Dispute Resolution
Types of Degrees Dispute Resolution Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many dispute resolution graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 313 |
Graduate Certificate | 145 |
Doctor’s Degree | 13 |
What Dispute Resolution Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to dispute resolution were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Dispute Resolution Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills for Dispute Resolution Majors
dispute resolution majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Abilities for Dispute Resolution Majors
Dispute Resolution majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Dispute Resolution Major?
People with a dispute resolution degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | 11.5% | $62,270 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of dispute resolution majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 14 |
Black or African American | 47 |
Hispanic or Latino | 28 |
White | 114 |
International Students | 71 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 39 |
Geographic Diversity
Dispute Resolution appeals to people across the globe. About 22.7% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Dispute Resolution
Some degrees associated with dispute resolution may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to dispute resolution have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 10.7% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 4.3% |
Some College Courses | 4.3% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 4.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 25.6% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 14.9% |
Master’s Degree | 19.2% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 8.5% |
Doctoral Degree | 2.1% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 2.1% |
Online Dispute Resolution Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 19 | 5 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 15 | 4 |
Post-Master’s | 3 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Dispute Resolution
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to dispute resolution.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.