Doctor of Mediation (D.Med.)

Description

The degree of Doctor of Mediation (D.Med.) is designed for professionals actively engaged in mediation and/or conflict resolution within the framework of pastoral care and nurture. As an ecumenical program, the D.Med. will prove valuable to professionals working in cognates of ministry including the various forms of mediation such as working with the courts, family life programs, child care and juvenile facilities, health care institutions, professional organizations, chaplaincy programs, and in ecclesiastical settings. Professional mediators will find the program designed to enhance their work within the judicial system by elevating their professional status as peers among attorneys, judges, legislative administrators, and other members of the legal profession. Ministry professionals will, likewise, find their profile elevated owing to the specialized training offered in this degree whether serving in health care, ecclesiastical, judicial, or educational institutions.

Time Frame and Tuition

The usual time frame for degree programs is a minimum of eighteen months and a maximum of forty-eight months for completion.

Tuition: $7,250.00
Project Processing: $250.00
Graduation: $100.00

Admission Requirements

Baccalaureate degree or equivalent validated by a transcript.
Master’s degree or equivalent in a cognate field of psychology, counseling or pastoral care.
Five years of accumulated experience in some form of mediation, counseling or pastoral care.
Completion of the Application Procedure.

Orientation.

Residency

Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Mediation must complete four Units of Study. The subject matter of the four required Units of Study taken at any approved mediation center is left to the student’s own preferences. If the Basic Mediation Course has not already been taken in the M.Med. program, then the student must take that course as one of the four required Units of Study.

Response Papers

There are four response papers (one for each Unit of Study taken) which are required by the Foundation prior to the submission of the Master's Project. Each paper should reflect the work done for each specific Unit of Study. The response papers must be 1,750-2,500 words (7-10 pages) and be analytically reflective regarding the relevance of the unit’s content to the exercise of the degree candidate's ministry or profession. Each paper is evaluated and a response is sent to the student. If further development work on the paper is deemed necessary, the candidate will be notified. All academic work must be completed by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

NOTE: Please Click Here for Paper Guidelines.

Project Consultant

Option A: Students may select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Project Consultant. This option enables the student to receive helpful and pragmatic evaluative feedback from a member of the faculty in the developmental process of producing the Exit Project. The role of the faculty Project Consultant is responsive and suggestive rather than “supervisory” as is the case with academic thesis writing. The faculty person is encouraged to limit feedback to pragmatically helpful hints and suggestions and not to attempt any censorship of the project. The exercise of discretion with respect to time demands is very important for both the student and faculty member. The faculty Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Selection of Faculty Consultant and Nomination Procedure:

The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
The student completes the Faculty Project Consultant Nomination Form 107 (Forms).
Student Services provides the nominated faculty member with Form 107.
The selected faculty member notifies Student Services of acceptance of student nomination.
Student Services informs the student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided.

Option B: Students are at liberty to select a Project Consultant who is not on the faculty of the Foundation. In that event, the Project Consultant must hold a comparable degree to that being pursued by the student. The student must nominate the Project Consultant by submitting a letter of nomination to the Foundation along with a C.V. of the nominee. The student is notified upon approval of the Project Consultant by the Academic Affairs Committee. The Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Doctoral Project

The Doctoral Project is conceived of as a translation into practice of the insights, values and creative concerns developed during the course of the units of learning and intervening periods of reading, reflection, and application. The project should directly relate the implications of the evolving relationships within the actual practice of mediation to the concepts and theories studied during the degree program. The Doctoral Project must be submitted to the Foundation by February 1 prior to graduation.

The Doctoral Project is a demonstration of praxis. Its structure, focus and content, therefore, allows for a wide range of differing forms appropriate to the actual area of the practice of mediation addressed. The form of the project is dictated by the topic, but in most cases, mediation projects focus upon either case studies or administrative and institutional issues related to management and governance of mediation programs. For the mediation project, the expectation is that the manuscript will run between 35,000-40,000 words (140-160 pages), double-spaced, footnoted, and with significant bibliographical references of at least 35 sources. It is recommended that the bibliography include an annotated listing of the 10-12 sources that were key to the development of the project.

In keeping with the nature of the entire Doctoral Program as an open interaction with fellow professionals, the project is a demonstration of practice, an exploration of applied reflections, or creative work rather than a test submitted to prove competency. One copy of the Doctoral Project, in its final form, must be submitted to the Foundation by February 1 prior to graduation.

Non-Project Option

The NPO is available for this degree program. For information on the NPO, please Click Here.

Graduation Requirements

Viewing of the Foundation's instructional Orientation video.
Completion of four Units of Study at a mediation training center or an institution of the student’s choice.
Submission of four response papers of 1,750-2,500 words (7-10 pages) on topics related to the units completed.
Selection of a Project Consultant.
Completion of the Doctoral Project (or NPO) and submission of one copy including the Project Consultant’s evaluation forms. All academic requirements must be met by February 1 prior to graduation.
Attendance at the Convocation and Graduation. (Non-US residents are exempt from this requirement.)

P.R.I.M.E. Affiliate

The Doctor of Mediation is offered in collaboration with the Worklife Institute of Houston, Texas, under the direction of Dr. Diana C. Dale. Mention of the P.R.I.M.E. relationship with the Worklife Institute has been placed here owing to the fact that this relationship has produced a separate and unique degree program in mediation. Please see the P.R.I.M.E. section for information on the Worklife Institute.

Professional Associations/ Training in Mediation

Berkshire Mediation Services, Inc.
Center for Conflict Resolution
Community Mediation, Inc.
Conflict Resolution Center – University of North Dakota
Dispute Resolution Center
Institute for Conflict Management / Santa Ana, CA
The Mediation Agency
Mediation and Restorative Justice Center
Mediation Matters
Mediation Network of North Carolina
Mediation Works, Inc.
National Association for Community Mediation
New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Inc.
PAX United
Worklife Institute