This course develops skills in bargaining and negotiation as they can be applied to the resolution of environmental and other disputes. It will help a student prepare for and carry out a negotiation, become a more effective communicator and listener, and understand the psychological dimensions inherent in negotiation processes. The course also will examine mediation and facilitation, which are mechanisms for assisting others to negotiate.

The course will employ a series of role play simulations that allow students to engage in controlled bargaining situations, followed by debriefings that critique strategy and styles. Drawing on literature in the areas of decision analysis, social psychology, and public policy, a framework for analysis will be interwoven into the debriefings of the simulations.