Based on the perspective of several areas of knowledge, the MA in Peacebuilding deals with issues of conflict, peace, transition, collective memory and post-conflict. As such, it offers its students an interdisciplinary approach, providing them with inputs from a variety of perspectives leading to a more congruent depiction of the realities faced by societies in conflict and those transitioning from conflict to peace.

In order to reach both academic and professional audiences—because the topics of this program are pertinent and necessary to both—the MA in Peacebuilding will be offered in two modalities, as a research master’s and a professional master’s degree. The purpose of the program is to provide broad and diverse training to both, professionals interested in working actively with conflict-related issues, the transition to peace, and the challenges of the post-conflict period, as well as researchers seeking to develop studies in these same areas.

To do this, one of the distinctive features of the MA is that it transcends traditional interdisciplinarity in which dialogue and knowledge is limited to a few areas of knowledge. Instead, it is founded on the conviction that all areas of knowledge enrich each other and contribute to a discussion that both requires everyone’s involvement and is, in turn, strengthened by everyone’s participation.

The professors of the MA program are all experts in different areas and with different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. All of them have MAs in a number of different disciplines and many have Ph.Ds. or are in the process of completing them.

Why Choose the MA in Peacebuilding?

In a pioneering move, Universidad de los Andes decided to launch a Master’s Degree in Peacebuilding that appropriately reflects the multidisciplinarity of the challenges of peacebuilding, promotes dialogue between trainees and academics, and allows us to build rigorous academic knowledge to provide a basis from which to deal with the enormous challenges related to peacebuilding. This MA is the only interdisciplinary program in Colombia that examines the challenges of peacebuilding from a national and international perspective. The program has been created by and includes the participation of professors working in the schools of management, architecture and design, arts and humanities, (art, music, humanities and literature, and the Centre for Journalism Studies – CEPER), social sciences (anthropology, political science, languages and cultures, philosophy, psychology, and history), law, economics, engineering, medicine, the School of Government, the Centre for Research and Training in Education (CIFE), and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Development Studies (CIDER).

Who is the program aimed at?

The program targets Colombian and foreign scholars and professionals working in public and private entities who seek to improve their performance by a) becoming familiar with an expanded repertoire of challenges associated to the transition from conflict to peace in Colombia and the world; b) contextualizing the challenges they face in their work with vulnerable groups (victims, demobilized combatants and communities) through the design of public policy in the context of this transition; and c) developing research skills in topics related to the transition.

Graduate Profile

Graduates from the MA program will be highly qualified to analyze and elaborate responses to the different challenges implied by peacebuilding in Colombia and the rest of the world. Based on an understanding of the multifaceted challenges of peacebuilding, they will understand that it is not a task restricted to a single discipline or a single social actor. They will be able to offer consultancy in the public and private sectors, improve their professional performance (practical or academic) and support the solution to problems related to armed conflict, transitions, peace and post-conflict.

Program Description

The study program is made up of 36 credits that can be taken over three semesters. The MA has two modalities: research or professional master’s degrees. Both modalities include two compulsory courses and compulsory attendance to the Master’s Research Colloquium for one semester (the rest of the time, it is recommended but not compulsory). All subjects have 4 credits each. Based on the compulsory courses and a repertoire of more than 20 elective courses at all the university’s schools, students are given the opportunity to gain a panoramic view of the challenges of peacebuilding—from political institutions to psychological aspects, economic conditions and artistic expressions—as well as the possibility to deepen their knowledge in a topic of their interest. Students in the research modality must enroll in a thesis design seminar in one of the involved schools, as well as in the “degree work” assignment, supervised by one of the MA’s professors. Time schedules may vary according to the electives taken in other schools and departments. However, in general, classes are taught once a week from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. or from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

COURSES

Common courses to both modalities: research or professional master’s degree

Basic Seminar 1

Peacebuilding and Transition: Challenges to Ending Conflict and Establishing Lasting Peace

This seminar sheds light on the variety and interdisciplinary nature of the connections existing between conflict and peace. Based on the form and impact of armed conflicts, this course seeks to help students understand the main challenges and risks of peacebuilding, transition and post-conflict.

The course content provides basic knowledge of the different historical contexts that have influenced the emergence and development of armed conflict and other situations of violence, the multiple definitions and levels of peace and the challenges in terms of peacebuilding, as well as the different ways to promote the transition from conflict to peace. It deals with a number of elements considered crucial in long-lasting peacebuilding, which include the different aspects related to the needs, limitations and tensions arising from the creation and implementation of a framework for transitional justice, as well as the social costs of transformation.

Using examples from a number of different countries and organizations, the purpose of this course is to enable students to:

  • Become familiar with the main definitions of peace and conflict that have been developed in the different academic disciplines and within the main organizations involved in the peacebuilding process.
  • Understand the relationships between types and forms of armed conflict and the obstacles to peacebuilding.
  • Explore some of the stumbling blocks in the construction and implementation of an appropriate framework of transitional justice and of the necessary social costs and transformations.
  • Be able to apply the acquired knowledge to concrete cases and situations in Colombia and in other countries.

Basic Seminar 2

Peaceful Coexistence and the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric in Transitional and Post-Conflict Periods

This seminar looks at the different aspects that contribute to strengthening social fabric and peaceful coexistence—both of which are weak in transition and post-conflict periods—as well as those which are necessary for achieving stable and lasting peace. The seminar seeks to highlight the diversity of contents and themes of peaceful coexistence and the reconstruction of the social fabric, and thus understand the pertinence of an interdisciplinary overview in the process of peacebuilding.

In this sense, topics as diverse as the design of appropriate public policy, integration and development of the territory, public health, education or artistic creation, make a deep rooted and complementary contribution to social reconstruction that in turn promotes peaceful coexistence. Students will therefore study topics related with attention to human needs and the different populations that this should cover. They will deal with topics related to representation and the preservation of cultural memory as sources of peace and reconciliation, as well as the relationship between peace and territorial development, focusing on some of the tensions between the needs of the regions and the center, the rural areas and the urban ones. Finally, in order to motivate reflection on the importance of establishing the kinds of public policies that communities need and the challenges implied in their management, students will look at the basic aspects of the formulation of public policy and management strategies in times of transition.

 

The course is designed to allow students to:

  • Become familiar with the main challenges in terms of the shaping of a social fabric akin to the achievement of sustainable peace;
  • Be able to relate and identify the different and varied contributions required to take part in the reconstruction of society and to promote peaceful coexistence in the transition period;
  • Be aware of and take into consideration projects involving attention to human needs, representation and collective/cultural memory, territorial development, and public policy aimed at overcoming the legacy of armed conflict in transitional societies;
  • Develop the capacity to apply their knowledge to concrete cases and situations in Colombia and in other countries.

Master’s Research Colloquium

The Master’s Research Colloquium provides students the opportunity to share their research and ongoing work with an active academic community, at the same time as being able to look at the work of renowned national and international researchers and professionals. In each session, the speakers—students, professors, researchers or guest experts—will share the results or work-in-progress of their most recent studies, receive feedback and take part in interdisciplinary discussions. This space is conducive to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on current and distinguished research and work dealing with conflict, peacebuilding, transition and post-conflict.

Elective Seminars

The excellence and richness of the teaching force and the university’s graduate courses mean that there is a broad spectrum of seminars on offer to favor and sustain the interdisciplinarity required by this MA program, and, at the same time, guarantee its flexibility. Students will be able to choose three seminars from a list of courses proposed by the University’s other MA programs and selected for this program (or related to the project or of particular interest to a student with prior authorization by the program committee and director). Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental seminars affiliated to either one or various schools may also be proposed.

 

Methodology Seminar (optional)

The interdisciplinary and flexible nature of this program means that there is no imposed specific methodology or even the absolute requirement to take a methodology seminar as such. The program hosts a diverse universe of professionals and researchers interested in topics of conflict, peace and post-conflict. Thus, we consider that according to the interests of each student and the advice offered by the MA coordinator or student’s tutor, individual students can decide whether they should take a methodology course and which methodology they wish to use.

MA programs at Universidad de los Andes provide a rich and varied list of methodologies, many of them interdisciplinary and taught on an interfaculty or interdepartmental basis. This program is built on and supported by this institutional richness so that students can choose what best suits their needs and interests.

 

Courses for the Research Master’s Degree

Thesis design

By giving them the opportunity to discuss theoretical and methodological problems regarding their projects, this seminar teaches students how to design their research projects. These will be finalized during the semester and will then have to be approved by the professor in charge of the course and the student’s tutor who, in turn, will have been previously endorsed by the program committee.

 

Degree work

In this tutorial course, students will focus on information analysis, on the conceptual definition of the research project, and on its structure and content. The course ends with the director’s approval of the thesis and thesis defense before the respective jury.

 

Courses for the Professional Master’s Degree

Internship

Depending on the student’s work or interests, s/he must choose an internship related to a topic studied in the MA. During the internship, students will accompany or actively collaborate in a recognized national or international organization, agency or institution that focuses their work in areas related with conflict, peace, transitions or post-conflict. The internship must be previously approved by the program committee. At the end of the internship, students will deliver a report for approval.

Admissions

Registration for 201910 : from February 18 to May 8, 2019.

Admission requirements

You will need an official registration form duly completed online available here. The registration fee is COP $212.600 / US$70. Payments can be made online or by referenced deposit

You will need to submit the payment receipt for the registration fee at the Admissions Office (Edificio E, calle 18A No. 0-33) together with the following documents:

  • Authenticated copy* of the undergraduate program graduation certificate and other titles obtained, or evidence of having completed your studies or that the diploma is in the process of being issued.
  • Official grade transcripts for the undergraduate program or an authenticated copy*.
  • Curriculum Vitae (a maximum of 3 pages in Times New Roman, font size 12).
  • Cover letter (a maximum of 3 pages in Times New Roman, font size 12) explaining why you wish to enroll in the MA, including the following criteria: professional profile, academic qualities and interests, and answering the following questions: How will the MA in Peacebuilding help you fulfill your professional goals? Why are you interested in the MA in Peacebuilding? Do you have any particular research interests?
  • Two academic reference letters in which the referee mentions in what capacity and how long s/he has known the candidate and why s/he is being recommended. Hard copies of these letters must be submitted together with the remaining documents, but they may be sent in sealed envelopes if the referee prefers.
  • Interview (once the candidate has been shortlisted based on their application).

*An authenticated copy is one that has been stamped by a competent authority, generally a public notary or a consul, who attests that the copy is identical to the original. We do not accept photocopies of the authenticated copy.

Note: Universidad de los Andes graduates may submit a simple copy (unauthenticated) of the grade transcripts, diplomas and graduation certificates. This applies only to undergraduate or graduate programs completed at Universidad de los Andes.

Document submission: all application documents must be delivered by 5.00 pm on the last day of registration in the Admissions Office at Universidad de los Andes (Calle 18A No. 0-33 Este, Edificio CAI, bloque E).

Foreign students

If you are a foreign student, according to Decree 4000 of the 30th of November of 2004 and Resolution 4700 of the 25th of November of 2009, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you must have a valid student visa or any other type of visa that allows you to study in Colombia and present this at the Admissions Office, counter 2 and/or 3 or send it by e-mail to extranjerosuniandes@uniandes.edu.co, in order to prove that you fulfill this legal requirement before printing your registration receipt.

If you have any doubts regarding visa requirements and procedures, please call +57 1 3394949 Ext. 3988 – 2298 or write to extranjerosuniandes@uniandes.edu.co, where we can inform you of the correct procedures to follow.

Remember to apply for your visa in advance in order to be able to meet the deadline for registration payment.

More information about visa procedures is available at: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites_servicios/visas

  • English Language Requirements

Once admitted to the program, all graduate students at Universidad de los Andes must take an assessment test issued by the Department of Languages and Cultures, to evaluate their English reading and writing skills. Based on the results, the students will be classified into three groups:

  • Those whose reading level is acceptable.
  • Those who would only need to take Reading Workshop II offered by the Department of Languages and Cultures in order to reach an acceptable English reading level.
  • Those who would need to take Reading Workshops I and II offered by the Department of Languages and Cultures to reach an acceptable English reading level.

As an alternative to taking the assessment test students may present any of the following documents:

  • An undergraduate diploma obtained at Universidad de los Andes in the previous five years.
  • A valid TOEFL (with a two-year validity) with a score of 213/300 or 80/120, when beginning the graduate course.
  • A valid IELTS (with a two-year validity) with a score of 6.5 when beginning the graduate course.
  • A university diploma (undergraduate, MA or Ph.D.) from a university in an English-speaking country.

Registration Calendar

Registration

Registration to the program has two deadlines: requests for the first semester (January-May) will be studied in October, whereas those for second semester entry will be studied in May. Specific deadlines will be announced in a timely fashion on the program’s webpage. In general, registration opens in January and closes in the middle of March, for semester I, and opens at the beginning of August and closes mid-September for semester II.

Costs and Financial Support

Cost

The tuition fee varies according to the number of courses a student takes each semester. The cost of each credit for 2017 is COP $1.042.000. Each course is worth 4 credits and therefore costs COP $4.168.000.

Tuition Fee Payment

The tuition fee must be paid after course registration on the dates stipulated in the University’s payment schedule. Students will be able to choose from two dates on which to pay, bearing in mind that payment on the later date will bear a surcharge of 10% on top of the total. The tuition fee will be defined by the number of credits that a student decides to take.

  • Online payments. Tuition fees can be paid online at (http://matriculas.uniandes.edu.co), after having registered for the courses using the username and password provided by the university.
  • Direct bank payment. Students will be able to make their payments directly in banks affiliated to the university. To do this, using the username and password provided by the university, students must print the corresponding receipt once they check that it correctly reflects the cost of the courses they are enrolled on.

The costs, payment dates, online payments and the current schedule are available at:http://matriculas.uniandes.edu.co

Financial Support

To help students with tuition fee payments for MA programs, the University offers a number of short-, mid-, and long-term funding alternatives:

  • Student loans with a promissory note.
  • Funding with postdated checks.
  • Mid-term loans with external entities.
  • Scholarships for foreign students in collaboration with ICETEX.
  • Scholarships funded by the MA in Peacebuilding (program 2 will provide scholarships, those interested in applying must state this in the registration form).

To find out more about scholarships and distinctions, academic requirements and procedures, please go to:https://apoyofinanciero.uniandes.edu.co/index.php/posgrado.

The Spanish Center at Universidad de los Andes—part of the Academic Vice-Rectory—offers scholarships for MA and Ph.D. students interested in working as graduate teaching assistants for the 2016-1 academic period. For more information, click here.

OPCIONES DE FINANCIACIÓN DE LAS REGIONES

BECAS COLCIENCIAS

Becas de Maestría, Doctorado y pasantías de jóvenes investigadores (recién egresados de pregrado):

Cesar, Magdalena, Caquetá, Guaviare, Norte de Santander, Putumayo y Tolima – Se aplica a través de Colciencias:

Información: http://www.colciencias.gov.co/sites/default/files/Convocatorias/convocatorias2015web-montosSS-v10.pdf

Amazonas, Bolívar, Nariño, Cundinamarca, Vaupés – Se aplica a través de la Fundación Ceiba:

Información: https://www.ceiba.org.co/site/