The Department of Communication, in cooperation with the Master's in Human Resources and Labor Relations (MHRLR) and the Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business, offers the Graduate Certificate in Mediation and Negotiation. The program of study is designed to provide practical and theoretical knowledge for students who wish to pursue or advance careers that involve managing or resolving disputes in organizational, educational, community, or family contexts. The program is designed to meet the increasing need of business, organized labor, public sector, and community organizations for people with skills in conflict resolution.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, the program offers a basic knowledge of mediation and negotiation between individuals and across organizations, allows some specialization in further coursework, and is integrated with a final course involving either field-work or a research paper written under the direction of an expert in the area. Students can complete the Graduate Certificate in Mediation and Negotiation while enrolled either part-time or full-time.
With the approval of the program, students admitted to either the Master of Arts in Communication or the Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations degree program may apply courses taken to meet certificate requirements toward their degree.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Eligibility and Admission
Students applying for the Certificate Program in Mediation and Negotiation must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have earned a 2.75 GPA overall or must furnish substantial evidence of ability to succeed in graduate-level work.
Application
- Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
- All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School.
- Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Credits and Courses
The certificate requires 12 credits, including 9 credits of coursework and 3 credits of field work or research.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| COMMUN 665 | Introduction to Mediation | 3 |
| ECON 753 | Collective Bargaining | 3 |
| Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Workplace Dispute Resolution | ||
| Managerial Decisions and Negotiations | ||
| Field Work or Research Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication Internship | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Research Project in Industrial and Labor Relations | ||
| Internship in Industrial Relations | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Reading and Research | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Recommended or Related Courses
Not required for the Certificate.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMMUN 823 | Seminar in Small Group Communication | 3 |
| ED POL 510 | Human Relations for Community Organizations & Community Engagement | 3 |
Additional Requirements
Transfer Credit
No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.
Grade Point Average Requirement
A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.
Time Limit
Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:
- 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
- 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.