This course provides you with the comprehensive training necessary for becoming a certified mediation or arbitration professional. It is structured around the Mediators Without Borders INACCORD® conflict resolution model, and offers you the chance to practice your skills through simulated roleplaying exercises. Skills covered include facilitating hearings, weighing evidence and testimony, and rendering awards, as well as fundamentals of conflict analysis and resolution. Upon successful completion, Mediators Without Borders will award you four individual certificates in Mediation, Applied Mediation Practice, Arbitration and Professional Mediator and Arbitrator. A final exam is optional upon completion of the course.
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac device.
- You need a microphone to participate in the role play practices.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows Vista or later.
- Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Microsoft Word (not included in enrollment).
- Windows Media Player (not included in enrollment).
- Skype.
- Adobe Flash Player. Click here to download the Flash Player.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download the Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following will consist of a variation of digital and hard copies, and be dispersed at different points throughout the course duration.
- In Justice, INACCORD®
- Touchstone Skills for Authentic Communication
- Basic Skills for the New Arbitrator
- InAccord® Conflict Analysis for Arbitrators
Prerequisites:
You must be able to use a browser and Microsoft Word to complete the assignments and navigate the online campus. You should have basic computer skills and be comfortable navigating the Internet and using email. You must be willing to learn to write at a professional level in order to generate contracts and fulfill various written tasks related to mediation and restorative justice.
Brian Luther is a Colorado licensed attorney and certified mediator and arbitrator. He has more than 15 years of mediation and dispute resolution experience. He spent eight years supervising and mentoring attorneys at LexisNexis, a leading legal research corporation and over five years as Lead Trainer and Internship Supervisor for Mediators Without Borders. Luther presides as an impartial Hearing Officer for the City of Longmont, Colorado and was just appointed as an alternate board member for the City of Longmont Board of Adjustments & Appeals. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a law degree from the New England School of Law.
Naseem Ghaffari, JD assists with investigations related to employee relations issues, while effectively and accurately maintaining confidential employee relations. She monitors precedents and manages consistency in EEO practices: Including critical incident management, investigations, contract negotiations, and resolution recommendations. Naseem has 7+ years' experience resolving disputes in the workplace and international environments and has extensive investigative experience. She is an expert in negotiations, bargaining, and mediation resulting in favorable agreements and contract terms. In order to do so, she fosters reconciliations to improve organizational effectiveness and employee performance. Most recently, she worked in the public sector as an Employee Relations, EEO and ADA consultant. In addition to this, she holds a Juris Doctorate, has a Masters Certification in International Conflict Resolution and Mediation, and is a Certified California Mediator.
1. Can I register for programs if I am an international student?
Yes, because ed2go programs are online you never have to actually travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online registration.
2. How long does it take to complete a program?
All of our programs are self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start them when you want and finish them at your own pace. When you register, you’ll receive six (6) months to complete the program.
3. What if I don't have enough time to complete my program within the time frame provided?
The time allotted to complete your program has been calculated based on the number of hours for each program, so don't worry too much about not completing in time. If, after a concerted effort, you are still unable to complete, your Student Advisor will help you work out a suitable completion date. Please note that a fee may be charged for any extension over 3 months.
4. Do I have to buy additional materials?
No, all textbooks are covered by your tuition.
5. Can I get financial assistance?
ed2go courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements.
6. What happens when I complete the program?
Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion and sit for the professional Certification Exam.
7. Am I guaranteed a job?
ed2go programs will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We don’t provide direct job placement services, but our facilitators and career counselors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Facilitators will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the program. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.
8. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via e-mail, phone or Skype) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.
9. What software or hardware do I need in order to take online programs and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online programs, you must have access to a computer and the Internet. You can access the program contents from any Web-enabled computer. You don’t have to use the same computer to log-in to the program every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is the best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.
10. Can I use a Mac?
Yes.
11. How can I get more information about this program?
If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button above). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Contact Us” form to the right. You may also call us at 1-877-221-5151. We will answer your questions promptly.
12. When can I start the program?
Our programs are all open enrollment. You can register and start the program as soon as you are ready.
Please note: Once the program curriculum is accessed online or through submission of a material shipment confirmation, refunds cannot be issued.
13. What is the difference between a mediator and an arbitrator?
A mediator is a professional who acts as a neutral party helping two or more people in conflict come to a collaborative, negotiated agreement that is referred to a Memorandum of Agreement. An arbitrator is a professional who acts as a neutral party but, unlike the mediator, functions more like a judge, hearing evidence and witnesses and then rendering an award to one party.
14. There are a lot of mediation trainings out there. What sets this apart from the others?
This is one of the most comprehensive mediation and arbitration distance learning programs available with online learning that includes role play practice.
The proprietary InAccord® Conflict Analysis model is only available through this training, and offers students the following:
• A psychologically based empirical research model that tracks the role of emotions in conflict and client satisfaction and understanding at every stage of the ADR process
• The ability to recognize the emotional state of individual disputants in order to determine whether to use a relational approach with all parties in the same room or a directive approach that involves starting the sessions with disputants in separate rooms until a balance of emotions between disputants is achieved.
15. What is the industry outlook for the field?
In 2011, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) paid out 4.6 billion dollars in industry wages. Mediation and Arbitration accounts for over 64% of the industry income. According to a leading market research company, IBIS World, the future for ADR firms is promising. Post-recession recoveries, while slow, will eventually increase revenue at an average rate of 2.8% per year through 2016. ADR has low capital intensity meaning that most of the revenue is spent on labor; for every $1 spent on labor, only $0.02 is spent in capital expenditures.
16. How much can student expect to make in this field?
Salaries vary based on geographic region and industry specialization. According to a leading recruitment company, arbitrators and mediators make an average salary of about $65,000 per year. (Recruiter.com)
In some states, such as Virginia, the salary can top $135,000 per year. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, earnings for mediators and arbitrators range from $28,090 to $102,202 per year with median annual wages estimated at $49,490.
17. Does this program qualify for me to practice in my state?
There are no state requirements for the practice of mediation or arbitration in workplaces or other private settings. Graduates of this program learn an empirically based model of conflict resolution that is applicable in workplaces and in other settings that require domestic and community mediation and arbitration. Additional subject matter knowledge may be required to practice mediation or arbitration in non-workplace, specific settings (such as state divorce law for practicing divorce mediation).
Some states require specific qualifications for performing mediation or arbitration in court-based environments.
18. Are there any internship/externship opportunities?
Upon successful completion of the Program, you may choose to submit an application to Mediators Without Borders to be considered for a referral network to work as a professional Interviewer.
19. What is the typical demographic/target audience for this course?
Mediation is a profession that is open to anyone with the desire to learn to negotiate, to facilitate others’ negotiations, or to mediate simple and complex disputes.