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Queen's University Belfast

Conflict Transformation & Social Justice

Overview
This is a unique and innovative interdisciplinary programme taught through subject areas that include law, anthropology, english, history, philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology and the creative arts. Module choice within the programme will permit you to build your own personalised portfolio of knowledge and learning within the area of conflict transformation and social justice. You will be taught by academics and practitioners whose expertise is both national and global and who offer research-led teaching in areas of conflict such as South/ Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Southern Europe, South America and Northern Ireland.

Conflict Transformation and Social Justice highlights

Queens University offers the only global MA programme on Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.

World Class Facilities
•Established in 2016, The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice is an international center of excellence at Queen's University Belfast. The Institute fosters collaborations across a range of subject areas which allow the Faculty to address some of the key global challenges faced in seeking to achieve fairness, security, prosperity, social harmony and progress. A flagship for interdisciplinary research in areas of major societal challenge, the Mitchell Institute brings together excellent researchers from a wide range of disciplines to tackle some of the greatest global issues of our age.

Internationally Renowned Experts
•You will be taught by staff with research profiles of international standing, and wide ranges of interest in conflict transformation and social justice. You will have annual masterclasses with visiting world-leading researchers, diplomats and/or practitioners.

Student Experience
•Location of Belfast: globally-significant locale for conflict and peace research; access to institutions, community projects, case studies for students' own work. Only MA actively facilitating study and research that combines cultural and creative aspects of conflict transformation and social justice together with their socio-legal, institutional and inter-state contexts. Only MA in the field to be interdisciplinary across all the humanities and social sciences in order to offer a fully rounded and multilevel analysis of the subject whilst offering optional modules for specialisation. Teaching in advanced research methods, with particular emphasis on methodologies appropriate for research in the fields of conflict transformation, social justice and societies in transition. Opportunities to conduct new empirical research in the field. Opportunities to complete assignments with direct policy relevance.

Course Details
Students will study and critically examine the key conceptual, moral, legal, political and cultural issues that relate to conflict, conflict transformation and social justice. This will relate to the fields of political science, law, sociology, history, anthropology, English, drama and psychology. A student cannot take more than 40 credits in any School, except for the Institute. Where a student wishes to take more than 40 credits in a particular School, it is recommended that they apply for the Masters programme in that School. The taught modules are delivered during two 12 week semesters.

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:

Learning opportunities
You will be part of a community of learners within the Institute who are dedicated to understanding conflict and its transformation. Class time includes plenty of opportunity for discussion. You will have annual masterclasses with world-leading experts and be able to attend the numerous public lectures organised by the Institute. You will also meet your lecturers and classmates at monthly brown-bag lunches and other informal events. Some students may avail of the opportunity to participate in voluntary, non-assessed placements with local peacebuilding organisations.

Entry requirements

Entrance requirements
Graduate
Normally at least a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in an Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences discipline or another cognate subject area. Applicants with a 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University may be admitted if they hold a Master's degree, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University, or if they have 3 years' relevant working experience in the field of conflict transformation, youth work, social justice or related experience in community engagement or public service delivery.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
•Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
•Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Duration

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.

Contact Teaching Hours
Medium Group Teaching
9 (hours maximum)
Teaching hours are 3 hours per module per week. Group size will vary depending on the module, with some medium group teaching and small group teaching.

Personal Study
24 (hours maximum)
Reading, essay preparation, development of study skills and other skill training, and extra-curricular activities associated with personal growth and life long

Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial
9 (hours maximum)
Teaching hours are 3 hours per module per week. Group size will vary depending on the module, with some medium group teaching and small group teaching.

Teaching Times
Morning / Afternoon / Evening

Careers or further progression

Career Prospects
Introduction
Our MA will equip you with the knowledge and skills to pursue a range of careers in the private, public and voluntary sectors, domestically and internationally, including working in peacebuilding organisations, charities, international development agencies, journalism, social and community work, dispute resolution, counselling, policing, politics and policy development, law, teaching, religious ministry, research, and doctoral study/academia.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Employment after the Course
Our MA can help you gain the skills and knowledge that can lead to meaningful work in range of fields, all over the world.

You may follow in the footsteps of some of our alumni, who are building careers in restorative justice, equality advocacy, international diplomacy (embassy work), the United Nations, Law school and doctoral programmes, policing, peacebuilding organisations, and organisations working with victims of human trafficking.

Our MA can also be useful as an aspect of continuing professional development for those already working in careers in social and community work, politics and policy making, teaching, policing, religious ministry, the victims sector, and journalism.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Professional Opportunities
The study and employability skills associated with the MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice include:
Group work
Independent learning
The collection and analysis of information
Research skills
Problem solving
Communication skills, oral and written
Working under time constraints and to deadlines  Presentation skills

Further enquiries

Dr Gladys Ganiel 
Institute Research Fellow
George J. Mitchell Institute
Contact email: g.ganiel@qub.ac.uk

Subjects taught

Modules
Students are required to complete two compulsory taught modules as well as the triple weighted dissertation (60 CATS):
Global Concepts and Practices of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (20 CATS);
Conducting Research in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (20 CATS).

In addition to the compulsory modules, students take 60 CATS points of optional modules from the Institute and from existing programmes delivered by the following Schools: Social Sciences, Education and Social Work; History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics; Arts, English and Language; Law and Management.

The Institute's own optional modules are:
Bridging Community Divisions (20 CATS);
Conflict Mediation (20 CATS);
The Legacy of Conflict (20 CATS);
Religion and Peacebuilding (20 CATS)

Comment

Conflict Transformation and Social Justice highlights
Queens University offers the only global MA programme on Conflict Transformation and Social Justice.

World Class Facilities
• The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice is a newly established international centre of excellence at Queen's University Belfast. The Institute fosters collaborations across a range of subject areas which allow the Faculty to address some of the key global challenges faced in seeking to achieve fairness, security, prosperity, social harmony and progress. A flagship for interdisciplinary research in areas of major societal challenge, the Mitchell Institute brings together excellent researchers from a wide range of disciplines to tackle some of the greatest global issues of our age.

Internationally Renowned Experts
• Annual masterclass with visiting world-leading researchers.

Student Experience
• Location of Belfast: globally-significant locale for conflict and peace research; access to institutions, community projects, case studies for students' own work. Only MA actively facilitating study and research that combines cultural and creative aspects of conflict transformation and social justice together with their socio-legal, institutional and inter-state contexts. Only MA in the field to be interdisciplinary across all the humanities and social sciences in order to offer a fully rounded and multilevel analysis of the subject whilst offering optional modules for specialisation. Teaching in advanced research methods, with particular emphasis on methodologies appropriate for research in the fields of conflict transformation, social justice and societies in transition. Peer group seminars across the Faculty in qualitative research methods. Participation in interdisciplinary, small research seminar groups on related topics of specialisation, eg 'shared space'; 'divided cities'. Opportunities to conduct new empirical research in the field. Opportunities to complete assignments with direct policy relevance.