Three new specializations in water, climate change and land use conflict will be offered to graduate students just in time for the 2019-20 academic year.

Now, students pursuing their Master’s, JD, PhD or professional graduate degrees will get a deeper understanding of the participatory processes, decision-making constraints, and tools to address environmental disputes.

Each specialization provides additional context on water-related disputes, resources disputes arising from climate change, and land use disputes, respectively.

There are eleven UO programs and departments that sponsor the specializations – including the School of Law and the school’s Conflict Resolution and Dispute Resolution (CRES) Master’s Program. Other departments include: Planning, Public Policy and Management, Environmental Studies, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, and the Lundquist College of Business.

John Inglish, CRES Program Director, sees this as a win-win, both for departments and their students. He notes that courses in law or conflict resolution have historically been limited in their availability to students from other departments – and this changes that.

“Conflict and dispute resolution is a field that is both broad and deep,” said John Inglish, CRES Program Director. “These new specializations are available to all graduate students at the university and will provide them with core knowledge and skills, and hands-on opportunities that add depth and focus to their areas of study.”  

UO law has several courses that count towards the specializations including: Negotiation, Bargaining & Persuasion (CRES 614) Facilitation (CRES 620), Psychology of Conflict (CRES 625), Environmental Conflict Resolution (CRES 660), Administrative Law (LAW 664), Environmental Law (LAW 793), Environmental Litigation (LAW 610), Ocean and Coastal Law (LAW 679),  Water Resources Law (LAW 669) Climate Law & Policy (LAW 610), Climate Law & Policy (LAW 610), Land Use Law (LAW 668), Hazardous Waste Law (LAW 688), Indian Law (LAW 678), and Natural Resources Law (LAW 794).

In addition to enriching academic areas of study, Inglish believes that graduate students who supplement their degree with the specialization also enhance their prospects in competitive environmental job market.

“The specializations serves as a reliable signal of the graduate student’s knowledge in the area,” said Inglish. “It also represents an opportunity for students to develop interdisciplinary expertise and to show prospective employers that they are already engaged and working to solve some of our most pressing environmental conflicts.”

Those interested in learning more about the specializations or enrolling can contact, Laura Diamond, program manager for the CRES Program.

By Rayna Jackson, School of Law Communications