Degree Overview: Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management
Majors Overview May 22, 2015Get information about Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree programs in Negotiation and Conflict Management and their education requirements, coursework, career choices, job and wage outlook, and continuing education choices.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Programs in Negotiation and Conflict Management
Students enrolled in MBA programs focusing on negotiation and conflict management can expect to become adept at analyzing, interpreting and understanding the causes of conflict in workplace settings. Core business classes such as financial accounting and microeconomics augment courses in conflict resolution. Independent research projects, internship opportunities and cooperative experiences are available in many programs. Many schools include flexible study options such as part-time and full-time scheduling, apart from online or weekend-only classes, which aimed at allowing MBA students to determine the timing and the path that best suits their needs.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a bachelor’s degree in any major; however, applicants may have to complete foundational coursework if they haven’t completed the prerequisite courses in business during their undergraduate education. Submission by incoming students of a resume detailing related work experience may also be a requirement at some schools.
Coursework
Program coursework includes courses that cover present and past conflicts and introduces negotiation tactics and conflict-resolution techniques. Students learn about the inherent weaknesses and strengths of the negotiation process to augment guidelines and training related to dealing with difficult people. Students learn about the effect of conflict on decision-making processes and corporate communication, and become adept at effective management of conflict using qualitative and quantitative decision-making tools. Most programs also cover ethical and legal issues in their coursework. Core coursework may cover topic areas such as:
•Business mediation
•Organizational behavior
•Conflict resolution management
•Quantitative analysis
•Finance
•Employee negotiation and settlement
•Business law and ethics
•Strategic decision-making
Career Choices
Program graduates may seek occupations in private or government businesses and non-profit agencies in various areas, such as labor relations, international business, human resources, and healthcare. They may also seek careers in the legal field by pursuing law degrees. They may choose from such popular job titles as:
•Consultant
•Human resources manager
•Conflict manager
•Mediator
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, a job growth of 13% has been predicted for human resources managers. During the same time-period, arbitrators, mediators and conciliators are expected to see 10% growth. In May 2012, human resources managers brought in an average annual wage of $99,720, while arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators earned $61,280 on average per annum (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Continuing Education Choices
Schools offer doctoral programs in conflict resolution with concentrations in organizational conflict, international conflict, crisis management, and cultural conflict. Rather than general business courses, the focus of these doctoral programs is primarily on coursework in negotiation and conflict management.