Human Rights Studies
Majors:
Minors:
With the Human Rights Studies (HRS) Major and Minor, students receive interdisciplinary instruction in contemporary understandings of justice and equality through legal, historical, philosophical, political, and religious perspectives. Human Rights Studies is a dynamic and evolving field and through our program students are equipped with the practical knowledge and skills needed to respond to the social, economic, technological and political threats to human dignity in the U.S. and abroad.
HRS Major
- A major in human rights studies requires 45 to 57 semester hours of courses in the humanities and the social sciences.
- Given the interdisciplinary nature of this degree program, many students are able to double major.
- HRS is one of the few degree programs that includes a 3-credit hour experiential learning requirement.
- As an HRS Major students have flexibility in choosing three 3-credit hour electives courses from different disciplines to best support individual passions and career goals.
HRS Minor
- A minor in human rights studies consists of 18 semester hours. Six of those credit hours include two elective courses that from different disciplines to best support individual passions and career goals.
Faculty:
- Miranda Hallett, Director
- Patrick Ahern, Lecturer in Philosophy
- Marybeth Carlson, Professor Emerita in History
- Youssef Farhat, Lecturer in Political Science
- Richard Ghere, Professor in Public Administration
- Miranda Hallett, Associate Professor in Anthropology
- Kelly Johnson, Associate Professor in Religious Studies
- Theo Majka, Associate Professor in Sociology
- Kirsten Mendoza, Assistant Professor of English
- Joel R. Pruce, Assistant Professor in Political Science
- Tereza Szeghi, Associate Professor in English
- Tony Talbott, Director of Advocacy at the Human Rights Center
- Ernesto Velásquez, Associate Professor in Philosophy
- Kelly Vibber, Associate Professor in Communication
- Caroline Waldron, Associate Professor in History
Bachelor of Arts, Human Rights Studies (HRS) minimum 124 hours
The Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights Studies is an integrated pre-professional degree firmly grounded in the traditional liberal arts. Students, faculty, and staff participating in the program enter into it guided by their fundamental commitment to respect and promote the dignity of each human person. The degree is intended to produce intellectually adept students who are capable of performing rigorous research and conducting high quality analysis of critical questions in the area of human rights studies. It is equally intended to produce thoughtful and transformational servant-leaders who will apply the knowledge and skills obtained in the program to contemporary human rights issues and situations both domestically and internationally. Through the integration of liberal and pre-professional education, the interdisciplinary program prepares distinctive graduates who intend to pursue advanced study and training in the field of human rights, or careers in human rights advocacy and humanitarian assistance. Those graduates will possess the values, knowledge and skills necessary for effective public service in:
- Government agencies
- Non-governmental organizations
- International aid agencies
- Non-profit groups in human rights or humanitarian assistance
Courses taken for the major may also count toward completion of the Common Academic Program and the Liberal Studies Curriculum.
| Common Academic Program (CAP) 1 | ||
| First-Year Humanities Commons 2 | 12 cr. hrs. | |
| Introduction to Global Historical Studies | ||
| Introduction to Religious and Theological Studies | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Writing Seminar I 3 | ||
| Second-Year Writing Seminar 4 | 0-3 cr. hrs. | |
| Writing Seminar II | ||
| Oral Communication | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Principles of Oral Communication | ||
| Mathematics | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Social Science | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Social Science Integrated | ||
| Arts | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Natural Sciences 5 | 7 cr. hrs. | |
| Crossing Boundaries | up to 12 cr. hrs. | |
Faith Traditions | ||
Practical Ethical Action | ||
Inquiry 6 | ||
Integrative | ||
| Advanced Study | ||
Philosophy and/or Religious Studies (6 cr. hrs.) | ||
Historical Studies (3 cr. hrs.) 7 | ||
| Diversity and Social Justice 8 | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Major Capstone 9 | 0-6 cr. hrs. | |
| 1 | The credit hours listed reflect what is needed to complete each CAP component. However, they should not be viewed as a cumulative addition to a student's degree requirements because many CAP courses are designed to satisfy more than one CAP component (e.g., Crossing Boundaries and Advanced Studies) and may also satisfy requirements in the student's major. |
| 2 | May be completed with ASI 110 and ASI 120 through the Core Program. |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | Must include two different disciplines and at least one accompanying lab. |
| 6 | U.S. History AP and CLEP credit will not satisfy this requirement. |
| 7 | May be completed with ASI 110 and ASI 120 through the Core Program. U.S. History AP and CLEP credit will not satisfy this requirement. |
| 8 | May not double count with First-Year Humanities Commons, Second-Year Writing, Oral Communication, Social Science, Arts, or Natural Sciences CAP components, but may double count with courses taken to satisfy other CAP components and/or courses taken in the student's major. |
| 9 | The course or experience is designed by faculty in each major; it may, or may not, be assigned credit hours. |
| Liberal Studies Curriculum | ||
| Creative and Performing Arts (May include CAP Arts) | 3 | |
| L2 Proficiency (Proficiency in a language other than English) 1 | 0-11 | |
| Literature (May include CAP Components) 3 | 3 | |
| Mathematics, excluding MTH 205 (Satisfies CAP Mathematics) | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences (Satisfies CAP Natural Science) | 11 | |
| Social Sciences (Includes CAP Social Science) | 12 | |
| Major Requirements 2 | ||
| HRS Core Curriculum | ||
| HRS 200 | Introduction to Human Rights | 3 |
| HRS 497 | Capstone Seminar in Human Rights Studies | 3 |
| PHL 371 | Philosophy & Human Rights | 3 |
| POL 333 | Politics of Human Rights | 3 |
| POL 334 | Politics of Human Rights II | 3 |
| POL 406 | International Law & Organization | 3 |
| REL 363 | Faith & Justice | 3 |
| SOC 371 | Sociology of Human Rights | 3 |
| Human Rights in US History - Chose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Americans and the Middle East | ||
| LGBTQ History: Comparative European and USA | ||
| American Gender & Women's History to 1870 | ||
| American Urban History | ||
| Race, Class, Gender: The History of American Labor | ||
| Global Immigration History | ||
| Native American History | ||
| African American History before 1877 | ||
| History of Blacks in the United States Since 1900 | ||
| Skills in Communication - Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Small Group Communication | ||
| Publication Design | ||
| Audio Production | ||
| Fundamentals of Video Production | ||
| Multimedia Design & Production I | ||
| Persuasion | ||
| Argumentation and Advocacy | ||
| Principles of Public Relations | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Communication & Conflict Management | ||
| Skills in Writing - Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Media Writing | ||
| Free Lance Writing | ||
| Scriptwriting for Media Production Platforms | ||
| Writing in Organizations | ||
| Report & Proposal Writing | ||
| Writing for the Web | ||
| Writing for Grants and Non-Profits | ||
| Grantwriting | ||
| Introduction to Legal Research, Writing & Analysis | ||
| Skills in Organization and Management - Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Public Administration | ||
| Leadership in Nongovernmental Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Accounting | ||
| Introduction to Financial Accounting | ||
| Survey of Business | ||
| Survey of Marketing | ||
| Leadership in Building Communities | ||
| Strategic Planning for Nonprofit & Community Organizations | ||
| NGO Management & Development | ||
| Nonprofit Financial Management | ||
| Research Methods - Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Research Methods in Communication | ||
| Historiography | ||
| Political Science Research Methods | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| Social Research Methods | ||
| Experiential Learning - Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Directed Research | ||
| Independent Study & Research | ||
| Internship | ||
| Senior Project Capstone | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| HRS Electives - Choose 3 courses from 3 different disciplines: | 9 | |
| CMM | ||
| Rhetoric of Social Movements | ||
| Religious Rhetoric in American Culture | ||
| SOC | ||
| Community Practice & Research | ||
| Perspectives on Education and Social Justice | ||
| Juvenile Justice | ||
| Law & Society | ||
| Racial & Ethnic Relations | ||
| Sex, Crime, and Law | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Sociology of Extremism | ||
| Immigration & Immigrants | ||
| ANT | ||
| Culture & Power | ||
| Language & Culture | ||
| Topics in Medical Anthropology | ||
| Place, Culture, and Social Justice | ||
| Immigration & Immigrants | ||
| SWK | ||
| Community Practice & Research | ||
| Social Services in the Health Field | ||
| Mental Health Services | ||
| International Social Work | ||
| Advocacy Practice in Social Work | ||
| Health and Inequality | ||
| POL | ||
| Political Issues | ||
| Morality Policy | ||
| Health Policy | ||
| Twentieth-Century Political Thought | ||
| Comparative Politics: Russia & the New States | ||
| Nationalism & Ethnopolitics | ||
| United Nations System: Theory and Practice | ||
| Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics | ||
| Disaster Policy & Administration | ||
| The Politics of International Economic Relations | ||
| Leadership in Building Communities | ||
| Civil Liberities | ||
| Political Violence | ||
| HST | ||
| Age of Democratic Revolutions | ||
| History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict | ||
| History of Africa - 19th Century to the Present | ||
| History of Transnational Feminism | ||
| U.S. Legal & Constitutional History II | ||
| History of South Africa: From Prehistory to Present | ||
| History of Blacks in the United States Since 1900 | ||
| REL | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Eastern Orthodoxy | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Judaism | ||
| Islam | ||
| Afro-Latin Religions | ||
| Peacebuilding | ||
| Liberation Theologies | ||
| Christian Ethics | ||
| The Holocaust: Theological & Religious Responses | ||
| PHL | ||
| Social Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Ethics of War | ||
| Philosophy of Peace | ||
| Comparative East-West Philosophy | ||
| Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Philosophy | ||
| Radical Philosophy | ||
| Marxist Philosophy | ||
| African Philosophy | ||
| Race, Gender and Philosophy | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| Values & Economics | ||
| WGS | ||
| Feminist Social Change | ||
| SEE | ||
| Sustainable Development Goals | ||
| PSY | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Forensic Psychology | ||
| Interviewing & Counseling | ||
| HSS | ||
| Community Nutrition | ||
| Food Justice | ||
| VAR | ||
| Art and Social Practice | ||
| SPN | ||
| Performing Human Rights in Latin/x America | ||
| THR | ||
| Social Justice & Dramatic Literature | ||
| Applied Theatre | ||
| ENG | ||
| Health Literacy and Social Justice | ||
| MPA | ||
| Nonprofit & Community Leadership | ||
| CJS | ||
| Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | ||
| ECO | ||
| Economic Development & Growth | ||
| English Literature - Choose one course from the following: 3 | 3 | |
| Literature for the Common Good | ||
| Social Justice & Dramatic Literature | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Gender and Fiction | ||
| American Indian Literature | ||
| US Prison Literature and Culture | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Literature & Human Rights | ||
| Appalachian Literature and Culture | ||
| US Latinx Literature | ||
| Total Hours | 54 | |
| Breadth | ||
| ASI 150 | Introduction to the University Experience | 1 |
| Total hours to total at least | 124 | |
| 1 | Majors must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language by passing a University proficiency examination or by completing a language course at the 141 level or higher with a minimum grade of C in one of the following languages: |
| 2 | May include CAP Components. |
| 3 | The English Literature requirement for the HRS major also satisfies the Literature requirement in the Liberal Studies Curriculum. |
Minor in Human Rights Studies (HRS)
The interdisciplinary minor in Human Rights Studies provides students an opportunity to address issues related to human rights from various disciplinary approaches. The universal nature of human rights issues may directly relate to a major, while in other cases this minor will provide an opportunity for broadening one's exposure to these important topics.
The Human Rights Studies minor requires 18 semester hours. It is recommended that the required course be taken in the sophomore year. Students should consult with the Director of Human Rights Studies to ensure that the courses selected from the elective pool display a significant degree of coherence. Courses taken from this minor may be applied to other minors and to breadth and general education requirements.
A minor in human rights studies consists of 15 semester hours of interdisciplinary instruction focused on contemporary understandings of human dignity, justice, and equality through legal, historical, philosophical, political, social, economic and/or religious perspectives. The minor requires 9 hours of foundational human rights courses and 6 hours of courses that explore the practical application of human rights, 3 of which can be completed through an experiential learning opportunity.
| Human Rights Studies (15 hours) | ||
| Introduction to Human Rights 1 | ||
or HRS 497 | Capstone Seminar in Human Rights Studies | |
| Human Rights Foundations (select two): | 6 | |
| Anthropology of Human Rights | ||
| Literature & Human Rights | ||
| History of Human Rights | ||
| Philosophy & Human Rights | ||
| Politics of Human Rights | ||
| Faith Traditions: Human Rights | ||
| Sociology of Human Rights | ||
| Human Rights Applied (select two): 1 | 6 | |
| CMM 356 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 |
| HSS 384 | Food Justice | 3 |
| POL 334 | Politics of Human Rights II | 3 |
| RCE 310 | Standing Rock: Sovereignty and Indigenous Rights | 3 |
| SEE 325 | Sustainable Development Goals | 3 |
| SWK 370 | Advocacy Practice in Social Work | 3 |
| THR 313 | Social Justice & Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| VAR 350 | Art and Social Practice | 3 |
| WGS 350 | Feminist Social Change | 3 |
| or WGS 351 | Global South Feminisms | |
| 1 | Students can enroll in HRS 497 if they have added the minor in junior or senior year. |
| 2 | Students can also complete 3 credit hours of experiential learning with permission of HRS Director to meet 3 of the 6 hours required in this category. |
Bachelor of Arts, Human Rights Studies
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ASI 150 | 1 | HST 103, PHL 103, or REL 103 (CAP Humanities Commons) | 3 |
| HST 103, PHL 103, or REL 103 (CAP Humanities Commons) | 3 | ENG 100 (CAP Humanities Commons) | 3 |
| HST 103, PHL 103, or REL 103 (CAP Humanities Commons) | 3 | ANT 150 (CAP Inquiry, Diversity and Social Justice; Intro Level Social Science) | 3 |
| MTH 114 or 207 (Satisfies CAP Mathematics)1 | 3 | HRS 200 | 3 |
| LNG 101 | 4 | LNG 141 | 4 |
| CMM 100 (CAP Communication) | 3 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 200 (CAP Writing Seminar) | 3 | Human Rights in US History (CAP Advanced Historical Studies) | 3 |
| POL 214 | 3 | REL 363 or 261 (CAP Faith Traditions) | 3 |
| SSC 200 | 3 | PHL 371 (CAP Advanced Philosophy or Religious Studies) | 3 |
| POL 207, SOC 208, CMM 412, or PSY 217 | 3 | Skills in Writing Course | 3 |
| LNG 201 (in any language)2 | 3 | INSS (CAP Natural Science with lab) | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| POL 333 | 3 | POL 334 | 3 |
| Experiential Learning Requirement | 3 | HRS Elective | 3 |
| Skills in Organizations and Management | 3 | HRS Elective | 3 |
| SOC 371 or ANT 325 (Social Science Elective) | 3 | Skills in Communication | 3 |
| CAP Arts, Creative and Performing | 3 | INSS (CAP Natural Science with lab) | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HRS 497 | 3 | INSS (CAP Natural Science) | 3 |
| POL 406 | 3 | CAP Integrative | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | CAP Practical Ethic Action3 | 3 |
| CAP Advanced Philosophy, Religious Studies or Faith Traditions | 3 | HRS Elective | 3 |
| Literature | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 125 | |||
| 1 | MTH 207 is the strong preference. |
| 2 | Students can also take a context course, many of which also count as an HRS elective. |
| 3 | Some CAP requirements may be fulfilled through the major, especially with HRS electives. |