Updated December 2025
Disputes are an inevitable part of the human experience. In personal and professional relationships, in family groups and work settings, at the community level, and between nations—conflict is a fact of life.
It’s how we deal with disputes that defines our capacity to evolve and grow. This is an increasingly valued personal and professional skill.
We’ve been delivering online dispute resolution training for years and are continuously surprised at the diverse backgrounds and motivations of students.
You would think most participants are planning to become professional mediators or arbitrators. But that’s not always the case. In fact, many students are simply looking to handle conflict better in their place of work or personal relationships. Others are seeking dispute resolution training to improve their HR and business management skills or become stronger community leaders.
Whatever your motivation, you’ll find no shortage of training programs out there. Looking specifically for online dispute resolution training? Kompass offers four accredited online dispute resolution certificates and a variety of individual courses on conflict management.
Which type of training is right for you? Here’s a good breakdown and comparison of your options.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Mediation and Dispute Resolution
- Family Mediation
- Intergenerational Mediation
- Arbitration
- Individual Dispute Resolution Courses
Accredited Mediation & Dispute Resolution Certificate
The Mediation and Dispute Resolution certificate is accredited by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) and the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO).
This means the course meets the basic educational requirements to become a Qualified Mediator. Qualified Mediator (Q. Med) is the entry-level certification for mediators in Canada.
If your goal is to become a mediator and start or join a professional practice, your first step is to earn the Q. Med designation.
Quick facts about this certificate:
☑️ Online delivery
☑️ 12 weeks long
☑️ Weekly live lectures and discussions
☑️ Includes 10 hours of mandatory mediation role-play
☑️ Taught by highly experienced, certified mediators
The Mediation and Dispute Resolution certificate includes six courses. Students learn about tools and techniques for workplace dispute resolution, managing family conflict, the steps involved in a formal mediation, and how to facilitate mediations online.
This certificate is designed for people who want to become professional mediators as well as those who simply want to improve their conflict management skills.
Click below to see a detailed course list and learn more about the program, instructor, and costs.
Accredited Family Mediation Certificate
Family mediation is a subspecialty that deals with the fallout of separation and divorce. If you want to help people sort through issues of property division, child custody, and parenting arrangements, this is the certificate for you.
The Family Mediation certificate is accredited by ADRIC, ADRIO, and the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). It’s also recognized by Family Mediation Canada (FMC).
The course fulfills the training requirement for the Accredited Family Mediator (AccFM) designation through OAFM. It also counts for 64.5 hours toward the Family Relations Mediator designation through FMC.
In order to provide court-connected family mediation services, you typically need one of those designations.
Quick facts about this certificate:
☑️ Online delivery
☑️ 12 weeks long
☑️ Weekly live lectures and discussions
☑️ Includes 18 hours of mandatory mediation role-play
☑️ Taught by highly experienced, certified family mediators
The Family Mediation certificate includes five courses. Students learn how to interpret family law, determine whether mediation is appropriate, manage emotions, and navigate relationship breakdowns.
Click below to learn more about this program.
Accredited Intergenerational Mediation Certificate
Intergenerational mediation is a relatively new specialty. Also known as elder mediation, it focuses on conflicts between older adults and their family members or caregivers.
The Intergenerational Mediation certificate is accredited by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). It meets the 127 hours required for the Accredited Intergenerational Mediator (AccIM designation through OAFM.
Quick facts about this certificate:
☑️ Online delivery
☑️ 12 weeks long
☑️ Weekly live lectures and discussions
☑️ Includes 25 hours of mandatory mediation role-play
☑️ Taught by highly experienced, certified family mediators
The Intergenerational Mediation certificate includes six courses. Students learn how to mediate multi-party disputes, understand the challenges that come with aging, and deal with issues of capacity, guardianship, and more.
Click below for full details about the program, courses, and costs.
Accredited Arbitration Certificate
The arbitration certificate is another type of online dispute resolution training offered at Kompass.
This course is also accredited by ADRIC and meets training requirements for the Qualified Arbitrator (Q. Arb) designation. Q. Arb is the entry-level designation for arbitrators in Canada.
Arbitration is generally more formal than mediation. The arbitrator acts like a judge, hears arguments from both sides, reviews evidence, and issues a legally binding judgment.
Many of our students in this course are lawyers or law students, but others work in business, community organizations, or the non-profit sector.
You don’t need a professional background in law to become a certified arbitrator.
Quick facts about this certificate:
☑️ Online delivery
☑️ 10 weeks long
☑️ Weekly live lectures and discussions
☑️ Includes 14 hours of mandatory role-play sessions and mock hearings
☑️ Taught by highly experienced, certified arbitrators
The online arbitration certificate includes five courses. Students learn the basics of arbitration law, arbitration procedure, and how to conduct an arbitration in person and online.
Click below for more information on course descriptions, costs, and instructors.
Individual Dispute Resolution Courses: Design Your Own Program
If you’re interested in dispute resolution training but don’t want to take the full mediation or arbitration certificates, you can choose individual courses and design your own program.
For example, if your main goal is to improve your conflict resolution and negotiation skills, you probably don’t need to study arbitration law, the law of evidence, or family law.
Instead, you would pick and choose courses that relate specifically to your needs. Students can enrol in just one course or bundle a selection of courses on a particular theme.
Examples of individual courses include:
☑️ Workplace Dispute Resolution (2 weeks)
☑️ Employee Relations and the Work Environment (2 weeks)
☑️ Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution (2 weeks)
☑️ Managing Family Dynamics (2 weeks)
☑️ Introduction to Family Mediation (2 weeks)
☑️ Cultural Fluency in Mediation (2 weeks)
☑️ Introduction to Intergenerational Mediation (2 weeks)
Students who are focused on resolving family conflicts can zero in on skills and techniques in that area. Or if work disputes are your main challenge, you can select courses that teach negotiation and conflict resolution skills for the workplace.
Individual courses don’t lead to professional certification with ADRIC. But they can be very useful for developing leadership skills, motivating teams, and dealing with personal conflict.
Instructors for individual courses are all certified mediators, arbitrators, or human resources professionals.
Need help choosing a certificate or course?
Your next step is to speak with an admissions advisor. Kompass offers advising through online chat and via email.
Click below to explore all online dispute resolution training options and connect with an advisor now.
