Ideally you will want to complete all 3 foundation courses first before moving on to the advanced level courses. However, if your own timetable is driving you to complete the program within 1 or 2 years, you may need to take foundation and advanced courses concurrently to achieve your goal. We suggest you contact the Program Office to discuss a plan of study. Take just one or two foundation courses if you are new to dispute resolution. If you have the background, register for advanced level courses.
Dispute resolution is an emerging field, and one that is currently unregulated.
People with these skills work in a variety of areas including human resources, insurance and the heath professions. Businesses and private-sector corporations may practice dispute resolution within departments such as customer service, quality control and, if they are in place, through their ombudsperson offices. Some people are exploring mediation as a new area of employment, especially with mandated mediation in the Province of Ontario. At the moment it may be challenging to make mediation your sole livelihood. The number of mediations is growing, but people often settle on the way to mediation, as the process of bringing the parties to the table helps them examine and possibly resolve their dispute.