The Professional Certificate in Mediation at Griffith College is recognised by The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (The MII).  The programme has been developed for people who wish to become a qualified mediator, plus is of great benefit to anyone who manages people or situations and as such may require dispute resolution skills.

Managers – whether that be HR or department heads for example, recruiters, Gardai, armed forces and those in the prison service are all examples of individuals who would come up against disputes on a regular basis. As such, having the skills to effectively mediate in a professional and impartial manner would be of great benefit. The one semester Professional Certificate in Mediation is run via blended learning meaning there is a combination of both online and in-class learning (with in-class lectures taking place at the weekends only to allow minimal disruption to the normal working day).

The course takes place over twelve weeks (February to April).

The lecturers are experienced mediators, academics and conflict management trainers with many years’ experience in both practice and education. They engage in mediation on a day-to-day basis and therefore have the most up-to-date knowledge in the field. The graduates of this programme will be eligible to apply for membership to the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (The MII). The faculty will provide much pastoral care and career support. Upon completion of this programme you will receive a Griffith College Certificate.

The overall aim of this award is to ensure that the learner will be a confident and highly effective mediator with advanced knowledge of the principles of mediation and the mediation process. By enabling participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the concepts and methods underlying the development and use of mediation, the programme seeks to actualise their ability to implement the skills to practice. Furthermore, the programme seeks to equip the graduate with an awareness of the impact of conflict behaviour on mediation, both from the mediator and third-party perspective.

Teaching and assessment will emphasise the necessity of inherent emotional intelligence in this regard on the part of the mediator. Finally, the programme has the further objective of demystifying the law surrounding mediation in order that the learner may embark upon a career involving the use of mediation within their workplace.

The knowledge, skills and competencies developed in the area of mediation will be transferable to both further postgraduate studies and practice. This is not confined to the area of law and dispute resolution but can transfer into business, social studies, community affairs, human resources, management and across any area of life where conflict may arise.

Students who complete this programme will have a range of skills that will be attractive across sectors as a result of acquired skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, ability to self-manage and self-evaluate, independent learning, conflict management, communication, active listening and mediation. The skills acquired on this programme help graduates become a more effective communicator and resource in any workplace. The mediation industry is becoming established in Ireland and the robust nature of this qualification will give a graduate a unique selling point as compared with other non-academic programmes designed to accredit mediators.

All applications to this programme are managed by the College’s admissions team in line with the Quality Assurance and Enhancement procedures.  Applicants for the programmes must meet the following entry requirements and provide the supporting documentation:
Mature Students (Over 23 Years)
Direct entry

Under 23 Years
   5 O6/H7 grades in the Irish Leaving Certificate or equivalent award
or
 QQI Level 5 Full Award
Or
One year’s work experience

English Language
It is recommended that applicants have a good understanding of both written and spoken English.
*Non-native English speakers are not required to submit a copy of IELTs test results or take an English-level test as part of the application process.
Programme Fees Please note: The fees quoted below refer to the academic year 2025/2026 Fees are subject to change from year to year. These fees apply to Irish students and EU students living in Ireland. Total Fee: €3,075* (incl. Tuition €2,950, Academic Admin €125 Please note: A minimum non-refundable deposit is required at the point of registration. Please see accompanying student fee information pack for further details.

Assessment days: Friday 24th and Saturday 25th April (NB Learners will only need to attend one of these days, they will receive confirmation three weeks in advance which day they will be attending. In the meantime, all learners must keep both dates in their diaries)

Collaboration and collegiality will underpin all learning strategies adopted. The teaching and learning strategies were chosen with a view to instilling high levels of participant pedagogical development and engagement. Participants will be required to put all learning into practice and allow reflection on this practice to further develop same. Each teaching session will have a highly participative and practical element.  Practical skills are to be assessed to MII published standards.

Trainer Profile: Mary Lou O’Kennedy BSC, MA, Mediator, Conflict Coach

Training Experience: Mary Lou is a certified CINERGY trainer and has delivered CINERGY conflict coaching training to mediators, HR professionals, managers and coaches over the past three years. She is also a Master trainer of the Conflict-Dynamics Profile assessment tool with the Institute for Workplace Dynamics, Paris. Mary Lou designs and delivers training in Conflict Management and Mediation Skills for businesses and has delivered Family mediation training to mediators. She is a visiting lecturer on a number of Mediation post graduate programmes.

Qualifications/biog:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Science, UCD, 1985
• Master’s Degree in Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, USE, 1988
• Various in-house training courses in Time Management, Facilitation, Negotiation, PR, Strategic Planning, Change Management, ISO 9000
• Commercial Mediation, Friary Law/ADR, 2006
• Family Mediation, Friary Law/ADR, 2007
• Community Mediation: Athena Mediation 2007
• CINERGY Conflict Coaching (Dispute specific) 2008
  Certified Jan 2009
• CINERGY Advanced Conflict Coaching Training 2010
• Cedrtified CINERGY Conflict Coaching Mentor & Trainer 2010
• Certified Conflict Dynamics Coach, Eckerd College, Florida 2010
• Private Caucusing CEDR 2011
• PMR UK (NOCN) Mediation Supervision 2011
• Master Conflict Dynamics Trainer, Eckerd College, Florida 2014
• Becoming Conflict Competent Trainer, Ecker College Florida 2014