Demand for skilled mediators is growing rapidly across industries as organizations seek cost-effective, efficient approaches to conflict resolution. Designed for professionals who regularly navigate conflict—including facilitators, HR practitioners, attorneys, paralegals, coaches, social workers and leaders—this course provides a framework for mediation theory, process and professional practice at a professional level.

You’ll develop core competencies in conflict analysis, communication, negotiation and ethical decision making, with emphasis on facilitative mediation, interest-based negotiation, cultural awareness and reflective practice. Through hands-on learning, including structured role plays, real-world simulations, reflective debriefs and skills practice, you’ll build the capacity to effectively convene parties, manage the mediation process and facilitate constructive dialogue in both formal and informal settings.

The course also introduces the Dispute Resolution Programs Act (DRPA) procedural requirements, including intake, documentation, agreement writing and record keeping. By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to competently and ethically serve as an entry-level mediator in community and court-connected contexts and meet the training requirements for mediator certification under the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act.

Learning Outcomes

• Conduct the facilitative mediation process between conflicting parties
• Assess the appropriateness of mediation for a given conflict, including identifying ethical considerations, power dynamics and legal constraints
• Facilitate interest-based negotiation and consensus building to identify underlying interests, generate options, evaluate alternatives and work through impasse

Skills You will Gain

• Mediation communication skills, including active and empathetic listening, reframing, questioning, responding to emotion and managing difficult interactions
• Mastery of conducting facilitative mediation processes in alignment with recognized professional and ethical standards, including intake, convening, process design and development of clear and durable agreements

Course Format and Pacing
This is an online remote learning course delivered through UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, Canvas, with supplemental live sessions hosted on Zoom. The course consists of approximately 40 hours of content, combining pre-recorded lectures with mandatory live Zoom sessions led by the instructor(s).