The Peace Education Action Committee often receives inquiries from students about the possibility of graduate training in peace psychology. Although we are aware of only a few programs in peace psychology, many political psychology, social psychology, and conflict resolution programs allow a student to create an individualized emphasis in peace psychology.
We offer the following advice to anyone who wants to pursue graduate work in peace psychology. Contact psychologists who teach in graduate programs and do research on peace and conflict issues to see if they would consider the possibility of supporting your desire to do a specialization and dissertation in peace psychology. The best strategy might be to skim back issues of relevant journals (e.g., Political Psychology, Peace and Conflict, Journal of Conflict Resolution, etc.), as well as books on peace and conflict issues, in order to identify some people who have done research that looks interesting to you. Then, write to those individuals and describe your own interests and objectives. Ask whether they might be in a position to assist you and whether their institutions have graduate programs that would allow you to pursue your interests and goals.
The Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst offers a new Ph.D. concentration in the Psychology of Peace and the Prevention of Violence (more information HERE). Clark University offers a Ph.D. in social psychology with a specialization in peace psychology (contact Dr. Joe DeRivera at JDeRivera@clarku.edu). Teachers College at Columbia University has a 16-unit concentration in Conflict Resolution that may be applied towards relevant Masters and Doctoral degrees at Columbia. Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco offers graduate degrees in psychology with opportunities for specialization in Violence Prevention or Peace and Conflict Resolution.
George Mason University offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Conflict Resolution, and Nova Southeastern University in Florida offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in both residential and online formats. The University of Massachusetts at Boston offers a Graduate Certificate and an M.A. in Dispute Resolution (more information HERE). These programs in conflict resolution are interdisciplinary and their faculties include psychologists.
There are also programs in peace education. The University of Cincinnati offers the Ph.D. in Peace Education. Lesley College in Cambridge offers a specialty in Conflict Resolution and Peaceable Schools within their Master of Education program in Curriculum and Instruction. American University has a dual Masters Degree program in Secondary Education and International Peace and Conflict Resolution. The University for Peace in Costa Rica is developing a new academic peace studies program that will grant a masters degree in Peace Education. The curriculum is designed to make it possible for all of the coursework to be completed within 12 months or on a flexible part-time basis, followed by a thesis or practicum project that may be completed on-line under the guidance of an academic advisor. For more information, contact Dr. Abelardo Brenes (abrenes@upeace.org).
There are also lists and descriptions of graduate peace studies and conflict resolution programs with links to them HERE and HERE.
The Peace Education Action Committee would like to improve our ability to inform students about opportunities for graduate training in peace psychology. Please send us your ideas and information about relevant graduate programs. We will add your input to the information we give to students in response to future inquiries. If you can help with this, please contact co-chair Linden Nelson at llnelson@calpoly.edu or write to him at Psychology and Child Development Department, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. We will update this statement as we obtain more information about additional programs.