School of Government & International Affairs | MSc Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

MSc Conflict Prevention & Peacebuilding at Durham University

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Offering a fascinating insight into this complex and rapidly changing field, the MSc will develop your operational and vocational skills in Negotiation, Conflict Mediation, Conflict-Sensitive Programme Design & Management, Soft Power, Human Security, Inclusive Diplomacy & Community Peacebuilding.

Conflict prevention is built on the principle that, through skilled negotiation and mediation, the most intractable of differences can be settled peacefully. The most effective forms of conflict prevention and peacebuilding balance political with social needs and place a greater focus on local perspectives. They consider the important role played by young people and women, as well as taking into account social factors such as health and the environment.

This custom-designed, interdisciplinary MSc examines this specialised field through the lenses of human security, social justice and diplomacy. You will gain the latest knowledge in areas such as Conflict Analysis, Prevention, Resolution & Transformation, Community-Driven Reconstruction and Peace Processes in the Context of Contemporary Conflicts & Broader Humanitarian Interventions.

Using a range of innovative teaching techniques we incorporate the latest research, delivered by a combination of academics and practitioners – many of whom are recognised as world-leading experts in their field. You will have opportunities to develop operational and vocational skills in Conflict Mediation, Humanitarian Intervention, Everyday Negotiation, Conflict-Sensitive Programme Design, The Use of Peace Indicators, Participatory Approaches to Peacebuilding and Gender-Sensitive Approaches to Security. You may choose to also explore these in the optional field trip module.

Your theoretical understanding and research skills are brought together in the MSc dissertation, while the innovative Humanitarian Intervention Simulation module gives you a chance to bring your knowledge and skills to life in a simulation of a conflict situation.

The MSc is likely to appeal to graduates who have a career in government, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs, humanitarian organisations, or academia in mind, and to mid-career practitioners looking to enhance their practical skills while placing them within a broader theoretical perspective.

Our postgraduates achieve successful careers in a wide range of fields including local and national government, diplomacy, newspaper and broadcast journalism, the charity sector, business and finance, publishing, law, manufacturing, teaching and academia, and the armed forces.

Former postgraduate students have taken up roles with leading employers including the House of Commons, Clifford Chance, Accenture, British Airways, Ernst and Young, British Telecom, Goldman Sachs, PwC, the Royal Navy, House of Fraser, Channel 4, HSBC, Teach First, Durham University, Black Rock and the Audit Commission.

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