The University for Peace has its headquarters in Costa Rica, located 30 kms southwest of San Jose, within a natural reserve composed by a secondary forest and the last remnant of primary forest (1.200 ha) in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The University for Peace's concern for, and commitment toward, global peace, and security has led it to share its campus with some international entities focused on related issues. Affiliated with the University is the Earth Council, an International non-governmental organisation (NGO)whose mission is to support and empower people in building a more secure, equitable, and sustainable future. Also sharing the campus is the International Ombudsman Center for the Environment and Development, since December 2001.

1. Master of Arts in Gender and Peacebuilding -

   The Master of Arts in Gender and Peacebuilding has been designed to support women and men who participate in social, economic, and political processes of change and who are interested in key issues of gender and peace building.

    

   Objectives include:

   • Offering a theoretical and practical approach to the field of gender studies using materials drawn form the fields of Anthropology, Development Studies, Economics, History, Human Rights, Law, Natural Resources, Political Science, Religion, and Sociology. 
   • providing a solid education in the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts, including post-conflict interventions, from a gender perspective;
   • empowering men and women to become more effective players in the processes of peace, with the clear understanding that conflict, violence, and war have a variety of impacts upon men and women that, while comparable, are not the same; and
     
   • responding to the demands and challenges faced by students who are continuing their education and mid-career professionals who are working in government, multi-lateral or bi-lateral institutions, NGOs, and private enterprises.
     

   
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2. Master of Arts in Media, Conflict and Peace Studies -

   The Master of Arts programme in Media, Conflict and Peace Studies is designed to enable students coming from diverse cultures and academic backgrounds to develop skills to manage the ways in which media interact with conflict, peace, and security.

    

   Objectives of the programme include:

   • inspiring new thinking about media coverage of conflict on international and local levels;
   • helping students develop critical thinking around issues such as objectivity and ethics in news reporting and news gathering; and
   • educating in how free, responsible media can help prevent conflict and build peaceful societies - and in so doing provide the international community/employers with informed individuals.

    

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3. Master of Arts in Peace Education -

   Master's Degree Programme in Peace Education is designed to prepare individuals with the knowledge and skills to act as leaders for educational reform to support sustainable peace processes in recognition of the central role played by education in meeting the complex demands of peacemaking and peace building.

    

   Objectives of the programme include:

   • preparing leaders and specialists committed to the building of a culture of peace and non-violence by educational means (formal, non-formal, and informal settings);and
   • supporting students in developing competence in analysing, developing, and reforming curricula, didactic methods, paedagogies, and educational resources for a comprehensive view of peace education.

    

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4. Master’s Degree Programme in International Law and Human Rights -

   The Master’s Degree Programme in International Law and Human Rights is a multidisciplinary programme that seeks to provide a thorough knowledge and understanding of these two fields. The programme offers a solid foundation in international legal scholarship and practice before focusing on the specialised area of human rights.

   
   Objectives of the programme include:

   • providing for study of law and of the practice of public international law, including information on international organisations, international criminal law, human rights (including human rights monitoring and reporting, international economic law, dispute settlement, global governance, and international law and development.
   • providing a background that enables students to translate their skills to operate effectively in governments, NGOs, or international institutions.

    

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