Master's Degrees

1st
Mason was the first university in North America to offer an MS in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
6
Interdisciplinary concentrations allow students to shape their course of study to match their professional goals.
1,200+
Master’s alumni working in the field to resolve conflicts at every level.

Become a professional peacebuilder with a Master’s in Conflict Analysis and Resolution

The Carter School trains the next generation of conflict resolvers at the cutting-edge of the field. Our interdisciplinary approach and dedication to experiential learning provides students with the analytical and practical skills they need to pursue the resolution of conflicts at all levels of society.

A graduate degree from the Carter School will enable you to:

✔ Influence and encourage others to pursue alternatives to war.

✔ Craft solutions to global challenges, as well as clashes within your community.

✔ Engage in important conversations of the day.

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ALL TOGETHER DIFFERENT
Make a Lasting Impact in Your Field
Engage in Experiential Learning
Hone your research and practice skills through local and international field-based courses.
Pursue Cutting-Edge Research
Independent research opportunities allow you to explore the most pressing questions in peace and conflict studies.
Specialize Your Course of Study
Learn to identify and select appropriate practices by engaging with real-world problems through a concentration of your choice.
Work Closely with Dedicated Faculty
Engage with faculty who are directly involved in innovative scholarship and practice in peace and conflict studies. At the Carter School, we don’t view learning as a one-way street: our students and faculty learn from each other!
Put What You Learn into Practice
Explore the complexity of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in project-based environments.
Build and Transform Your Career
Our interdisciplinary conflict resolution curriculum will prepare you for work in a variety of industries including security, education, human resources, federal government, and more.
Shared Passion
Master’s students come to the Carter School from a wide array of academic backgrounds and career experiences, but they all share one thing: a commitment to finding the role they can play in the amelioration of destructive, sometimes violent, conflicts.

 

Degrees that Drive Change

The Carter School was founded on the recognition that conflict is a whole-of-society phenomenon and transforming it toward peace and justice requires whole-of-society approaches. That’s why our top-of-the-field master’s programs offer an interdisciplinary curriculum that encourages students to identify the steps they can take to address conflicts at the interpersonal, community, institutional, national, and global levels.

Master's Degrees

In person and online options available. Our graduate programs will prepare you to promote peace and practice conflict resolution.

Concentrations

Choose a concentration in specific areas of the field while learning techniques and approaches from other areas to enhance your specialization.

  • Peacebuilding
  • Social Justice Advocacy & Activism
  • Dynamics of Violence
  • Media, Narrative and Public Discourse
  • Inclusive Conflict Engagement
  • Conflict-Sensitive Development and Resilience
  • Build Your Own Concentration

The Carter School also offers graduate certificate options designed for mid-career professionals.

Application Deadlines

Join us as we continue to build on our strong tradition of excellence in education as the first and foremost academic institution in the field of peace and conflict studies.

Fall Semester

Priority Deadline for Merit Award Consideration*: February 1

Standard Deadline: March 15 

* Please contact the Admissions Team for details at tcsinfo@gmu.edu

Spring Semester

Priority Deadline for Merit Award Consideration*: November 1

Standard Deadline: January 4

Have Questions?

We’d love to connect.

Admissions: tcsinfo@gmu.edu  |  703-993-1300
Advising: tcsadvi@gmu.edu

Student standing in Washington DC at the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument in the distance

Our students are part of a vibrant, dynamic, and diverse community, and we strive to offer them academic and professional resources needed to support their individual callings.