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Undergraduate Minor inDispute Management and Resolution

Summary Courses Careers Costs and Aid

Develop critical thinking, conflict management, and communication skills that can help you succeed in professional and managerial positions in any field with this online minor in dispute management and resolution.

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Complete your Penn State course work at your own pace and 100% online.

18 Credits$632/$678 per credit

Enhance Your Penn State Degree

Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.

The Dispute Management and Resolution (DMR) minor offered online through Penn State World Campus can help you develop your critical thinking, conflict management, and communication skills. These skills are essential to both professional and managerial positions in nearly every field of study and practice. The minor’s flexibility in course selection provides the opportunity to develop skills appropriate to the management and resolution of problems created by differences in attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavioral preference. A minor in dispute management and resolution can help you develop as a professional in your major and your career.

Upon successful completion of the minor, you should be able to:

  • understand how conflict affects interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, and organizations
  • understand a variety of theoretical perspectives and models of conflicts
  • recognize strategies and tactics upon which you can draw for converting potentially destructive conflicts into constructive experiences
  • appreciate the circumstances under which relying on third-party intervention is preferable to self-management and what type of management is most appropriate

The minor is open to all interested undergraduate World Campus students who meet the prerequisites.

The 18-credit minor in dispute management and resolution is composed of two prescribed courses, plus four additional courses selected from a list of available courses in consultation with an adviser. A grade of C or better is required in all courses that you take to fulfill requirements for the minor.

Prescribed Courses (6 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    This class is designed as an opportunity to explore the complexities of interpersonal communication and to develop a repertoire of interpersonal communication skills.

  • 3
    credits

    The course surveys the main elements of modern labor and employment relations systems in the U.S. and beyond.

Additional Courses (select 12 credits)

9 of the 12 credits much be taken at 400 level. 

  • 3
    credits

    Course foci center on contemporary theory and research, interpersonal communication in personal and professional relationships, and a research practicum in which students conduct an original research study.

  • 3
    credits

    Ethical issues in public and private communication; role of communication in expressing and realizing individual and social values.

  • 3
    credits

    Explores the nature and functions of communication in organizations, with emphasis on concepts, tools, and skills for effective management of communication.

    • Prerequisite

      CAS 202 or CAS 252

  • 3
    credits

    Examination of basic legal principles underlying the employment relationship, and their social, political, and economic bases.

  • 3
    credits

    Employment relations and legislative and policy responses to labor force issues of racial and gender inequality.

  • 3
    credits

    This course examines, at an advanced level, the theory, practice, and impact of the major phases of union organizing, collective bargaining, and contract administration.

    • 3
      credits

      Application of theories of decision-making to work-related issues in groups and organizations requiring collective resolution and action.

    • 3
      credits

      Application of theories of decision making to work-related issues in groups and organizations requiring collective resolution and action.

  • 3
    credits

    Personnel selection, training, accident prevention, morale, and organizational behavior.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Learn about this program's tuition, fees, scholarship opportunities, grants, payment options, and military benefits.

Undergraduate Tuition

Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.

Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.

2024–25 Academic Year Rates

Tuition Rates for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025 Semesters
How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$632 per credit$678 per credit
12–19$7,678 per semester$8,288 per semester

2025–26 Academic Year Rates

Tuition Rates for the Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 Semesters
How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$638 per credit$685 per credit
12–19$7,755 per semester$8,371 per semester

Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19. 

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.

Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.

Additional Cost of Attendance Details

To view the detailed list of cost of attendance elements:

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Virtual Open House (Afternoon Session)
Virtual Open House (Evening Session)

Convenient Online Format

This program's convenient online format gives you the flexibility you need to study around your busy schedule. You can skip the lengthy commute without sacrificing the quality of your education and prepare yourself for more rewarding career opportunities without leaving your home.

A Trusted Leader in Online Education

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Penn State has a history of more than 100 years of distance education, and World Campus has been a leader in online learning for more than two decades. Our online learning environment offers the same quality education that our students experience on campus.

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You must be a current student and meet specific requirements to apply for a minor.

Application Instructions

Steps to Apply

  1. To be eligible for admittance into this minor, you must:

    • be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
    • maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
    • confirm that the minor code and major code do not match (for example, a student with an ISTBS major cannot apply for a minor in IST)

  2. Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements. You should add the minor as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.

  3. Add the minor in LionPATH

    You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.

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Have questions or want more information? We're happy to talk.

To learn more about the Minor in Dispute Management and Resolution, please contact:

World Campus Advisers
Phone: 814-863-3283
[email protected]