California State University-Dominguez Hills - Negotiation, Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding

Excellent

By: Anonymous (Graduate) on February 16, 2007

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Review:

The CSUDH program is well-known among mediators and professionals I know and work with.  When I attended CSU Dominguez Hills online from 2001-03, the program fell under the Behavioral Science department and the major concentration was in "Negotiation and Conflict Management".  The course offerings have since been expanded to include more coursework on Mediation and Arbitration (example:  Dispute Resolution in Sports, Divorce and Family Mediation), which I wouldn't mind taking. 

I thoroughly enjoyed attending this graduate program online so that I could tend to my family's needs.  CSUDH makes excellent use of technology with real-time Internet broadcast lectures (synchronous) and archives (asynchronous) as well as real-time chat and use of Blackboard.  Most of the professors I had were excellent and promptly returned emails.  In one Negotiations class I had, the professor expected us to write seven papers (1,000 words each) and read three textbooks (technical, sometimes difficult reading) in addition to other resource materials.  That was the EXCEPTION and not the rule.  Nevertheless, the rigorous coursework will strengthen your communication, negotiation and mediation skills.  By the end of my program, I had:  written countless papers, produced two videos (one for a negotiations class and the other for a community conflict class), and managed and built a team project website (for a computer applications class).

I had some issues with the Comprehensive Exam (oral and written), problems I attributed to the program coordinator's refusal to give us score breakdowns for both oral and written portions.  With this refusal, you wouldn't know how well or how poorly you did.  I assumed I did poorly on my written so I retook that, only to find that it was the oral that I should have retaken!  Students need feedback or else how will they improve?  Hopefully, they've changed the way they administer and grade the Comprehensive Exam.

Overall, despite the bad experience with the Comp exam (I passed my oral the 2nd time and received my degree), my experience with the program was positive.  At $180 per credit hour, the program was an excellent value!  It's now $240 per credit hour, which is still a great value.  The professors, technology support and online library access are unbeatable for the price you pay.