Program description Conflict Studies examines the sources and dynamics of conflicts and conflict resolution. We analyse the political, religious, social, and psychological aspects of conflicts, at the local, national, and international levels. Specific courses look at identity, memory, and trauma. We study violent, non violent, humanitarian, and diplomatic responses to conflicts, as well as reconciliation and peace building. Offered by the Faculty of Human Sciences, a formation in Conflict Studies provides students with a multidisciplinary approach that includes elements of political science, social psychology, and ethics. Graduates of Conflict Studies also acquire some skills useful for managing and resolving conflicts. In addition to the foundational courses,* the program encourages reflection on the relationship between violence, social justice, conflict resolution and peace building through courses in psychology, ethics and politics. Students are also given an opportunity to explore specific subjects in greater depth. *The foundational courses are a compulsory part of every bachelor’s degree program offered at Saint Paul University. What you’ll learn During your studies you will learn to identify and describe the main types of conflicts and their characteristics at the local, national and international level, and to select and use the most suitable methodologies to analyze various conflicts. Using case studies, observation and simulations, you will learn to identify the methods that help to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts. Why choose Saint Paul University?
Career opportunities
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The list of required courses is presented under the Program Requirements tab.
A student enrolled in this Honours Bachelor’s with Specialization Program can add a complementary minor.
Procedures relevant to program admission
Eligible candidates from Algonquin College who wish to avail themselves of this agreement must adhere to the following procedure:
Saint Paul University reserves the right to refuse this agreement to a candidate who obtained his or her diploma for the studies program at Algonquin more than three years before submitting his or her request for admission.
Offer of admission
You must complete this form:
Note: If you anticipate sending applications for admission to more than one university, we recommend that you complete de Application for admission form of the Ontario Universities’ Admission Centre (OUAC).
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
In order for us to assess your application, you must submit official transcripts for all of your previous studies (secondary, college and university). These transcripts must be sent directly from your academic institution to the following address:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
However, to expedite the assessment process for your application, you can scan your documents and e-mail them to the Office of Admissions at admission@ustpaul.ca and then send your official documents through the mail.
ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
Once the Office of Admissions receives all the required documents, it will begin to assess your application. One of the following decisions will be sent to you at the email address you gave us, as well as to your postal address.
Possible decisions
ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF ADMISSION |
To accept an offer of admission and a scholarship offer, if applicable, you must sign the form entitled Admission acceptance form that accompanies your offer of admission and send it to Saint Paul University by email, before the deadline, to admission@ustpaul.ca or mail it to:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
CHOOSE YOUR COURSES |
With your offer of admission, you will receive all the information you will need to choose your courses. You will also receive the contact information for our academic advisors; you can meet with them one on one or during information sessions for guidance and to help you finalize your course selection.
Discipline Specific Courses (54 units)
Compulsory Courses (39 units)
ECS 2103 Negotiation
Optional Courses (15 units)
6 units from:
ECS 2124 Local and Community Responses to Conflict
9 units from:
ECS 3101 Introduction to Technical and Legal Aspects of Conflict Resolution
Elective courses (6 units which must be of 3000 or 4000 level)
Concepts and foundations. Difference between mediation and negotiation. Case Studies. Ethical considerations. Role playing and practical exercises. Specificities of negotiation among ethnic and religious groups. A minimum of ten laboratory hours will be required in this course.
Prerequisite or concomitant: ECS2321.
Concepts and foundations. Objectives of mediation, importance of third parties. Mediation and post-modernity. Ethical considerations. Role playing and practical exercises. Specificities of mediation among ethnic and religious groups. A minimum of ten laboratory hours will be required in this course.
Prerequisite: ECS2103.
Introduction to the philosophy of science. Research Ethics. Development of research projects: questions, hypotheses, variables, data and analysis. Textual and qualitative research methods: bibliographic research, historical research, interviews, case studies, and observation. Problems related to the study of ethnic and religious conflicts.
Prerequisite or concomitant: ECS 2191.
Preparation of comparative and quantitative research projects. Use of data sets, surveys and polls. Statistical analysis: correlation, regression analysis, trends, statistical inference. Examples taken from the study of ethnic and religious conflicts.
Prerequisite or concomitant: ECS 2191.
Conflict is always experienced at a community level, whether its source is local or international. This course identifies and examines the many different ways in which local or community level actors respond to the causes and effects of violent and non-violent conflict in their midst.
A review of conflict and peaceful coexistence between indigenous peoples and settler societies around the world, including the examination of (1) differences among the world’s indigenous peoples in their cultures, political economic situations, and in their relationships with colonizing settler societies and (2) efforts to transcend “contemporary colonialism” and “post-modern imperialism” to establish indigenously defined cultural, social, and political orders.
A multidisciplinary introduction to research in the evolving field of peace and conflict studies, with emphasis on ethnic and religious conflict. Cases are drawn from local to global levels. Includes anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, political science, law, labour relations, theology, philosophy, gender studies and security studies.
This course consists of two components: (1) the examination of the variable linkages between inequality (economic, social, political), injustice, and violent conflict; and (2) the examination of efforts to create environments characterized by equality, equity, justice and peace.
Explorations of the political sources of conflict, including power and ideologies. Respective roles of the state, public institutions, parties, and interest groups in conflicts. Management and resolution of conflicts in different political regimes.
Broad review of many international conflicts, their causes, and the factors that may contribute to their escalation. Roles of diverse international actors in the aggravation or the resolution of conflicts. Analysis of violent conflicts. Ethical and moral questions related to the use of violence.
Prerequisite: ECS2201.
Overview of relations between English- and French-speaking groups in Canada with emphasis on their identity components. Review of efforts undertaken at various levels to address tensions related to language differences. Dialogue and elaboration of proposals for improving linguistic relations.
Bilingual course. Students are expected to work in both official languages.
Prerequisite: ECS2321.
Overview of relations between English- and French-speaking groups in Canada with emphasis on their identity components. Review of efforts undertaken at various levels to address tensions related to language differences. Dialogue and elaboration of proposals for improving linguistic relations.
Bilingual course. Students are expected to work in both official languages.
Prerequisite: ECS2321.
Intensive training including simulations in which the participants play in turn the roles of conciliator, mediator and facilitator. The mark S or NS will be attributed following the handing in of a training report.
Introduction to some concepts pertaining to the analysis and resolution of conflict: judicial norms, contracts, binding character of judicial decisions, judicial organization and structures, formal processes of mediation and negotiation. The course also includes consideration of some aspects of international law, as well as principles of conflict management in key fields areas such as labour, social services, etc.
Prerequisites: ECS 2191 and ECS 2192.
Internship in a reputed institution for a minimum of 150 working hours. Graded S/NS.
Prerequisites: 24 ECS credits and a cumulative grade point average of B+.
A multidisciplinary examination of trauma: Disruption of responsive mechanisms. Decision making in crises. Contributing factors affecting the impact of trauma. Conflict and psychological transformation.
Prerequisites: PSY1101 and PSY1102 or IPA1121 and IPA1122.
Introduction to the resolution of conflicts related to labour relations and policy differences in large organizations, especially in the public sector, with emphasis on ethnic and religious conflict. Roles of employers, workers, unions, third parties, mediation mechanisms, arbitration, and administrative tribunals.
Prerequisites: ECS 2191 and ECS 2192.
This course compares and contrasts different approaches to the pacific resolution of violent conflict, such as peace building, peacemaking, and peace operations. Contribution of religions to peace building. An effort is made to understand when, why, and how such approaches are effective or ineffective for managing and resolving conflicts.
Prerequisites: ECS 2191 and ECS 2192.
Introduction to the intervention toward groups in order to manage and resolve conflicts. Study of group dynamics and underlying behaviours. Review of different approaches to group processes. Exploration of the requirements and abilities for the leadership and facilitation of groups. Case studies. Practical in-class exercises.
Prerequisites : ECS2103, ECS2104.
Initiation to personal support to people involved in conflicts. Presentation of various models of personal and group coaching. Development of some basic abilities in this kind of intervention (including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, active and empathic listening, communication, overcoming resistance, etc.) through simulations and exercises.
Prerequisites: ECS2103, ECS2104.
Prerequisites: ECS2191, ECS2192.
Social and philosophical theories of gender. Feminist theories of discrimination and power relations as they apply in conflict situations. Ethnic and religious factors in gender-related conflict issues. Constructive responses and social movements.
Prerequisites: ECS 2191 and ECS 2192. This course was previously ECS2125.
Examination of dialogue as a means of exploring hidden beliefs and the exchange of ideas between participants. Practical exercises that explore the use of dialogue as a means of resolving and transforming conflicts. Training in the use of structured dialogue in professional activities. Specificities of dialogue among ethnic and religious groups.
Prerequisite: ECS2321.
Examination of the many possible causes of conflict and violence such as aggression, instinct, character traits, learned behaviours, socialization, personality disorders, group influences, mob behaviour, and perceptual issues.
Prerequisites: ECS 2111, ECS 2112, ECS 2192, PSY 1101 or IPA1121, PSY 1102 or IPA1122.
Examination of the many factors affecting conflict and violence including social classes, unequal resource distribution, culture, religion, institutions, decision making. Introduction to game theory in conflict studies.
Prerequisites: ECS 2111, ECS 2112, ECS 2192, ECS2201.
In depth study of particular topics related to conflict studies.
Prerequisites: 51 university credits. Reserved for students registered in Conflict Studies.
Internship in a reputed institution for a minimum of 150 working hours in conflict prevention, management or resolution. Graded S/NS.
Prerequisite: 24 ECS credits and a cumulative grade point average of B+.
Introduction to theoretical approaches in the Humanities and to the methods that are applied to interpret the multiple expressions of human experience, particularly those expressed in important works of art and literature.
Social and ecological challenges facing humanity today, and related issues of social justice. These questions will be examined from a perspective of community building and efforts towards ecological and social transformations for a hopeful future.
Development of abilities to read critically and understand academic works. Focus on formal writing skills: techniques of clear expression and construction of texts, argument development and organization. This course also includes a library laboratory component with focus on research skills, citations, and academic integrity.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives on the First Peoples in Canada, cultural diversity, traditional practices and beliefs, relationship with the environment, changing roles and structures influenced by colonization. Contemporary issues faced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit, including cultural genocide and trauma.
Purpose and method of psychology. Historical perspective. Bases of the nervous system, consciousness. Sensory processes, perception, cognition, memory, language and thought. Emotions and motivation. Learning process. Introduction to fundamental theoretical psychology of religion.
This course cannot be combined for credit with PSY1101.
Heredity, environment and human development. Intelligence. Personality. Mental health, abnormal behavior and therapeutic approaches. Social psychology. Introduction to empirical research in contemporary psychology of religion.
This course cannot be combined for credit with PSY1102.
Contact Us
Office of the Associate Vice-Rector, Strategic Enrolment Management
Room 148
Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA
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Telephone: 613-236-1393 ext. 8990
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223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1S 1C4
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613-236-1393
613-782-3005
info@ustpaul.ca