United Nations online courses

Students interested in a comprehensive study of peacekeeping and humanitarian relief may earn a Certificate of Training in United Nations Peace Support Operations (COTIPSO). This advanced-level certificate is made possible through a partnership between the Peace Operations Training Institute and participating national and regional peacekeeping training centres and selected universities.

By combining focused classroom training and a wide base of self-paced distance learning courses, the COTIPSO Programme provides a solid foundation of knowledge in peacekeeping. This Programme gives students the opportunity to combine the benefits of in-person instruction with the convenience of distance training, while the academic-level thesis allows students to research a single peacekeeping-related topic within a self-paced structure.

1. Distance Education

Participants in COTIPSO complete twelve distance learning courses from the Peace Operations Training Institute. We suggest a schedule of one course per month for twelve months. These courses each include an End-of-Course Examination and require a minimum passing score of 75%.

2. Classroom Instruction

Please note that students must make their own classroom course arrangements directly with the provider of the classroom training. Students may begin their study with attendance at one of the recognized classroom courses or they may begin with the distance education component.

POTI recognizes completed training from some organizations that are not active COTIPSO partners. The training from these organizations can still be used to fulfill the classroom instruction requirement of the COTIPSO programme. View all COTIPSO partners.

3. Original Research Paper

After the completion of the resident classroom course and the 12 courses from the Institute, the student writes an original thesis integrating what he/she has learned. The thesis will be written at the level of graduate college research and should demonstrate both a factual understanding of peace support operations and an ability to synthesize and discuss peacekeeping and related issues. The thesis will be written under the supervision of a Thesis Adviser and published on our website upon completion and acceptance. To learn more about these Thesis Advisers and to communicate with them directly, visit the complete list of Thesis Advisers.

Please note: completion of the COTIPSO demonstrates a thorough study and understanding of UN Peace Support Operations but does not guarantee employment with the UN or any other organization, nor does it confer an academic degree.