Graduate students at the IIRP are catalysts for change, putting what they’ve learned into practice in their own professional settings. The study of restorative practices draws from a range of disciplines, with the goal of understanding how to best address wrongdoing and conflict, support positive behavioral change, build social capital, educate, lead and, ultimately, strengthen civil society.
At the IIRP, learning occurs through student-centered, faculty-guided exploration and reflection. Faculty are not only prominent thought leaders but also experienced practitioners in education, justice, social work, and organizational management. Students have the opportunity to personalize their studies and focus on their greatest professional goals and challenges. Through blended and online learning experiences, students develop professional relationships with practitioners from across the globe, as they apply and evaluate what they are learning in their own settings.
Both the Graduate Certificate (4 courses/12 credits) and the Master of Science (10 courses/30 credits) programs are built around a core curriculum, with a choice of electives to personalize a student’s educational experience.
To take graduate courses, a student must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a U.S.-accredited institution of higher education or its equivalent.
Course List
Required Courses for all Programs |
Credits |
|
RP 500 (blended) or RP 504 (online) |
Basic Restorative Practices Foundations of Restorative Practices |
3 3 |
RP 525 (online) |
Restorative Practices in Action |
3 |
General Electives |
||
RP 506 (online) |
Restorative Practices: The Promise and the Challenge |
3 |
RP 517 (online) |
Restorative Approaches to Leadership |
3 |
RP 532 (blended) |
Aggression Replacement Training ®: Behavioral Interventions that Work |
3 |
RP 541 (blended) |
IIRP World Conference |
3 |
RP 550 (online) |
Transforming Relational Harm |
3 |
RP 556 (online) |
Restorative Practices for Community Health and Well-Being |
3 |
RP 622 (online) |
History, Evolution, and Critical Issues in Restorative Justice |
3 |
RP 623 (online) |
Restorative Justice: Global Perspectives |
3 |
RP 625 (online) |
Restorative Practices in Life Space Crisis Intervention |
3 |
RP 635 (online) |
Narrative Inquiry for Empowering Facilitators |
3 |
RP 637 (online) |
Social Justice and Restorative Practices |
3 |
RP 645 (online) |
Transgenerational Resilience and Community Striving |
3 |
RP 652 (online) |
Social and Emotional Learning in the Restorative Classroom |
3 |
RP 662 (online) |
A Restorative Approach to Educating the High-Risk and High-Need Students |
3 |
RP 680 (online) |
Designing Restorative Practices Research |
3 |
RP 685 (online) |
Data Analysis for Restorative Practices Research |
3 |
RP 694 (ind. study) |
Directed/Independent Study |
3 |
RP 707 (online) |
Thesis Seminar |
0 |
Master of Science Degree Required Courses (6 credits) |
||
RP 610 (online) |
Evaluation of Research |
3 |
RP 699 (online) |
Integrating Seminar |
3 |
Course Offerings
RP 500 Basic Restorative Practices
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Blended
Course duration: 4 weeks (23 hours online)
Prerequisites: Any of the following professional development events, taken within 5 years of starting this course:
- Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively or
- Restorative Practices for Educators or
- Restorative Practices for Independent Schools or
- Reimagining Campus Community with Restorative Practices
AND either
- Facilitating Restorative Conferences (in-person) or
- Restorative Justice Conferencing (online)
This course explores the fundamental principles, philosophy, theories, practices, models, and skills of restorative practices. Special emphasis will be placed on proactive and responsive circles, restorative conferencing, and the informal application of these processes. Issues critical to the development of restorative practices, such as models of human interaction, theories of behavior, and current research will be considered. Students will assess the role of human emotion, especially shame, in social relationships.
Students may choose either RP 500 or RP 504, but may not take both, to fulfill the program requirements.
RP 504 Fundamentals of Restorative Practices
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: None
Students in this course will learn about the foundations of restorative practices as an evolving field of study. They will explore the emotional, relational, and ecological theories underpinning restorative principles, and the importance of engaging with others in equity-oriented relationships. Students will develop explicit restorative practices skills for application in their own personal and professional lives.
Students may choose either RP 500 or RP 504, but may not take both, to fulfill the program requirements.
RP 506 Restorative Practices: The Promise and the Challenge
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: None
This course introduces students to a wide range of possible applications for restorative justice and other restorative practices in varied settings, including criminal justice, education and youth services, higher education, social work, and workplaces. Students explore the potential, as well as the limitations, risks, and obstacles to restorative practices through reading, online videos, interactive online discussion, and writing assignments.
RP 517 Restorative Approaches to Leadership
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: RP 500 or RP 504
Students in this course will have the opportunity to explore restorative approaches to leadership and create an actionable leadership plan. The course will examine various perspectives on leadership, self-reflection, and engagement. Students will explore how our values, experiences, empathy, and bias inform our beliefs, intentions, actions, and impact. Current literature, theory, and practical applications will be discussed. Students will participate in a guided professional learning community where they will post reflections, responses, and helpful feedback.
Students who have completed RP 515 Restorative Leadership Development: Authority with Grace may not register for RP 517 Restorative Approaches to Leadership.
RP 525 Restorative Practices in Action
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course Duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: Any of the following, taken within 5 years of starting this course:
- RP 500 or
- RP 504 or
- Attendance at Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively or
- Attendance at Restorative Practices for Educators or
- Attendance at Restorative Practices for Independent Schools or
- Attendance at Reimagining Campus Community with Restorative Practices
In this experiential course, students will use and assess explicit actions modeling restorative practices in the setting of their choice. They will examine ethical and cultural issues related to implementing restorative practices with individuals and communities. Students will practice reflection as a critical competency of restorative practices. Within a professional learning community, classmates will provide reciprocal feedback to assist each other in assessing their individual progress.
RP 532 Aggression Replacement Training®: Behavioral Interventions that Work
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Blended
Course duration: 7 weeks (30 hours online)
*Before taking this course, students will need to have attended the IIRP professional development experience: Aggression Replacement Training® no earlier than five years from the start of this course.
This course is designed to give students practical strategies for intervention with at-risk youth. The course will explore evidenced-based practices such as Aggression Replacement Training® and Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI). The online experience builds on the guided practice portion of the course, by examining social and emotional learning theories as they relate to the philosophical framework of restorative practices. Students will complete 30 hours of coursework online after attending the Aggression Replacement Training® event.
RP 541 IIRP World Conference
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Blended
Course duration: Variable
*Before taking this course, students will need to have attended the IIRP World Conference immediately preceding this course.
In this course, students earn credits based on participation and engagement at an IIRP world restorative practices conference. They supplement this direct experience with related readings, writing assignments, and online discussions. Students actively evaluate, discuss, and critique presentations using restorative practices principles. Students will complete coursework online after attending the conference.
RP 550 Transforming Relational Harm
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Education Specialization and the Community Engagement Specialization.
Students who have completed RP 535 Restorative Responses to Adversity and Trauma may not register for RP 550 Transforming Relational Harm.
This course explores a deeper application of restorative practices as it relates to emotion and harm. Students will use group process, emotional dynamics, compassionate witnessing, and mindful practice to address a wide continuum of harm. Students will explore neuroscience and how harm impacts the brain. Through the learning process, students will begin to understand how harm, human neuroscience, and emotional experiences affect relationships.
Notes:
- This course requires participation in weekly synchronous skill-building experiences with the instructor and a willing participant with whom to practice compassionate witnessing.
- People have been exposed to various levels of trauma in their lives. This course considers the use of restorative practices in cases of grief, trauma, and adversity. We advise students to consider establishing an emotional support system for themselves while taking this course.
- Students who have completed RP 535 Restorative Responses to Adversity and Trauma may not register for RP 550 Transforming Relational Harm.
RP 556 Restorative Practices for Community Health and Well-Being
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: Any of the following, taken within 5 years of starting this course:
- RP 500 or
- RP 504 or
- Attendance at Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively or
- Attendance at Restorative Practices for Educators or
- Attendance at Restorative Practices for Independent Schools or
- Attendance at Reimagining Campus Community with Restorative Practices
This course is an approved elective for the Community Engagement Specialization.
Students in this course will learn about the synergy between restorative practices and the field of community health. They will explore how restorative practices can help create supportive environments that facilitate well-being by prioritizing and strengthening a sense of community, connectedness, equity, belonging, and collective efficacy. Students will learn how restorative practices can strengthen community-focused efforts by fostering meaningful and sustainable cross-sector collaborations and developing the community’s capacity to advance the well-being of its members. Individual plans will be created to use restorative practices to address the social determinants of health within a community of the student’s choice.
RP 610 Evaluation of Research
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course teaches students to be knowledgeable consumers of research so that they can understand and critique what they read. Students will explore approaches, methods and techniques through online group discussion and readings of research that they choose based on their own areas of interest.
RP 622 History, Evolution, and Critical Issues in Restorative Justice
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
Restorative justice views crime from the perspective of those directly and indirectly affected by an incident, empowering them to decide how best to repair harm. This course explores the possibilities of using restorative justice to respond more meaningfully to crime than current approaches used in the criminal justice system. Students examine theory and research to assess restorative justice’s potential for reducing crime and, importantly, its impact. Through case study reviews, students apply restorative responses to situations and compare them with current practices. Readings, video presentations with knowledgeable professionals, and guided discussions present additional learning opportunities.
RP 623 Restorative Justice: Global Perspectives
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course offers students a comprehensive perspective on restorative justice practices from around the world. Students will examine how restorative justice practices have been implemented in various cultures and contextual settings. Expert speakers will join this course to provide insight from many years of experience working within the restorative justice paradigm. Students will explore these practices through a diverse selection of readings, video presentations, expert speakers, and guided discussion threads.
RP 625 Restorative Practices in Life Space Crisis Intervention
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Education Specialization.
This course focuses on the basic communication process in problem management and crisis intervention. Life Space Crisis Intervention, which helps individuals identify patterns of self-defeating behavior, is viewed through a restorative lens. Role plays of restorative responses facilitate an understanding of the process. Students will learn to apply Life Space Crisis Intervention with individuals in the moment of crisis.
Note: This course requires participation in weekly synchronous skill-building experiences with the instructor and a willing participant with whom to practice questioning skills.
RP 635 Narrative Inquiry for Empowering Facilitators
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Community Engagement Specialization.
In this course, students will develop an understanding of social construction and narrative theories that empower the facilitation of decision making. Students will learn to organize and maintain conversations with others to address their needs and enhance their potential, through enriched narrative conversations that acknowledge the individual or group.
Note: This course requires participation in synchronous skill-building experiences with the instructor and a willing individual with whom to practice six different narrative maps.
RP 637 Social Justice and Restorative Practices
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Community Engagement Specialization.
In this course, students will explore social justice theories and principles and the application of restorative practices in social causes. They will consider patterns of social injustice, analyze assumptions across cultural identity and social issues, and review methods associated with disrupting injustice. Students will complete individual projects to demonstrate an understanding of how restorative practices can be integrated to advance social justice.
This course requires participation in four synchronous learning and reflection experiences with the instructor.
RP 645 Transgenerational Resilience and Community Striving
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 500 or RP 504, RP 525, and RP 550.
This course is an approved elective for the Community Engagement Specialization.
This course explores the deeper implications of transgenerational trauma and resilience within our everyday lives and their impact on community striving. Students will use mindfulness and interoceptive practices in individual and group processes to address transgenerational harm in personal and cultural contexts. Students will explore the neuroscience of how lateral and transgenerational trauma creates certain resiliency patterns that may limit potential. Students will gain insight into how attention, awareness, and intention can transform traumatic experiences into effective resiliency patterns that positively impact relationships and culture.
Note: This course requires participation in weekly synchronous skill-building experiences with the instructor to practice a range of different circle experiences.
RP 652 Social and Emotional Learning in the Restorative Classroom
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Education Specialization.
Students in this course will examine the theory and practice of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as it aligns with restorative practices. They will explore the potential to improve student, faculty, and staff performance through the purposeful implementation of restorative practices to increase social and emotional well-being in their settings. They will develop an understanding of SEL competencies that can provide a framework to establish equitable learning environments. Students will synthesize research in the fields of SEL and restorative practices to design an action plan integrating what they learn into their classroom or organization.
RP 662 A Restorative Approach to Educating the High-Risk and High-Need Student
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504
This course is an approved elective for the Education Specialization.
Every classroom, whether mainstream or specialized, contains students who experience poverty, trauma, persistent adversity, addiction/substance abuse, neglect, or other risk factors at some point in their lives. This course goes beyond “behavior management” to focus on a restorative framework and techniques for instruction that meet the unique cognitive and emotional needs of these learners.
RP 680 Designing Restorative Practices Research
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: RP 525
Students in this course will develop skills and competencies to design scientific inquiry in restorative practices. Students will review research concepts and principles and explore research designs and methods appropriate for answering different types of restorative practices questions. Students will select a topic intended to advance the restorative practices field of study and conceptualize and design a research project. Students also will learn essentials of writing research proposals.
RP 685 Data Analysis for Restorative Practices Research
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: RP 680 or permission of the faculty
Students in this course will develop skills and competencies to work with data in restorative practices and social sciences research. Students will learn about qualitative and quantitative data analysis, data interpretation, and how to communicate data-driven results. There is an emphasis on qualitative data analysis techniques, however students also will be introduced to statistical software to perform descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. This course will prepare students to pursue an independent research project.
RP 694 Directed/Independent Study
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Individualized
Course duration: variable
Prerequisites: RP 525, plus RP 500 or RP 504 and permission of the faculty
This course provides an opportunity for a matriculated student to develop a learning contract that defines directed study or independent study on a special topic demonstrating a deeper understanding and application of restorative practices.
Note: This course requires the approval of the Provost after a learning contract has been designed between a faculty member and the student.
RP 699 Integrating Seminar
Credits: 3 | Delivery mode: Online
Course duration: 10 weeks
Prerequisite: All required master’s degree program coursework
Students will create a culminating multimedia project that describes how restorative practices positively influences human behavior and strengthens civil society. Students will also identify potential gaps in this emerging social science. Projects are developed in a highly interactive group process where students support each other in writing and presenting their capstone project. As a professional learning community, faculty and students engage in discussion about each presentation to help the group review the processes, philosophy, theory, and research in restorative practices.
RP 707 Thesis Research Seminar
Credits: 0 | Delivery mode: Individualized
Course duration: variable
Prerequisites: RP 680, RP 685, RP 699, and prior approval to pursue the Master of Science Thesis Option
During this ongoing, noncredit Thesis Seminar, students who have been approved to complete a thesis will be supported by the faculty committee chair, their faculty advisor, and a committee member of the student’s choosing. Students will work to develop an original research question and thesis proposal that includes a literature review. The project will need IIRP Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval prior to conducting any research. Students will complete their research, writing, and defense of their thesis within two years from their enrollment in this Seminar.
Previously Offered Courses
The following courses are not currently offered:
- RP 515 Restorative Leadership Development: Authority with Grace
- RP 535 Restorative Responses to Adversity and Trauma
- RP 540 Restorative Practices: Symposia and Conferences
- RP 542 IIRP Turning the Tide Symposium
Master of Science in Restorative Practices
The IIRP Master of Science degree program is designed for working professionals, so it is assumed that most students will be studying on a part-time basis. The minimum completion time for a master’s degree should be two years.
Students must complete their degree program within five years from the time they are admitted to the program.
A student’s failure to complete their degree requirements within the prescribed five-year period will be cause for dismissal from the IIRP. Requests for continuation or reinstatement must be presented to the Provost for review and consideration.
Students may apply at any time during the year.
Specializations
Community Engagement
Restorative practices honors the existing strengths in a community and helps to increase people’s personal and collective efficacy, creating social conditions for people to be healthier and have greater well-being. The community engagement specialization provides students with a cluster of courses that focus on relationships and social connections in the community through processes, programs, and policies.
Requirements:
To earn recognition on a transcript, you must fulfil the following, in addition to the required coursework for the Master of Science:
- Four of your electives, including two at the 600 level, must be related to the specialization. These include RP 550 Transforming Relational Harm, RP 556 Restorative Practices for Community Health and Well-Being, RP 635 Narrative Inquiry for Empowering Facilitators, RP 637 Social Justice and Restorative Practices, and RP 645 Transgenerational Resilience and Community Striving, and
- Your project for your final course, RP 699 Integrating Seminar, must be rooted in your specialization.
Education
Restorative practices promotes a healthy teaching and learning environment through practical implementation of engaging processes that are both proactive and responsive. The education specialization provides students with a cluster of courses that focus on teaching and learning. Learning includes strategies to enhance student-teacher engagement; practical classroom activities; development of teacher pedagogy; understanding students' social, emotional, neurological, and academic needs; and building on restorative frameworks to develop anti-racist education and challenge current educational system and practice.
Requirements:
To earn recognition on a transcript, you must fulfil the following, in addition to the required coursework for the Master of Science:
- Four of your electives, including two at the 600 level, must be related to the specialization. These include RP 550 Transforming Relational Harm, RP 625 Restorative Practices in Life Space Crisis Intervention, RP 652 Social and Emotional Learning in the Restorative Classroom, and RP 662 A Restorative Approach to Educating the High-Risk and High-Need Student, and
- Your project for your final course, RP 699 Integrating Seminar, must be rooted in your specialization.
Program Goals
Students will:
- Explain foundational principles of restorative practices.
- Apply conceptual and analytical skills in evaluating the links among practice, systems, and policy issues.
- Demonstrate the ability to improve professional skills through self-reflection.
- Develop knowledge and skills to work with culturally and socially diverse populations in local and global contexts through a restorative practices frame.
- Apply critical thinking skills to an issue and determine a restorative approach.
- Demonstrate proficiencies in information literacy.
- Thesis option only: Design a research study to advance the field of restorative practices.
Graduation Requirements
Degrees are conferred at the end of the spring and fall terms.
There are three requirements in order to qualify for a diploma:
- 30 Credits. A candidate for degree is required to successfully complete 30 academic credits. Degree requirements must be satisfied within a five-year period from the date of enrollment (unless the Provost has agreed to an alternative arrangement).
- Completion of all required courses for the Master of Science degree program.
- Payment of any outstanding debt.
Fall Degree Conferrals:
A candidate will file an application to graduate and register for RP 699 Integrating Seminar in the projected graduation year by August 1. Any outstanding debt to the institution must be paid by October 31.
Spring Degree Conferrals:
A candidate will file an application to graduate and register for RP 699 Integrating Seminar in the projected graduation year by March 1. Any outstanding debt to the institution must be paid by April 30.
Master of Science Course Requirements
Required Courses (6 credits) |
Credits |
RP 500 (blended) Basic Restorative Practices or RP 504 (online) Foundations of Restorative Practices |
3 |
and RP 525 (online) Restorative Practices in Action |
3 |
Master of Science Degree Required Courses (6 credits) |
|
RP 610 (online) Evaluation of Research |
3 |
RP 699 (online) Integrating Seminar |
3 |
Thesis Option Required Courses (6 credits) |
|
RP 680 (online) Designing Restorative Practices Research |
3 |
RP 685 (online) Data Analysis for Restorative Practices Research |
3 |
RP 707 (online) Thesis Seminar |
0 |
Elective Courses |
|
Plus 18 additional elective course credits (which includes 6 credits required for Thesis Option, if applicable), coherent with the intentions of the curriculum, approved in consultation with a graduate advisor and upon approval by the faculty. |
18 |
Total Credits: Master of Science in Restorative Practices |
30 |
Total Credits: Master of Science in Restorative Practices with Thesis |
36 |
Master of Science with Thesis Option
Students in our Master of Science degree program and alumni of the IIRP Master’s degree program who wish to expand knowledge of restorative practices by conducting original research may choose to pursue the Thesis Option. If you wish to gain research experience and develop advanced competencies in scholarly writing, are considering a research-intensive career, or are interested in pursuing doctoral-level study, the Thesis Option may be a desirable choice for you. You will work with your faculty advisor to design a plan of study that fulfills your degree requirements and allows you to still choose four electives. There are six required courses for the thesis option: RP 500 Basic Restorative Practices, RP 525 Restorative Practices in Action, RP 610 Evaluation of Research, 680 Designing Restorative Practices Research, RP 685 Data Analysis for Restorative Practices Research, and RP 699 Integrating Seminar.
Following the RP 699 Integrating Seminar, you will be prepared to initiate your research. You will register for RP 707 Thesis Seminar, an innovative seminar designed to be completed within one year, that integrates all steps of a traditional thesis experience. You will identify a faculty chair and, with the guidance of a committee, develop a research focus and conduct original research in restorative practices, culminating in a written thesis that is suitable for publication. You will earn the Master of Science in Restorative Practices degree with the thesis designation on your transcript after fulfilling these requirements.
While you are expected to complete the Thesis Seminar within one year, you may extend that experience over two years if necessary. You will have up to seven years to complete your program from the time you are admitted.
Alumni also have up to two years to complete the Thesis Seminar.
Graduate Certificate in Restorative Practices
If a student wants to earn a graduate-level credential in restorative practices without pursuing a degree, the IIRP Graduate Certificate in Restorative Practices provides the core learning experiences of our master’s degree program. Students gain extensive knowledge and skill in restorative practices and learn tools necessary for self-evaluation and professional growth.
Students can apply to the certificate program throughout the year.
Students must complete their requirements for a graduate certificate within two years from the time their application has been received.
A student’s failure to complete the requirements for a Graduate Certificate in the prescribed two-year period will be cause for review by the Provost.
A student may earn the Graduate Certificate by successfully completing four courses: two required courses and two electives.
Program Goals
Students will:
- Explain foundational principles of restorative practices.
- Apply conceptual and analytical skills in evaluating the links among practice, systems, and policy issues.
- Demonstrate the ability to improve professional skills through self-reflection.
Course Requirements
Required Courses (6 credits) |
Credits |
RP 500 (blended) Basic Restorative Practices or RP 504 (online) Fundamentals of Restorative Practices |
3 |
RP 525 (online) Restorative Practices in Action |
3 |
Plus 6 additional elective course credits, coherent with the intentions of the curriculum. |
6 |
Total Credits: Graduate Certificate in Restorative Practices |
12 |