Pepperdine University is a top-ranked private university with dedicated schools for business, education and psychology, law, liberal arts, and public policy. Known for combining academic excellence with practical, hands-on learning, Pepperdine prepares students to lead with purpose across a wide range of professional fields. The university's Christian values and commitment to service underpin every program, fostering a culture of integrity, community, and meaningful impact that extends well beyond the classroom.
The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law is one of the world's leading educational programs in the field of dispute resolution. With a global reputation built over decades of excellence, Straus has become the destination of choice for legal professionals, mediators, business leaders, and policymakers who wish to deepen their expertise in conflict resolution and negotiation. The institute offers two distinct tracks — professional training programs for practitioners seeking targeted skill development, and academic degree programs for those pursuing formal qualifications in the field.
At the academic level, Straus offers a Certificate in Dispute Resolution, a Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR), and an LLM in Dispute Resolution — each designed to equip graduates with the theoretical frameworks, practical skills, and professional credentials needed to work at the forefront of this growing and essential field. Students engage with a curriculum that spans mediation, arbitration, negotiation, restorative justice, and international dispute resolution, taught by faculty who are recognized leaders and active practitioners in the field. Straus's location within a top-ranked law school, combined with Pepperdine's broader commitment to ethics and service, creates a uniquely principled environment in which to study the art and science of resolving conflict. Graduates go on to careers in law, business, diplomacy, government, and nonprofit leadership — bringing the skills of constructive dialogue and principled resolution to some of the world's most complex challenges.
