Water Cooperation and Diplomacy Master

Structure of the programme

All participants will attend the common and core taught elements of the programme in all three institutions, focusing on different areas at each. The curriculum consists of mandatory and elective modules. Throughout the programme, students will develop their master thesis with guidance by all three institutions.
 

Content

• UPEACE: conflict foundation including courses on the UN system, the environment, conflicts and sustainability, and water security and peace.
   

• IHE Delft: focus on water and conflict management including courses on water governance, water resources management, water and environmental law, and water conflict analysis.
   

• OSU: focus on conflict management integration including courses on applied hydrology, applied field problems, conducting collaborative projects and directed research.

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Curriculum Overview

Students of the joint master’s programme will complete the following curriculum. The overview  may be subject to changes.

What

Thesis

Students will develop and defend a master’s thesis in the scientific field of water cooperation, conflict, or water diplomacy. This process will be initiated at the University for Peace in Costa Rica where each student will be assigned preliminary mentor for his/her thesis. As the programme progresses, students will select a main advisor from any of the three institutions depending on the expertise in the given topic, time availability and mutual consent to work together. Educating staff from all the three institutions will also  provide support in the topic selection and development of the research.

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• Master’s theses will consist of desktop research and can incorporate research conducted as part of the coursework at Oregon State University. Students will develop a collaborative report based on field research of one of the river basins in Oregon within the module “Applied Field Problems.” These findings can be incorporated as a chapter within the master’s thesis. Here you can learn more about some of the master theses of the previous years’ students”.