Minor in Human Rights in Engineering (HRE)
The Human Rights in Engineering academic minor is designed to create a human rights focused pathway through existing engineering major and CAP requirements, providing a foundation and framework that will enable engineering students to explore, discuss, and apply human rights frameworks in their personal and professional life as a globally responsible engineer. The skills, knowledge, and abilities gained from this minor prepares engineering students for careers that incorporate global development, social and corporate responsibility, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, full participation of marginalized communities, cross-cultural work environments, and equity-centered design. The Human Rights in Engineering minor features a unique interdisciplinary curriculum and a blend of coursework and experiential learning opportunities. The minor is a result of a partnership between the School of Engineering’s Ethos Center, UD’s Human Rights Center, and the Human Rights Studies Program.
Students minoring in "Human Rights in Engineering" must complete 12 credit hours, including a foundational course in human rights studies (HRS 200 - it is recommended that this is taken the second half of freshman year or during the sophomore year); 1 to 2 approved academic courses outside of engineering; 1 to 2 approved course in engineering or a closely related field (computer science, GIS). One course must include a high impact experiential learning opportunity integrating human rights and engineering design methods, systems-thinking, applied research, and or data analysis and validation. Courses for this minor may double count with courses for other minors and majors and Common Academic Program requirements. Students desiring to minor in Human Rights in Engineering should notify their advisors and the Director of the Ethos Center in the School of Engineering.
| Required Foundational Course 1 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Human Rights | ||
| Examining Social Issues With Human Rights Frameworks - choose one course from the following | 3 | |
| Faith Traditions: Human Rights | ||
| Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics | ||
| Latin/x America and Performing Human Rights | ||
| Philosophy & Human Rights | ||
| Literature & Human Rights | ||
| Anthropology of Human Rights | ||
| History of Human Rights | ||
| Art and Social Practice | ||
| Politics of Human Rights | ||
| Sustainable Goals | ||
| Genocide, Mass Atrocity and Transitional Justice | ||
| Food Justice | ||
| Community-Engaged Sustainability | ||
| Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy | ||
| Dangerous Work and Disaster Capitalism | ||
| Human Rights and Development in Africa | ||
| Connecting engineering knowledge generation and human rights - take one course from the following 2 | 3 | |
| Sustainable Water and Waste Infrastructure | ||
| Physical & Chemical Water & Wastewater Treatment Processes | ||
| Sustainable Energy Analysis and Economics | ||
| Engineering Systems for the Common Good | ||
| Physical & Chemical Wastewater Treatment Processes | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Human Rights | ||
| Renewable Energy Systems | ||
| Sustainable Energy Systems in Developing Countries | ||
| Sustainable Manufacturing & Product Design | ||
| Critical Reflection and Praxis at the Nexus of Engineering and Human Rights - must choose one course and the corresponding experiential learning opportunity 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Design & Appropriate Technology | ||
| Sociotechnical Engineering for the Common Good | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| 1 | Encouraged to take 2nd semester 1st year or during 2nd year. |
| 2 | Requests to have other engineering courses approved will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the Ethos Center and the Academic Department overseeing the course of interest. |
| 3 | Other courses can be approved with permission from the Ethos Center AND Human Rights Studies. |