Click here for: Declaration form
- Reach out to coordinator Dr. Ashmi Desai for any advising support while finishing coursework and regarding internship opportunities.
- Upon completion of the certificate coursework and internship, students must:
a) file a Certificate Approved Program (CAP) form, must be printed and typed. Click here for: CAP form
b) get a copy of unofficial transcript after all grades are posted. The transcript attached must show all 7 courses, including internship, with final grades that fulfill the requirements of the program;
c) pay from your SFSU student online account the application fee $7.00 for the award of the certificate (no need to print out receipt). Click here to pay the fee online: https://grad.sfsu.edu/content/pay-graduate-fees-online
d) Email the completed CAP form and unofficial transcript to the coordinator. -
Typically it takes 2-3 months for the Undergrad Division to process, print, and deliver the certificates to the department. The department will then mail the certificates to students, using the address listed on their CAP form.
Career Outlook
Completion of the certificate contributes to a student's preparation for employment in such fields as counseling, criminal justice, diplomacy, education, government, human resources, international relations, labor, law, management, mediation, public relations, and social work.
Certificate in Conflict Resolution
It is recommended that General Education Areas A and B4 be completed prior to students beginning this program. Students must pass a GWAR course before receiving the certificate.
Note: Courses in the certificate may be substituted on advisement. At least three courses in the certificate must have a prefix that is different from the student's major prefix.
Conflict Resolution, Certificate — 21 units minimum
Core Requirements (12-16 units)
Introduction to Conflict Resolution (3-4 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 531 | Conflict Resolution | 4 |
| PSY 547 | Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
Alternative Models of Conflict Resolution (3-4 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFRS 660 | Civil Rights Movement and Education | 3 |
| COMM 534 | Mediation Theory and Practice | 4 |
| COMM 543 | Dialogues Across Differences | 4 |
| ECON/LABR 511 | Collective Bargaining | 3 |
| GPS/I R/PHIL 315 | Introduction to Global Peace Studies | 3 |
| GPS/PHIL 375 | Peace Law and Human Rights in the U.S. | 3 |
| IBUS/MGMT 659 | Introduction to International Business Negotiation | 3 |
| I R 432 | 4 |
Communication Skills (3-4 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 250 | Introduction to Group Discussion and Teamwork | 3 |
| COMM 502 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| PSY 645 | Group Processes | 3 |
Conflict Resolution Internship (3-4 units)
Internship course with a focus on conflict resolution with placement by an advisor.
Focus Areas (9-12 units)
Select three courses from one of the following areas. Courses may not double count for the Core and the Focus Areas:
Family/Culture/Community Issues
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AA S 681 | Asian American Community Changes and Development | 3 |
| COMM 503 | Gender and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 515 | Family Communication | 4 |
| COMM 525 | Sexualities and Communication | 4 |
| COMM 543 | Dialogues Across Differences | 4 |
| RRS 571 | Women, Race, and Class | 3 |
| PSY 440 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 441 | The Psychology of the Family | 3 |
| PSY 455 | Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 525 | Community Psychology | 3 |
| LTNS 680 | Latina/o/x Community Organizing and Career Futures | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Families and Society | 4 |
| USP 515/GEOG 667 | Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Environment | 4 |
Legal/Political Issues in the United States
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AA S 595 | Asian American Communities and Public Policy | 3 |
| AFRS 376 | Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizens | 3 |
| AFRS 660 | Civil Rights Movement and Education | 3 |
| AIS 460 | Power and Politics in American Indian History | 3 |
| COMM 564 | Issues in Free Speech | 4 |
| C J 300 | Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective | 4 |
| GPS/PHIL 375 | Peace Law and Human Rights in the U.S. | 3 |
| HIST 465 | American Ethnic and Racial Relations II: 1890-Present | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 553 | Labor Standards and Corporate Social Responsibility | 3 |
| LTNS 430/C J 435 | Race, Crime, and Justice | 3 |
| PHIL 335 | Law and Society | 3 |
| PLSI 464 | Race and American Politics | 4 |
| PLSI 553 | Legal Issues | 4 |
| PLSI 478 | Judicial Process | 4 |
| RRS 600/HIST 466 | History of People of Color in the U.S. | 3 |
| USP 513/GEOG 668/PLSI 513 | Politics, Law, and the Urban Environment | 4 |
Labor/Business Issues
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECON/LABR 511 | Collective Bargaining | 3 |
| IBUS 330 | International Business and Multicultural Relations | 3 |
| IBUS 517 | Legal Environment of World Business | 3 |
| IBUS/MGMT 659 | Introduction to International Business Negotiation | 3 |
| LABR/ANTH 525 | Diversity in the Workplace | 3 |
| LABR/PLSI 500 | Labor and Government | 3 |
| PSY 461 | Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology | 3 |
International Issues
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 541 | Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication | 4 |
| GPS/I R/PHIL 315 | Introduction to Global Peace Studies | 3 |
| HUM 366 | India's Gandhi | 3 |
| I R 330 | World Law | 4 |
| I R/ENVS 331 | Global Environmental Crisis | 4 |
| I R 432 | 4 | |
| JS/HUM/PHIL 501 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| JS 560/I R 530 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| PHIL 435 | Human Rights in Global Perspective | 3 |
| SOC 461 | Ethnic Relations: International Comparisons | 4 |
| WGS 536 | Gender, Globalization, and Women's Human Rights | 3 |