UNIVERSITY OF PEACE: ADMISSIONS OPEN

https://www.upeace.org/pages/apply-admission

Who are we looking for? / ¿Qué estamos buscando?

There is no one formula for being admitted to our programmes. We are looking for:

• Highly-motivated individuals who are committed to social change.  
• Cultural diversity as well as variety in both educational background and work experience amongst our students.
• Demonstrated academic excellence is a must for all programmes.
• Our students come from a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, education, social and natural sciences, humanities, international affairs and law.
• Previous cross-cultural involvement and work experience in fields related to the area of study you wish to pursue are also desirable.

No hay una fórmula única para ser admitido (a) en nuestros programas. Buscamos:

• Personas muy motivadas y comprometidas con el cambio social.  
• Diversidad cultural y variedad de formación y experiencia laboral entre nuestros y nuestras estudiantes.
• La excelencia académica demostrada es un requisito para todos los programas.
• Nuestros y nuestras estudiantes proceden de una gran variedad de disciplinas que incluyen, entre otras, la educación, las ciencias sociales y naturales, las humanidades, los asuntos internacionales y el derecho.
• También son deseables la participación transcultural y la experiencia laboral previas en campos relacionados con el área de estudio que se desea cursar.

How to apply / Cómo aplicar

Our application process is 100% online. The UPEACE admissions team is ready and available to answer any questions you might have about the programmes or admissions process. For specific admissions requirements, tuition fees and available scholarships/financial assistance, please consult your academic programme of choice. Make sure to have your requirements ready before beginning the online application form.

Click here for the steps on how to APPLY TO UPEACE.

Nuestro proceso de solicitud es 100% en línea. El equipo de admisiones de UPAZ está preparado y disponible para responder a cualquier pregunta que puedas tener sobre nuestros programas o el proceso de admisión. Para conocer los requisitos específicos de admisión, los costos de matrícula y las oportunidades de becas/apoyo financiero disponibles, consulta el programa académico de tu elección. Asegúrate de tener listos tus requisitos antes de comenzar a llenar el formulario en línea.

Haz clic aquí para ver los pasos a seguir para APLICAR A UPAZ.

Need help? / ¿Necesitas ayuda?

Contact the Admissions Team for help in filling out your application:

• For information on English-language programmes, email admissions@upeace.org
• Para información sobre nuestros programas en español, escribe a admisiones@upeace.org
• For information about our online programmes, email admissions@elearning.upeace.org
• For information about our partnership programmes, email specialprogrammes@upeace.org
• For infomation about our Doctoral Degree Programme, email doctorate@upeace.org

Accreditation / Acreditación

The University for Peace (UPEACE) was established as a Treaty Organization with its own Charter in an International Agreement adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations through its Resolution 35/55 of 5 December 1980. This unique history of UPEACE makes it the only University in the world created through a UN General Assembly Resolution with the specific mandate of "engaging in teaching, research, post-graduate training and dissemination of knowledge fundamental to the full development of the human person and societies through the interdisciplinary study of all matters relating to peace." As a result, it possesses a unique global legal authorization to grant Master's and Doctoral degrees as conferred upon it by the resolution that created it as well as by the International Agreement for the Establishment of UPEACE and the accompanying Charter annexed to Resolution 35/55.

Article 15.2 of the UPEACE Charter states that: “The University shall, inter alia, grant master’s degrees and doctorates under terms and conditions established by the Council.” Within the legal mandate established by the UPEACE Charter, there are three different legal situations related to the University's legal authority to issue Master's and Doctoral degrees:

1. States Parties to the International Agreement for the Establishment of UPEACE: In accordance with the UN Legal Office database, 41 states are currently parties to the foundational treaty of the University for Peace. These States formally recognize the legal capacity of UPEACE to issue post-graduate degrees. This legal authorization stems from each State's explicit signature of the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace. As a result, all 41 states must legally recognize the validity of UPEACE degrees.

2. Non-Signatory States Parties to the International Agreement for the Establishment of UPEACE: The resolution that created UPEACE did not require every States Party to issue a vote, and was accepted by consensus, with zero votes against it. As a result of this consensus, no UN Member State should question the validity of a UPEACE degree or the legal authorization that UPEACE possesses to issue these post-graduate degrees.The legal authorization is part of the international law obligations that pertain to all States, flowing from the status of UN General Assembly Resolutions of this nature.

3. UPEACE Host Country: In its Article 3, the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace states that the host country needs to provide “such legal capacity and facilities as are necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its purposes.” On 29 March 1982, a Headquarters Agreement was signed between UPEACE and the Government of Costa Rica, expresslty recognizing, through its second article, “the juridical personality to enable it to fulfil its purposes and objectives.” This legal authorization allows UPEACE to grant post-graduate degrees in Costa Rica and allowed the University for become a full member of the National System of Higher Education Accreditation of Costa Rica (SINAES for its name in Spanish) in 2008. It is important to note that accreditation in Costa Rican is not mandatory and not retroactive, and applies only to those degrees obtained after the programme was accredited, as announced by SINAES.

Degrees by UPEACE are verified by the International Association of Universities/UNESCO as having been obtained from an educational institution that is recognised or sanctioned by a competent national authority. The inclusion of UPEACE in the IAU/UNESCO list can be verified from their official database (under its official name in English – University for Peace) as well as from the career portal of the UN (under its official name in Spanish - Universidad para la Paz). 

Currently, the following UPEACE M.A. Programmes have been accredited by the National System of Higher Education Accreditation of Costa Rica (SINAES):

• Department of Environment and Development: the M.A. Programmes within the Department of Environment and Development, with the exception of the M.A. in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development, have been accredited before SINAES (effective date: March 2014).
• Department of International Law: The M.A. Programmes within the Department of International Law were accredited by SINAES in June 2016.
• Department of Peace and Conflict Studies: The M.A. Programmes within the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies are in the process of preparing the required documentation for accreditation.

Thousands of individuals, from virtually every country in the world, have graduated from UPEACE with Master's and Doctorate degrees and have completed short courses and individual training programmes over the years. UPEACE Alumni are working in government agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, and have pursued further academic studies and individual careers to advance worldwide peace. In particular, hundreds of UPEACE Alumni are working within the UN System.