Conflict Transformation
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Acting Dean: Dr. David Landy
Lam Family College of Business
Dean: Dr. Eugene Sivadas
College of Ethnic Studies
Dean: Dr. Grace Yoo
College of Health and Social Sciences
Dean: Dr. Andreana Clay
Conflict Transformation Program
Communication Studies Department
Humanities Building, Room 289
Coordinator: Dr. Ashmi Desai (ashmidesai@sfsu.edu)
Program Scope
The purpose of this certificate is to cultivate the knowledge and skills needed to engage conflict as a catalyst for positive change and social transformation. Grounded in the principles of conflict transformation, the program emphasizes understanding and addressing the deeper relational, cultural, and structural dynamics that shape conflict. Conflict transformation looks beyond individual disputes or the attribution of blame to individual actors, instead seeking to engage with the underlying social and structural conditions. Students may use this certificate to enhance their understanding of the critical role that conflict and its transformation 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.
Career Outlook
Completion of the certificate contributes to a student's preparation for employment in such fields as counseling, marriage and family therapy, criminal justice, diplomacy, education, government, human resources, international relations, labor, law, management, mediation, public relations, and social work.
The certificate consists of 5 courses (3 courses in the core and 2 courses selected from one specialized focus area). Courses in the certificate may be substituted on advisement. At least 2 courses in the certificate must have a prefix that is different from the student's major. Students need to see the director of the program to declare intention to pursue the certificate program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Articulate a variety of conflict transformation approaches.
- Cultivate skills for transforming conflicts.
- Critically examine how structural inequalities and power dynamics create and sustain conflicts.
- Apply conflict transformation approaches in a particular focus area.
Conflict Transformation Certificate – 16 units minimum
- At least 2 courses in the certificate must have a prefix that is different from the student's major.
- Students must pass a GWAR course before receiving the certificate.
Core Requirements (10-12 units)
Introduction to Conflict Transformation (3-4 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 531 | Conflict and Communication | 4 |
| PSY 547 | Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
Communication Skill Building (4 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 534 | Mediation Theory and Practice | 4 |
| COMM 543 | Dialogues Across Differences | 4 |
Conflict Transformation Internship (3-4 units)
Internship course with a focus on conflict transformation with placement by an advisor. The internship must involve at least 120 hours of work during the semester. Students may take an internship course in their major if available.
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 430 | Peer Mediation (taken twice) | 2 |
| COMM 695 | Internship in Communication Studies | 3 |
Focus Areas (6 units minimum)
Select two courses from one of the following areas. Courses may not double count for the Core and the Focus Areas:
Social Justice/Race and Marginalized Populations
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AA S 595 | Asian American Communities and Public Policy | 3 |
| AFRS 376 | Government, the Constitution, and Black Citizens | 3 |
| C J 300 | Criminal Justice: A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective | 4 |
| COMM 120 | Language, Culture, and Power | 3 |
| COMM 534 | Mediation Theory and Practice | 4 |
| COMM 543 | Dialogues Across Differences | 4 |
| COMM 572 | Communication and Environmental Justice | 4 |
| COMM 573 | The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishment | 4 |
| ECON 541 | Economics of LGBTQ Issues | 3 |
| HIST 465 | American Ethnic and Racial Relations II: 1890-Present | 3 |
| LTNS 430/C J 435 | Race, Crime, and Justice | 3 |
| PLSI 464 | Race and American Politics | 4 |
| PSY 474 | Psychology of Social Justice | 3 |
| PSY 475 | Psychology of Policing | 3 |
| USP 515/GEOG 667 | Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Environment | 4 |
Note: A major or minor in any of the following departments will meet the Social Justice, Race, and Marginalized Populations focus area: Ethnic Studies, Africana Studies, Asian American Studies, Latina/Latino Studies.
Family Conflict and Counseling
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 515 | Family Communication | 4 |
| I R 259 | Children and Youth in International Relations | 4 |
| PSY 441 | The Psychology of the Family | 3 |
| SOC 464 | Families and Society | 4 |
Culture and Community
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AA S 681 | Asian American Community Changes and Development | 3 |
| COMM 539 | Analyzing Everyday Interaction | 4 |
| COMM 541 | Critical Approaches to Culture and Communication | 4 |
| LTNS 680 | Latina/o/x Community Organizing and Career Futures | 3 |
| PHIL/HUM/JS 501 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| PSY 525 | Community Psychology | 3 |
Global Perspectives
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| C J 525 | Global Restorative Justice and Corrections | 3 |
| ENVS/I R 331 | Global Environmental Crisis | 4 |
| GPS/I R/PHIL 315 | Introduction to Global Peace Studies | 3 |
| I R/MLL 345 | US-China Conflict and Cooperation in Asia | 4 |
| I R/PLSI 459 | Refugees in Global Perspective | 4 |
| JS 560/I R 530 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| PHIL 435/I R 436 | Human Rights in Global Perspective | 3 |
| PSY 455 | Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Psychology | 3 |
| WGS 536 | Gender, Globalization, and Women's Human Rights | 3 |
Labor
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 522 | Organizational Communication | 4 |
| IBUS/MGMT 659 | Introduction to International Business Negotiation | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 553 | Labor Standards and Corporate Social Responsibility | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 555 | Labor Rights in the Global Economy | 3 |
| PSY 461 | Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology | 3 |