MASTER PROGRAMME

PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES

Compulsory Module 1
(English)

Theories and Approaches of Peace and Conflict Studies                

includes key concepts of Peace and Conflict Studies, different theoretical approaches to the field from various scientific disciplines and perspectives, and deals with the relation between theory and practice; the module lays the ground for further independent study of international literature and theories.

Compulsory Module 2
(English)      

Concepts of Securing Peace                   

includes concepts of democracy, democratisation, organisation and legislation, policy development and the advancement of human rights as well as the use of military force in the promotion of the above.

Compulsory Module 3
(English)

Conflict Analysis and Theories of Conflict Management

students learn to systematically categorise and analyse various types of conflicts, political processes and transformations and connect theory and practice in exemplary studies.

Compulsory Module 4
(English)

Applied Peace and Conflict Studies

this module centres on strengthening practical conflict competences, including negotiation and mediation techniques, through practical elements (e.g. simulations).

Compulsory Module 5
(English)

Methods of Peace and Conflict Studies

centred on qualitative research, students will acquire skills to conduct their own surveys; the module also teaches research ethics, different methods of surveying and other elements relevant to empirical social studies.

Optional Compulsory Module 6
(English or German)

Regional and Global Order

explores the creation of order beyond the nation state and in non-European regions as well as international and regional institutions; students also learn to understand and analyse processes of (inter)regional cooperation and learning.

Optional Compulsory Module 7
(English or German)

Sustainability Conflicts and Governance of Natural Resources

students will be able to discuss and critically evaluate the boundaries of quantitative growth, global warming and various controversial approaches on sustainability.

Optional Compulsory Module 8
(English or German)      

Violence and Media

focuses on the relationship between violence and the (new) media and how representations of self and other influence the potentional of peace and conflict.

Optional Compulsory Module 9
(English or German)

Global Justice

focuses on the correlation between justice and peace and war, conflicts as the collision of normative claims and the development of appropriate solution strategies.

Optional Compulsory Module 10
(English or German)

International Modul

The module is intended to make it easier to credit study achievements abroad as part of an exchange semester. All study achievements in the human sciences or languages ​​amounting to 10 CP that do not fit into the specified module structure of the degree program can be credited to the module. The module is therefore comparable to an (international) optional area in other degree programs.

Module 11
(English or German)

Master's Thesis

should reflect the students’ capability to apply the learnt elements of the study programme.

Extra Module

Practical Experience / Language certificate

includes a mandatory internship or a volunteer work that should be done in an area relevant to the study programme (e.g. media, work in foundations, ministries and offices, NGOs, research institutions, as well as political parties and associations, and so forth) / or a language course at the OvGU (UNICERT certificate - non English)