Opportunities for MBA Students
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Students participating in Pepperdine's Fully Employed MBA or Full-time MBA program can elect to choose Straus' dispute resolution program as part of their MBA emphasis concentration. This opportunity to combine an MBA degree with a top-rated dispute resolution education is unique to Pepperdine.
Why leave conflict resolution up to the lawyers?
Did you know... that over 4,000 organizations including Amgen, Apple, Boeing, Coca Cola, Halliburton, Microsoft, Merck and Xerox have signed the Center for Public Research Corporate Dispute Resolution Pledge? The pledge asks subscribers to seriously consider alternatives to litigation in their business relationships with other companies also subscribing to the pledge.
An emphasis in conflict resolution can increase your conflict competency. You will have the skills to create a culture in your company that manages conflict in a way that maximizes efficiency, effectiveness and builds strong relationships. With a formal conflict resolution education you will be prepared to lead your organization through difficult moments. You will have the ability to gain consensus among groups and build teams that work effectively. The next wave of business professionals recognize the need for these skills in an increasingly diverse and global business environment.
Part-time MBA
Concentration Selection
Students in Pepperdine's Fully Employed MBA program can choose an elective concentration to customize their curriculum. Select from seven areas of specialty including: Dispute Resolution, General Management, Leadership and Managing Organization Change, Entrepreneurship, Global Business, Marketing or Finance. For general information on the concentrations available, please visit Graziadio Business School Part-time MBA Concentrations
The FEMBA/Dispute Resolution Concentration allows MBA students the option to take dispute resolution courses offered at the Caruso School of Law as part of their electives. Students will be required to take 12 units of coursework to earn the Concentration in Dispute Resolution, with one additional 2 unit course required to earn the law school's Certificate in Dispute Resolution.
FEMBA Concentration/Certificate in Dispute Resolution Requirements
Full-time MBA
Concentration Selection
Students in Pepperdine's Full-time MBA program can also choose an elective concentration to tailor their curriculum. Select from five areas of specialty including: Dispute Resolution, Leadership and Managing Organization Change, Entrepreneurship, Marketing or Finance. For general information on the concentrations available, please visit Graziadio Business School Full-time MBA Concentrations
The FTMBA/Dispute Resolution Concentration allows MBA students the option to take dispute resolution courses offered at the Caruso School of Law as part of their electives. The Full Time Concentration/Certificate in Dispute Resolution is a 14 unit program consisting of 7 academic courses.
Full Time MBA Concentration/Certificate in Dispute Resolution Requirements
Our approach
The Straus Institute teaches the skills of conflict resolution. Each course is uniquely designed to provide practical opportunities to exercise the strategies and tactics you are learning in class. All classes are highly interactive and provide great opportunities to form lasting relationships with both professors and a diverse population of fellow students. Classes are attended by law, business and other graduate students, executives, human resource professionals, doctors, psychologists, lawyers and even judges.
Our unique scheduling: The Straus Institute offers a variety of course formats for the working professional including one-week intensives, full semester evening courses and two-weekend courses.
Courses available on the Malibu campus usually meet once a week in the late afternoons and evenings Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the Fall and Spring Semester, as well as two weekend formats on Thursday and Friday evening from 6:00 - 9:30 pm and all day Saturday. Summer courses are structured in a one-week intensive or two weekend format; the one week intensive courses will meet for 41/2 full days. For a complete schedule of dispute resolution courses, visit Course Schedules.
Our reputation
The Straus Institute is the most consistently ranked #1 dispute resolution program in the nation! Straus has been recognized for excellence in dispute resolution education by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Academy of American Civil Trial Mediators, the International Academy of Mediators, the California Dispute Resolution Council, and the US News and World Report magazines.
Application procedure
Such students must submit a completed Current Pepperdine Student Straus Application to the Straus Institute. Pepperdine MBA students must complete their first year of
MBA studies and be in good standing to be accepted for the dispute resolution emphasis/concentration.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be approved by both schools
prior to registration. Please contact Randi Redman with any questions.
Registration procedures
After acceptance into the program, students will be able to register for Straus' dispute resolution courses. Registration cannot be done on WaveNet, and must be completed through the cross-registration process. Students should submit the cross registration form to their program administrator for approval. The program administrator will then forward the cross registration form to the Straus Institute for approval and registration. Students can list multiple classes on the cross registration forms, which must be submitted each semester.
Tuition differences
Law school courses double-counting towards your MBA will be charged at the MBA tuition rate, except the Winter Intensive courses that fall in between the Fall and Spring semesters. The final course needed to complete the Certificate program will be charged at the law school tuition rate.
Grading differences
Courses completed through the law school will be graded using the law school's letter system. These courses will be noted on your MBA transcript, but will not calculate in your cumulative GPA because of the different grading culture that exists between the two schools. Below you will find a copy of the grading section from p. 21 in Straus Institute's Student Handbook for additional details.
Grading
The Straus Institute is part of the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and its grading policies follow those of the law school. Students who have not attended law school may at first be surprised by the competitive grading practice. Instructors are required to establish a B+ median (middle grade for each class) and place an approximately equal number of grades above and below the established median.
All Straus students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 in order to graduate.
All Straus Institute students are graded on the same curve as Juris Doctor students. The faculty has not observed enough of a discernible difference to justify separating the grading curves.
Faculty are allowed to award up to 35% of their grades in the A range and are usually required to award at least one C grade. Unlike the JD program, there is no class ranking system for Straus Institute programs. As a Straus Institute student, one is also a student at the Caruso School of Law. Straus Institute students will be sharing experiences and competing with JD students throughout their courses of study.
