
From exploring constructive conflict intervention to examining passages in religious texts that have led to current and historic incidences of violence, our Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding program deeply engages students in a skills-focused application of interfaith learning that changes behavior and drives lasting change. Scholarships may be granted to eligible MAP students to help cover the cost of tuition, housing, transportation, and provide a small living stipend.
You will graduate with the confidence to lead grassroots community peace and reconciliation initiatives. You will be part of an international student cohort focused on building the knowledge and skills to address local conflicts in your home communities. You will hone your interreligious literacy and conflict transformation skills through case studies, role-plays of real-world examples, public speaking opportunities, service in social justice and religious organizations, and completing a capstone project.
Program Structure
The Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding is a one-year, residential, 36-credit, master’s degree program where students develop interreligious literacy and acquire constructive conflict intervention skills through a combination of service-learning, traditional courses, experiential courses, and project-based learning. Students live in interfaith housing on campus.
Where Your Journey May Lead
MA in International Peacebuilding Career Paths
Lead a Non-Profit or NGO
Teach Theology
Lead a Faith Organization
Engage in Social Services
Work in International Affairs
Courses you make take
Here is a small sample of courses students in the program take. To view the entire course listing, use the link below.
The Value of Experience

Projects and Action Plans
Our students complete their degree with a capstone project or personal action plan. Students who are returning to communities they know well can work on a project that arises from a need in that community. Students going into a new community will work on a personal action plan. They will map out their own theory of change as a peacebuilder, and plan how they will apply what they have learned at Hartford International to become an agent of change in their new community.
Faculty
Our faculty bring years of academic and practical experience teaching and serving communities of different faiths through complex conflicts around the world. They are award-winning authors, scholars of religion, and passionate leaders in conflict transformation, with teaching and research experience that makes them experts in their fields. They have spoken about their research on international stages, emphasizing sociological contexts, religion and recovery from trauma in the modern world.
Learn More

Alumni
With a foundation in interreligious thought, dialogue and critical thinking, our alumni are set on a path to many fields such as social justice, education, international and domestic policy, human rights, community organization, social work, nonprofit leadership and psychology.
Learn MoreThe People Who Thrive Here
Peacebuilders have a thick skin, a tender heart and a spine like a steel cable; an emotional intelligence, humility and sensitivity to make sense of the ambiguous spaces between us; a collective approach to religious freedom and justice. Our MA in International Peacebuilding is built by faculty and designed for students who come here from all over the world with a calling to transform conflicts and bring peace to communities near and far.
Opportunities & Highlights
Admission Information
APPLICATION DEADLINE
February 1, 2022 for international students
March 15, 2022 for candidates from the U.S.
Related Blog Posts

From the Blog
Peacebuilding Practices: Part 2 – Coffee Tables and Capital Punishment: Peacebuilding to Resolve Personal & Societal Conflicts
Welcome to Part Two of our series on peacebuilding practices at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. Today, we’ll investigate Paraphrasing as an everyday skill for building understanding. This piece is co-authored by Phoebe...
The post Peacebuilding Practices: Part 2 – Coffee Tables and Capital Punishment: Peacebuilding to Resolve Personal & Societal Conflicts first appeared on Religion & Peace.

From the Blog
The Four Elements of Moral Imagination
Peacebuilders have the complex task of examining conflict, collective trauma, and working with communities to overcome cycles of violence. Our Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding program deeply engages students in a skills-focused application of...
The post The Four Elements of Moral Imagination first appeared on Religion & Peace.

From the Blog
Master’s in Peacebuilding Promotes Understanding Collective Trauma
Hartford Seminary’s Master’s in International Peacebuilding program develops students’ capacity to engage conflict constructively, build empathic relationships within groups, and nurture communities that foster inclusivity and compassion. One aspect of the program is promoting an...
The post Master’s in Peacebuilding Promotes Understanding Collective Trauma first appeared on Religion & Peace.
Take the Next Step
Broaden your perspective. Deepen your ability to make a difference. Hartford International University programs prepare religious leaders and peacemakers who go beyond their own beliefs to embrace people of all faiths.



General HIU News
'Song and Story' Event Held to Thank Donors for Peacebuilding Program Support
May 25, 2023