Master the Art of Mediation: Gain Invaluable Insight into Conflict Resolution and Legal Dispute Management through Role-Play and Practical Application
A short course providing both a theoretical and practical basis for mediation as a form of alternative dispute resolution.
The course will allow students to consider the nature of conflict, to explore the process of mediation and experience the role of mediator.
As well as constituting 2 modules (60 credits in total) of study assessed by the University these modules, when fully completed, also covers the content of "Mediator Skills Training" - a Hunt ADR training course accredited by the Civil Mediation Council (CMC). This is one of the professional recognised qualifications for civil and commercial mediators in the United Kingdom.
Successful completion of this short course will (subject to particular criteria specified by Hunt ADR and formally agreed between the student and Hunt ADR) entitle students to also apply, via assessed practice, submission of end of day assessment worksheets and a final oral exam, to Hunt ADR for this CMC recognised Mediation professional qualification.
If you have any problems completing the online application or are unsure of any of the required details, please contact the Centre for Flexible and Continuing Education - FlexEd@ulster.ac.uk.
*Places are limited on the Professional Mediation Summer School and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, to students who meet the entry criteria and supply all relevant documentation during the registration process.
In this section
The aim of the short course is to provide an understanding of the development of mediation as a form for resolving disputes, most notably legal disputes. This will include the process of a mediation and role play of the particular parties who may be involved in a mediation.
This course considers the nature of conflict and will allow students to explore and evaluate mediation as a mechanism for dispute resolution. The course introduces a basic mediation process for use in a two-party dispute or in constructive relationship building.
PgCert Professional Development.
Can contribute to LLM International Commercial Law and ADR. *
*LLM entry requirements must be met.
Written assignment (Coursework) [50%]
Students will be tasked with particular topics relating to mediation as a form of alternative dispute resolution and will be required to draft a mediation settlement agreement.
Students will have a maximum of 3,000 words for this project element.
This is an online MCQ's test done in a controlled setting (such as computer lab).
Students will be asked to make a short presentation on a mediation topic.
Coursework-based assessment will account for 100% of the total marks available for this module. Students will be required to complete a project portfolio of 5000 words.
An individual oral presentation of 15 minutes based upon the written assignment/project that has been completed as part of the module.
The aim of this assessment is to give students the opportunity to review and consolidate their learning and demonstrate the extent to which they have acquired knowledge, understanding and skills. Students will receive written feedback on the assessment, personal feedback sessions will also be made available where appropriate.
As well as being a module of study assessed by the University in the manner specified above, this module includes the content of "Mediator Skills Training" - a Hunt ADR training course accredited by the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) and is one of the recognised qualifications for civil and commercial mediators in the United Kingdom.
Accordingly, (subject to particular criteria specified by Hunt ADR) students who undertake this module will be given the opportunity (but will not be required by the University) to apply to Hunt ADR, via assessed practice, submission of end of course 5,000 word assessment (approximate) and a final oral presentation, for this recognised accreditation.
Students who comply with the requirements specified by Hunt ADR (and which will be agreed in a formal contract between the student and Hunt ADR at the beginning of the module) will thus have the opportunity to be awarded the "Accredited Mediator" professional qualification at no extra charge. However, where students do not fully meet the requirements specified by Hunt ADR (for example as a result of non-attendance) but nevertheless wish to gain the accredited qualification, then they must negotiate this matter directly with Hunt ADR and may be liable to pay additional fees to Hunt ADR.
In order to gain the Civil Mediation Council "Accredited Mediator" qualification, students must complete the post course assignment for Hunt ADR and in order to receive accreditation, students must also (in particular) attend a minimum of 85% of classes. The completed
collection of practice observations, assignment and a final oral exam will form the assessment process by Hunt ADR.
The decision as to whether a student should be awarded the Civil Mediation Council "Accredited Mediator" qualification is entirely at the discretion of the independent assessor appointed by Hunt ADR and is not subject to challenge via any University process (such as the appeals process). Such matters are entirely a matter of direct contract between the individual student and Hunt ADR.
Please note that as with almost all caring professions, professional practice in mediation requires both a combination of qualification and practice experience. Having achieved the "Accredited Mediator" qualification students/trainees will be ready to begin supervised practice within their own organisation or with Hunt ADR.
Following the completion of two supervised practice cases students/trainees would then be considered to have reached the standard level of professional practice required in mediation. Supervision of practice can be completed internally through a Civil Mediation Council approved process of peer supervision or line manager supervision.
The course requires attendance at our Belfast campus, during June, Semester 3, in 2024.
The course runs on the dates and times below -
* Please note, dates and timetabling may be subject to change.
The Civil Mediation Council (CMC) provide students with the opportunity to gain professional accreditation as a mediator.
Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree (second class honours, 2:2, or above) in any subject area, or have appropriate work experience or equivalent or demonstrate their ability to undertake the course through the accreditation or prior experiential learning.
*Places are limited on the Professional Mediation Summer School and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, to students who meet the entry criteria and supply all relevant documentation during the registration process.
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
View additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands Fees: £2,349.60
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Information and advice about course fees and a guide to budgeting for your living costs, as well as sources for financial assistance including hardship funding, scholarships, prizes and awards, is available on our Student Guide.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
For further information please contact us via –
Email: FlexEd@ulster.ac.uk
Telephone: (+44) 028 9536 7199
