Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS)

The program information below was valid for the spring 2023 term (May 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

Students are responsible for reviewing the general information and regulations section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Graduate specializations

  • Peace Integration

Program information

  • Admit term(s) 
    • Fall
  • Delivery mode 
    • On-campus (Conrad Grebel University College campus)
  • Length of program 
    • Full-time: 5 terms (20 months)
    • Part-time: 15 terms (60 months)
  • Program type 
    • Master's
    • Professional
  • Registration option(s) 
    • Full-time
    • Part-time
  • Study option(s) 

Admission requirements

  • Minimum requirements 
    • A four-year undergraduate degree (a variety of disciplines are permitted; PACS graduates are not granted advanced placement) with a minimum average of at least 75% in the final 20 courses.
    • The Admissions Committee reserves the right to require additional preparation for students without significant academic background in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) or a related discipline. This additional preparation may involve completion of a required e-learning course or module, undergraduate course(s) or other appropriate requirement.
    • Previous experience in the field, while not required, will be looked upon favourably.
    • An interview will be required for entrance into the program.
    • Deferrals for admission and delayed entries will not be permitted.
    • Alternative admission requirements: PACS may grant alternative admission to a limited number of mature students who do not meet the regular academic admission requirements of a four-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Standardized graduate entrance examinations are not equitably accessible and appropriate as the basis for such admission. Therefore the admissions committee will be guided by the following alternative admission standards:
      • Minimum eight years of field experience related to peace and conflict issues. In order to show an appropriate level of academic and intellectual capacity for the program, the applicant will be asked to submit copies of reports, documents, manuscripts, or creative media that he/she may have prepared in relation to his/her field experience;
      • Evidence of successful participation in post-secondary education as documented by transcripts and other records;
      • References will be asked to comment on the applicant’s academic and intellectual capacity and on the applicant’s ability to do graduate work in English;
      • Applicants will be interviewed to assess the potential of their success in graduate studies and their contribution to the program;
      • Some applicants may be required to complete a specified qualifying program of PACS or related courses deemed helpful to prepare them for their proposed program of studies;
      • Probationary admission may be granted for a specified time to confirm the applicant’s ability to succeed in the program.
  • Application materials 
    • Résumé
    • Supplementary information form
    • Transcript(s)
    • Writing sample
  • References 
    • Number of references:  3
    • Type of references: 

      at least 2 academic
  • English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Degree requirements

    Coursework option:

  • Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)
  • Courses 
    • The program requires successful completion of 10 courses (5.00 units total).
    • Full-time students will normally be expected to complete the degree requirements over a consecutive four-term period, enrolling in three courses for the first two terms and at least two courses in the last two terms.
    • Part-time students are expected to complete at least two courses per academic year and must complete the program within five years.
    • Students must complete the following courses:
      • 2.50 units of:
        • PACS 601 Systems of Peace, Order, and Good Governance
        • PACS 602 The Practice of Peace
        • PACS 603 Building Civil Society
        • PACS 604 Conflict Analysis
        • PACS 605 Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
      • At least 1.00 units of:
        • PACS 610 Contemporary Nonviolent Movements
        • PACS 611 Reconciliation
        • PACS 612 Culture, Religion, and Peacebuilding
        • PACS 620 Special Topics in Peace and Conflict Studies
        • PACS 621 Peace Research
        • PACS 623 Directed Reading in Peace and Conflict Studies
        • PACS 625 Internship
        • PACS 626 Conflict Resolution Skills Training
      • An additional 1.50 units that can be chosen from:
        • Additional courses from PACS 610 - PACS 626
        • PACS 630/GGOV 610/PSCI 688 Governance of Global Economy
        • PACS 633/GGOV 640/PSCI 658 Human Rights in the Globalized World
        • PACS 634/GGOV 630/PSCI 678 Security Ontology-Theory
        • PACS 635/GGOV 631/PSCI 679 Security Governance: Actors, Institutions, and Issues
        • PACS 638/SOC 720 Social Inequality
        • PACS 640/SOC 765 Political Sociology
        • PACS 642/SOC 782 Feminism, Law and Governance
        • PACS 650/INDEV 604 Sustainable Cities
        • PACS 651/INDEV 605 Economics for Sustainable Development
        • PACS 652/INDEV 608 Water and Security
        • PACS 660/PSCI 624 Justice and Gender
        • PACS 661/PSCI 655 Ethnic Conflict and Conflict Resolution I
        • PACS 670/TS 637 War and Peace in Christian Theology
        • PACS 671/TS 619 The Bible, Peace, and Violence
        • PACS 672/TS 731 Christianity’s Encounter with Other Faiths
    • Students may request permission from the PACS Graduate Advisor to enrol in elective courses in other University of Waterloo or Wilfrid Laurier University graduate courses that will complement their program of study. Permission must also be granted by the department or program in which the courses are offered.
    • The program offers 3 non-traditional courses which will be managed as follows:
      • PACS 621 Peace Research: an agreement between the student and the supervising faculty member about research expectations, length of paper, format, topic, types of sources that can be used, and anticipated outcomes is required. Students will be required to prepare a detailed proposal prior to registration in this course that will fully explain the proposed research as well as provide a short bibliography to ensure that adequate sources exist to successfully complete the research. Students will meet periodically with their instructor throughout the term to ensure that milestones are reached. Written work will be evaluated per normal academic criteria.
      • PACS 625 Internship: students will be required to submit a petition outlining the details of the proposed internship such as place, position, cost, academic work expectations, security concerns, etc. Students will be expected to engage in substantial research on issues related to the host agency as part of the internship. While PACS has the agreement of over ten organizations who are interested in hosting interns, it is anticipated that internships will be negotiated to fit the unique long-term goals of each student. Host agencies will be expected to submit a reference evaluating the student intern at the end of the internship. Written work submitted by the student (evidence of research and reflective report) will be evaluated per normal academic criteria.
      • PACS 626 Conflict Resolution Skills Training: this course offers an opportunity for students to take skills-training workshops. Program consent is required to ensure that workshops selected by students, plus the expected additional assigned academic work, are appropriate.
    • Students in the MPACS program may also choose to pursue the Graduate Specialization in Peace Integration.
    • A Graduate Specialization is a University credential that is recognized on the student’s transcript but not on the diploma and is intended to reflect that a student has successfully completed a set of courses that together provide an in-depth study in the area of the Graduate Specialization. A student will only obtain the Graduate Specialization on their transcript if they have completed the requirements associated with the MPACS degree and the requirements associated with the Graduate Specialization.
    • The course requirements for the Graduate Specialization in Peace Integration are described below.
    • Students must complete the following courses:
      • PACS 605 Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding
      • 1.50 units from the following list (note: each 0.50 unit/course must be from a different subject code/area):
        • GGOV 610/PSCI 688/PACS 630 Governance of Global Economy
        • GGOV 622 Complexity and Global Governance
        • GGOV 630/PSCI 678/PACS 634 Security Ontology-Theory
        • GGOV 631/PSCI 679/PACS 635 Security Governance: Actors, Institutions, and Issues
        • GGOV 633 Managing Nuclear Risk
        • GGOV 662/SOC 781 Global Development Governance
        • INDEV 604/PACS 650 Sustainable Cities
        • INDEV 605/PACS 651 Economics for Sustainable Development
        • INDEV 608/PACS 652 Water and Security
        • INDEV 609 Sustainability Concepts, Applications and Key Debates
        • INDEV 613 Water, Human Security and Development
        • GEMCC 602 Climate Change: Vulnerability and Adaptation
        • GEMCC 622 Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction
        • GEMCC 640 Climate Change Governance: From Global Treaties to Local Innovation
        • HLTH 603 Health Systems and Policy
        • HLTH 604 Health and the Environment (blended on-campus/online offering)
        • HLTH 607 Social and Cultural Aspects of Public Health (blended on-campus/online offering)
        • HLTH 614 Foundations of Program Evaluation
        • HLTH 632 Health Economics and Public Health (online offering)
        • HLTH 661 Geographic Information Systems and Public Health (online offering)
        • HLTH 662 Global Health
      • 2.00 units of:
        • PACS 601 Systems of Peace, Order, and Good Governance
        • PACS 602 The Practice of Peace
        • PACS 603 Building Civil Society
        • PACS 604 Conflict Analysis
      • At least 1.00 units of:
        • PACS 610 Contemporary Nonviolent Movements
        • PACS 611 Reconciliation
        • PACS 612 Culture, Religion, and Peacebuilding
        • PACS 620 Special Topics in Peace and Conflict Studies
        • PACS 621 Peace Research
        • PACS 625 Internship
        • PACS 626 Conflict Resolution Skills Training
  • Link(s) to courses
  • Graduate Studies Colloquium
    • The Colloquium will be completed towards the end of the student’s program. All students will be required to present publicly, at a Colloquium of MPACS faculty, students and guests, one of the papers they have written for an MPACS course. Length will normally be 25-30 pages (7,500 words). Each student will consult with the professor for whom the original paper was written to identify the core issues to emphasize and the best methods to employ to present the paper. The presentation will be followed by a formal peer response and open discussion. In addition to presenting their own research paper, each student will be required to read and present an oral evaluation of one of the other research papers presented at a Colloquium.
Peace and Conflict Studies website
Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) future students program page