Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

Q: Do you have to be a lawyer or mental health professional to be a mediator?

A: State requirements differ depending on the venue and type of mediation one wants to practice. There are up to 60 different types of cases one can mediate, from divorce conflicts to landlord/tenant disputes. Usually court-connected mediators face the most stringent educational requirements. Our Admissions Department or your State Bar Association can tell you whether your academic background coupled with our training will meet your future vocational needs in your state.

Q:  What is the difference between mediation and arbitration?

A: Arbitrators listen to information presented from all sides of a dispute and come up with a decision. They act much like a judge does. This is why most states require arbitrators to be in the legal profession. Mediators, however, are trained to remain neutral and impartial. They use many of the basic listening skills one might hear from a therapist, however, mediation is a goal-oriented, short-term process. The disputants identify their own, workable solutions.

Q: Can this program help me advance professionally?

A: It certainly can! A graduate program in Mediation and Dispute Resolution can enhance your resume by showing you are educated in dealing with conflicts in the workplace either as a mediator, arbitrator, or manager.

Q: What will this program allow me to do?

A: This program will prepare you to be a professional mediator. In almost all states, this program can also prepare you to practice as a professional arbitrator (if you take the advanced Arbitration course.)

Q: How do most of your graduates use this professional education?

A: Most of our graduates use this education to advance within their profession or enhance their resume. A smaller number use this education to set up a private mediation or arbitration practice. This latter group must possess entrepreneurial skills and be prepared to take from 2-5 years to build a practice as a mediator or arbitrator.

Q: Do you offer financial aid?

A: IADR does not offer government student loans. Students taking courses for graduate credit through Colorado Technical University or Colorado State University may be eligible for educational loans. Please check directly with these Universities to assess your eligibility.

Online Learning FAQs

Q: What does online learning mean?

A: Distance education is learning that takes place using a computer and the Internet when student and faculty are not in the same room. Lessons, discussions and tests are completed online. Unless you are taking a self-paced program, all IADR online courses are asynchronous, meaning you can participate when it’s convenient for you within an assigned period. Weekly discussion topics, required readings, and assignments will all be listed in the online syllabus provided by your instructor.

Q: What are the advantages of online learning?

A: There are several key advantages to learning online:

• Greater Accessibility: You can participate in our online courses anywhere you have access to the internet.
• Ease and Convenience: You can access the courses anytime of the day or night.
• Time Savings: You will save time you would have spent commuting to a live classroom.
• Increased Communication: You will be able to communicate and interact with students from all over the nation and the world.
• Faculty Time: You will have greater access to your instructor who will be available at convenient times and will respond quickly via email.

Q: What do you mean by a “highly collaborative classroom?”

A: The IADR virtual classroom has chat rooms, threaded discussion areas, webliographies and more. Class participation grade is often based upon how much you contribute to these areas. Once you’re logged in to the online learning environment, you can read postings from your classmates and faculty member and add to the discussions. And because students are required to participate in weekly discussions, you are assured a broad range of perspectives. This exchange of diverse ideas, perspectives, and experiences with peers around the world will give you new insights that you can apply directly to your profession.

Q: Would I make a good online student?

A: Distance learning takes motivation, self-discipline and commitment to set aside time for regular periods of study. The best online learners have these qualities combined with an appreciation of being able to log on to class at times that are convenient for them.