Centers, Clinics and Institutes
American University
Boston College
Boston University
California State University, Long Beach
Case Western Reserve University
City University of New York
Clark University
Columbia University
Cornell University
DePaul University College of Law
Duke University
Emory University
Florida State University
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Harvard University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Johns Hopkins University
Kean University
London School of Economics and Political Science
McGill University
New York University School of Law
New York University Stern School of Business
Northwestern University
Notre Dame University
Regent University
Rutgers University- Newark
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
Stanford University
SUNY Buffalo
Trinity College
Tufts University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine Law School
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Cambridge
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Dayton
University of Essex
University of Graz
University of Iowa
University of London School of Advanced Study
University of Miami School of Law
University of Minnesota
University of North Dakota
University of Nottingham
University of Peace
University of San Diego
University of Southern California
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Texas at Austin
University of Virginia School of Law
University of Warwick
University of Washington
University of Winnipeg Global College
University of Wyoming
University of York
Vermont Law School
Yale University
Yeshiva University- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Washington, D.C.
American University
Type of program: M.A. in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs or Graduate Certificate in Peacebuilding or LL.M. in International Legal Studies or LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
M.A. in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs: American University’s MA in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs (EPGA) offers an ethical response to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Founded as part of an effort to deepen the ethical context for international studies, the purpose of this interdisciplinary program is to prepare students broadly in the practical application of ethical theory and policy analysis to complex issues in global affairs.
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Graduate Certificate in Peacebuilding: The certificate includes three concentrations-conflict resolution, conflict and development, and human rights-corresponding to summer institutes. Institute courses cover both theory (concepts, models) and practice (analytical and behavioral skills) necessary for professional practitioners. Students must complete at least one summer institute to fulfill the requirements of the certificate.
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LL.M. in International Legal Studies: With over 190 students from 63 countries, the International Legal Studies Program at the American University Washington College of Law is one of the most intellectually and culturally diverse programs in the nation. The program incorporates a rich array of international law courses and seminars, experiential learning, and special events which allow our students to interact and network with esteemed faculty, international attorneys, diplomats, business leaders, and policy makers.
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LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law: The LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is currently the only program in the United States to offer a hybrid program of its kind in a U.S. law school. This unique hybrid program, with online and residential course components, is designed for practitioners and other human rights advocates who wish to pursue advanced studies in international human rights law and humanitarian law alongside their existing work responsibilities.
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Boston, MA
Boston College
Type of program: Graduate Certificate in Human Rights
The Graduate Certificate in Human Rights is pursued in conjunction with a graduate or professional degree at Boston College, such as a J.D., M.Ed., or Ph.D. Successful completion of the rigorous and interdisciplinary curriculum certifies the student’s training in an area of human rights and international justice. The program nurtures a new generation of scholars and practitioners in the United States and abroad who draw upon the strengths of many disciplines, and the wisdom of rigorous ethical training in the attainment of human rights and international justice.
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Boston, MA
Boston University
Type of program: M.P.H. Concentration in Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights
The Master of Public Health degree program, with a concentration in health law, bioethics & human rights, provides foundational instruction in public health law, which students may complement with advanced studies in bioethics or human rights. This concentration is appropriate for those who plan to work in government agencies, health care institutions, advocacy groups, and nongovernmental organizations, and, for those who pursue further education, it provides a foundation for specialized academic training in law, ethics, or human rights.
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Long Beach, CA
California State University, Long Beach
Type of program: Global Studies Institute
Today’s employers are looking not only for students with strong analytical reasoning, critical thinking, writing and communication skills, but those with a firm knowledge of current global issues as well as their implications for the future. The Global Studies Institute is founded on the premise that students graduating from all of CSULB’s diverse programs will have been sensitized and exposed to global issues. Its mission is to incentivize, infuse, and serve as a conduit for international curricular and co-curricular innovations throughout campus.
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Cleveland, OH
Case Western Reserve University
Type of program: Frederick K. Cox International Law Center
Ranked 11th in the nation, the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center was established in 1991 through a multi-million endowment from the George Gund Foundation. Case Western Reserve University School of Law holds worldwide prominence for the strength of its international law program. We are routinely ranked among the top international law programs in the U.S. News & World Report survey of international law professors. Through our faculty and alumni networks, rich and innovative curriculum, international conference and distinguished lecture series, experiential labs and clinics, semester-long externships and summer internships, and study abroad programs, Case Western Reserve uniquely prepares students for, and helps them attain employment in, the exciting field of international law.
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New York, NY
City University of New York
Type of program: Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies or CUNY Institute for Health Equity
Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies: The Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies advances social justice and human dignity in an interdisciplinary fashion through the active involvement of faculty, students, and community in research and teaching. The Center builds on Lehman College’s unique history: the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights began at Lehman College when the United Nations met at the College. Lehman College students, often immigrants and the first in their families to access higher education, engender a broad understanding of human rights. The Center unites student and faculty engagement on local and global rights issues in New York and the greater world community.
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CUNY Institute for Health Equity: The City University of New York (CUNY) Institute for Health Equity is a CUNY-wide institute that coordinates research, teaching, service and community collaboration to eliminate health inequalities and promote health in complex urban settings. We are currently in the process of evaluating and defining our mission and strategic plan led by a distinguished group of faculty from across the City University of New York with community collaborators and advisory board members. Click to learn more.
Worcester, MA
Clark University
Type of program: B.A. in International Development, Community, and Environment or Concentration in Peace Studies
B.A. in International Development, Community, and Environment: At IDCE students learn how to address complex problems and build community while managing resources wisely. In the classroom and in the field, IDCE students develop critical analytical skills, explore linkages between local and global perspectives, and focus on the human and ecological dimensions of sustainability. The major forces of social change — grass roots initiatives, social movements, government policy, market approaches, entrepreneurship, technological innovation, individual action, and education — form the core of our transdisciplinary studies.
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Concentration in Peace Studies: Peace is not simply the absence of war. It is also the presence of justice and equality that ensures basic necessities of life are met. It involves the elimination of violence, oppression, greed and environmental destruction by the constructive mediation of conflicts. As a student concentrating in peace studies, you will examine the contexts in which conflict occurs: between individuals, in communities and organizations, and within societies and between states, and how conflict can lead to constructive change rather than violence.
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New York, NY
Columbia University
Type of Program: Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP)
Founded in 1989, the Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) is a unique and successful model of human rights capacity building. HRAP capitalizes on its affiliation with Columbia University and its location in New York City to provide grassroots leaders the tools, knowledge, access, and networks to promote the realization of human rights and strengthen their respective organizations. HRAP’s comprehensive program of advocacy, networking, skills-building, and academic coursework provides advocates the opportunity to hone practical skills, develop a deeper understanding of human rights, and foster mutually beneficial relationships with organizations and individuals in their respective fields.
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Ithaca, NY
Cornell University
Type of program: M.A. in Public Administration
At the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), we educate the public policy leaders of tomorrow. We offer a remarkably flexible but challenging academic curriculum, blended with substantial hands-on, practical experience. Some of our Fellows are focused on food security issues. Others are dedicated to studying environmental policy. Still others wish to develop the necessary skills to manage a government or nonprofit organization, to shape the future of science and technology, or to enter the world of international development.
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Chicago, IL
DePaul University College of Law
Type of program: International Human Rights Law Institute
DePaul University College of Law challenges and enlightens students by placing the highest priority on innovative programs of instruction that include both traditional classroom theory and professional skills training. We are distinguished by our highly successful centers and institutes, which emphasize collaborative learning among students and faculty in advancing the law and serving justice. Located in a vibrant urban environment, the College of Law brings together students, faculty, staff and alumni committed to serving the public and the legal profession in ways that enhance the social, economic, cultural and ethical values in the broader community.
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Durham, NC
Duke University
Type of program: B.A. in Public Policy
A major in public policy studies aims to teach students how to make a difference in the complex policy issues of today. Rigorous coursework provides students skills in political and economic analysis, knowledge about how to lead people and organizations, and a strong ethical foundation for decision-making. As a liberal arts major, public policy studies teaches students to read critically, think analytically, and write concisely. A policy-oriented internship is a required part of the curriculum.
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Atlanta, GA
Emory University
Type of program: LL.M. in Human Rights Law or Graduate Certificate in Human Rights
LL.M. in Human Rights Law: The LLM concentration in human rights law offers students the opportunity to explore the theory and practice of human rights law in the national and/or international context. Students enrolled in this concentration must complete the required courses and a substantial dissertation. In view of the broad scope and interdisciplinary nature of the human rights field, students will be able to complete their required credit hours by selecting from a wide range of courses at Emory Law.
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Graduate Certificate in Human Rights: Human rights are inherently interdisciplinary. The Emory Graduate Certificate in Human Rights is an integrated, innovative, and cooperative approach to human rights scholarship and training. The certificate combines the teaching and research strength of Emory University with the applied programs of our professional partners, including CARE USA, The Carter Center, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among others. The Certificate is open to students in all of Emory’s professional schools.
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Tallahassee, FL
Florida State University
Type of program: Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
The Center for the Advancement of Human Rights (CAHR) welcomes those who would like to learn about human rights issues and explore possibilities for human rights advocacy. The issuance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 began what some have termed “The Human Rights Revolution.” Since that time, the human rights movement has become a global phenomenon, challenging people and governments everywhere to guarantee the basic rights of all the world’s citizens. As part of that Human Rights Revolution, Florida State University in 2000 established the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights.
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Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Type of program: M.A. in Transnational Justice, Executive Masters or LL.M.
The Geneva Academy provides post-graduate education, conducts academic legal research and policy studies, and organizes training courses and expert meetings. We concentrate on branches of international law that relate to situations of armed conflict, protracted violence, and protection of human rights. Our scientific research focuses on clarifying IHL, strengthening human rights protection, and developing the areas of complementarity between international humanitarian law and international human rights law. In these areas, the Geneva Academy makes a specific contribution to policy development and debate, in government and among scholars and practitioners.
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Cambridge, MA
Harvard University
Type of program: Harvard Law School Human Rights Program
The Human Rights Program seeks to inspire and offer guidance to international human rights learning, scholarship, and research at Harvard Law School. Founded by Professor Emeritus Henry Steiner in 1984, the program helps students, advocates, and scholars deepen and disseminate their knowledge of human rights. In advancing discussions and critical reflection on human rights, the academic program helps build a community of scholars and practitioners at Harvard Law School and beyond. LL.M. Concentration in Human Rights is also offered.
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Bloomington, IL
Illinois Wesleyan University
Type of program: Center for Human Rights and Social Justice
The Center for Human Rights and Social Justice supports campus initiatives related to human rights and social justice, which play a prominent role in the mission and curriculum of Illinois Wesleyan University. These initiatives include: Peace Fellows Program; Scholars at Risk Advocacy Seminar; Human Rights Undergraduate Research Workshop; Annual Course Cluster. In addition, the CHRSJ sponsors prominent guest speakers and summer internships, and provides information about the graduate programs and prospective NGO opportunities in the human rights field.
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Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University
Type of program: Certificate in Health and Human Rights
The Certificate Program in Health and Human Rights is designed to: Increase understanding and foster positive attitudes among health professionals regarding the key linkages among human rights ideals, legal guarantees of human rights, and the promotion and protection of public health; Elaborate and explain details regarding the vital roles of health professionals in promoting human rights, especially the right to health, and building a “culture” of human rights; Build familiarity with international human rights standards, instruments, and the numerous state-based and international laws related to human rights, especially those that impact upon the health of populations and individuals; Introduce some skills needed to investigate, analyze, and document abuses of human rights as they relate to health and public health practice.
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Union, NJ
Kean University
Type of program: Human Rights Institute
The Human Rights Institute (HRI) at Kean University broadens the university’s longstanding efforts to promote the awareness of human rights issues and violations across the globe, and to develop initiatives designed to help eradicate these atrocities and their root causes. As the leader in teacher education in New Jersey, Kean University is well positioned to make a significant impact through our network of educators in shaping the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders at an impressionable age. The HRI’s groundbreaking work is recognized as a major regional and national resource for developing curricula, seminars and other materials aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance across ethnic, racial, religious and other barriers and inspiring action.
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London, England
London School of Economics and Political Science
Type of program: Centre for the Study of Human Rights
The Centre for the Study of Human Rights at LSE is a trans-disciplinary centre of excellence for international academic research, teaching and critical scholarship on human rights. The Centre is a place that attracts world-class academics and outstanding scholars, and one that has been home to highly-qualified and committed students from across the world and from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The Centre is a place for academics, policy-makers and practitioners to engage with robust academic research that strengthens knowledge, analysis and understanding of contemporary human rights issues, including social, economic and political issues related to human rights.
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Quebec, Canada
McGill University
Type of program: Centre for Human Rights & Legal Pluralism
The Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism is a focal point for innovative legal and interdisciplinary research, dialogue and outreach on issues of human rights and legal pluralism. The Centre’s mission is to provide students, professors and the wider community with a locus of intellectual and physical resources for engaging critically with how law impacts upon some of the compelling social problems of our modern era.
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New York, NY
New York University School of Law
Type of program: Center for Human Rights and Global Justice
The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) is the hub of human rights study at New York University School of Law, the top-ranked program for international law in the country and one of the premier law schools in the world. CHRGJ’s location in New York – home of the United Nations and of many human rights NGOs – puts us in a unique position to be at the physical and conceptual intersection of human rights scholarship and practice. Having built a reputation for our academic and clinical work in an array of human rights subjects – including counter-terrorism; corporate abuses; caste discrimination; gender-based violence; economic, social, and cultural rights; and extrajudicial executions – CHRGJ is redefining its position at the crossroads of advocacy and scholarship.
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New York, NY
New York University Stern School of Business
Type of program: Center for Business and Human Rights
The Center takes on the most pressing issues at the intersection of business and human rights. Global companies are central players in either improving or eroding respect for human rights. This is especially true when they operate in states with weak institutions and rule of law. In each aspect of our work, our focus is on how companies address human rights challenges in their core business operations. We start from the premise that sector-specific approaches to improve human rights make companies more sustainable, predictable, and profitable over the long term.
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Evanston, IL
Northwestern University
Type of program: J.D. or LL.M. in International Human Rights
Northwestern Law and its Center for International Human Rights offers a four-year joint degree program leading to both a JD and an LLM in International Human Rights, with a focus on both international human rights law and international criminal law. Northwestern Law remains the only law school in the country to offer a joint JD-LLM in International Human Rights (JD-LLM IHR) program. Students enrolled in the JD-LLM IHR program will receive a thorough grounding in the norms and mechanisms of international human rights law and international criminal law. A distinctive feature of the new program will be the requirement that students complete a semester-long externship with one of a number of designated international and hybrid criminal tribunals, foreign supreme courts, and international human rights organizations.
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South Bend, IN
Notre Dame University
Type of program: Supplementary Major or Minor in Peace Studies
The Kroc Institute’s undergraduate program welcomes any student at the University of Notre Dame or Saint Mary’s College who is interested in peace, justice, human rights, and the future of the globe. The program empowers students to be effective citizens with knowledge and understanding of critical world issues; strengthens students’ skills in research, writing, conflict resolution, strategic peacebuilding and nonviolent social change; and challenges students to think and act in new ways, putting principles of social justice to work in making a difference to the world.
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Virginia Beach, VA
Regent University
Type of program: LL.M. in Human Rights or M.A. in Law with a Concentration in Human Rights
LL.M. in Human Rights: Regent Law’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a concentration in Human Rights provides an advanced understanding of international, regional, and domestic human rights protection and promotion from a biblical perspective. This human rights degree is ideal for students with a passion for change who want to combine their legal education and Christian values to make a lasting difference.
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M.A. in Law with a Concentration in Human Rights: Gain the tools you need to seek justice and serve as an advocate for those who are oppressed and vulnerable in the United States and around the world. Focused on the rule of law and grounded in a Christian foundation, the Human Rights concentration blends essential legal insights with practical application and policy discourse, giving you comprehensive knowledge of human rights, abuses and on-going litigation.
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Newark, NJ
Rutgers University- Newark
Type of program: Center for the Study of Genocide, Conflict Resolution, and Human Rights
Human rights concepts, institutions, and mechanisms have emerged as one of the key safeguards of the modern era. The Human Rights and Humanitarianism Program seeks to enhance our understanding of human rights while actively linking theory and practice. Accordingly, the program has a fourfold goal: advancing scholarship and research on human rights, promoting human rights educational programming, and providing students with the opportunity to turn theory into practice through living-learning community experiences.
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San Diego, CA
San Diego State University
Type of program: B.A. or Minor in LGBTQ Studies
San Diego State University is only the second college or university in North America to have a major in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Studies, beginning in January 2012. SDSU has also had a minor in LGBT Studies since fall 2009, and now has a Graduate-Level Certificate in LGBT Studies. LGBT Studies is an interdisciplinary program, not affiliated with any one department. Courses offered include LGBT literature, history of sexuality, media and sexuality, psychology of human sexual behavior, sexuality in modern society, valuing human diversity, lesbian lives and cultures, among many others.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco State University
Type of program: Minor in World Development Studies
The field of world development studies looks at the comprehensive transformations that have been brought to human societies across the globe by the spread of the industrial revolution. Approximately one-third of the world’s population enjoys a higher material standard of living due to industrialization, whereas two-thirds are in relative poverty. The likelihood, means, and consequences of closing this gap provide the central foci of world development studies. Since this social transformation affects all aspects of human existence, all of the social science disciplines devote important efforts to understanding it. Though the minor is not intended as a complete career preparation, it certainly serves as an introduction to a growing career field.
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Pablo Alto, CA
Stanford University
Type of Program: Undergraduate Human Rights Fellowship
In partnership with the Program on Human Rights, a Human Rights Fellowship program has been launched. These fellowships, which are offered only to Stanford undergraduates, are intended to enable students to make a valuable contribution to human rights theory and practice. Offered to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, grants will be given to four undergraduates who will partner with human rights organizations, government agencies, NGOs, or international organizations (either here or abroad).
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Buffalo, NY
SUNY Buffalo
Type of program: Buffalo Human Rights Center
As the focal point for human rights work at the School of Law, the Buffalo Human Rights Center fosters coursework, research, scholarship and direct engagement in human rights among faculty and students. Providing direction and vision to the study and practice of international human rights law, it is conceived on the premise that scholarship and action are inseparable. Throughout the year, the center also organizes speakers, conferences, films and symposia with leading human rights thinkers and practitioners.
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Hartford, CT
Trinity College
Type of program: Center for Human Rights
The Center for Human Rights provides research and educational opportunities for the integration of biblical principles and international human rights laws. The Center provides a forum for students and faculty to explore the nature of God and man, as well as the rights, duties and obligations that flow from that relationship. The Center supports the Human Rights courses taught at Trinity Law School, funds Research Fellowships, and organizes and promotes international and domestic Human Rights programs.
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Medford, MA
Tufts University
Type of program: B.A. or Certificate in Peace and Justice Studies
The primary goal of the PJS program is the development of students’ knowledge and competencies in fields that contribute towards peace and social transformation. PJS was founded to provide students an academic means to integrate an understanding of the many crises facing the world and to encourage involvement in nonviolent attempts to build a world of peace and justice. Education, particularly higher education, offers a valuable setting for creating peace and justice through study and active involvement in social change processes. PJS is dedicated to working to provide a university-wide forum for the discussion of these issues.
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Berkeley, CA
University of California, Berkeley
Type of program: B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies
The ISF houses a research-driven program of liberal education. It is a problem-based program, not a discipline. It offers motivated students the unique opportunity to develop an individualized cross-disciplinary Research Program that includes a Course of Study and a Senior Thesis. The Course of Study is made up of courses taken in the social sciences, the humanities, and/or the professional schools and colleges, alongside the required courses in ISF.
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Irvine, CA
University of California, Irvine Law School
Type of program: Immigrant Rights Clinic or International Human Rights Clinic or International Justice Clinic
Immigrants Rights Clinic: The Immigrant Rights Clinic represents individuals and organizations on critical issues affecting low-income immigrants in the region. Students work under the close supervision of experienced clinical faculty to provide pro bono resources on a range of legal issues, from detention and deportation matters to workplace exploitation and the protection of civil and constitutional rights of immigrants. Clinic students litigate on behalf of clients in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. They develop traditional lawyering skills, such as client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation, legal drafting and trial presentation. In addition, modern legal practice demands problem-solving methods beyond those skills.
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International Human Rights Clinic: The International Human Rights Clinic involves students in international and domestic litigation designed to enforce international human rights norms and establish precedents for future litigation. The primary goals of the litigation are to use international human rights norms within the U.S. legal system and to address international human rights violations committed by U.S. actors.
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International Justice Clinic: The students in the International Justice Clinic work with activists, lawyers, diplomats, scholars and NGOs at home and around the world to develop and implement advocacy strategies concerning accountability for violations of human rights law. Clinic students pursue research, engage in on-the-ground fact finding, conduct interviews in cross-cultural settings and prepare written and oral reports of their findings. Students focus on oral and written advocacy, coalition building, legal research and legislative drafting.
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Los Angeles, CA
University of California, Los Angeles
Type of program: B.A. in International Development Studies or Minor in Public Affairs
B.A in International Development Studies: This Bachelor of Arts degree is designed for students interested in careers or vocations requiring an understanding of the diverse development experiences of the world. IDS students’ educational experiences are balanced between applied, field case-study learning and theoretical, conceptual knowledge. We believe strongly that these two types of learning are inseparable, and are useful for work in academia, government agencies, private industry, or non-governmental and non-profit organizations.
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Minor in Public Affairs: Applied public policy is an increasingly important element of any modern education. The Minor in Public Affairs complements a liberal arts or science major through a systematic examination of a broad range of public policy issues, mainly through the analysis of specific social, political and economic problems addressed by each of the three departments in the School of Public Affairs: Social Welfare, Urban Planning, and Public Policy.
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Cambridge, England
University of Cambridge
Type of program: Centre of Governance and Human Rights
POLIS launched the Centre of Governance and Human Rights in late 2009 as an outward focused multi-disciplinary research endeavor strongly committed to advancing thought and practice within areas of critical importance to global justice and human well-being in the twenty-first century. The Centre aims to be widely valued as a dynamic, innovative and collaborative research network with proven expertise in core thematic areas, that produces high quality scholarly outputs drawn upon by the academy as well as policymakers and practitioners.
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Chicago, IL
University of Chicago
Type of program: Minor in History
Students specializing in all disciplines are welcome to minor in history. Majors in global studies, political science, public policies, economics, and philosophy find that a history minor provides a historical understanding of social, cultural, political and economic issues. You may choose to take courses in a variety of fields, time periods, and thematic topics, with the aim of developing a broad understanding of historical change across time and space, or you may choose to focus on a specifically defined field of interest.
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Cincinnati, OH
University of Cincinnati School of Law
Type of program: Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights
For three decades, the Urban Morgan Institute has educated and trained human rights lawyers, who promote and protect human rights in the international arena. Established at the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1979, the Institute now serves as a model for many other human rights programs. The Urban Morgan Institute offers many opportunities, both inside the classroom and beyond, for students who are interested in international law and human rights.
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Storrs-Mansfield, CT
University of Connecticut School of Law
Type of program: Asylum and Human Rights Clinic
In the Asylum and Human Rights Clinic, law students handle every aspect of representation in high-stakes cases that determine whether a client who has fled political, religious or other persecution in his or her home country will be granted asylum in the United States. In this intensive, one-semester program, students develop their legal skills and learn to exercise professional responsibility and judgment. They deepen their understanding of human rights issues while providing an essential service to clients desperately in need of representation.
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Dayton, OH
University of Dayton
Type of program: Human Rights Center
The University of Dayton Human Rights Center creates positive change through research, education and dialogue. As a leader in the global human rights community, we search for transformative solutions to systemic patterns of injustice that will bring about real change in the lives of poor people. We are committed to addressing the gap between theory and practice, between scholars and practitioners. Advocates need information to be able to develop evidence-based strategies that bring about real change. We provide this research as we build on the legacy of the University’s innovative Human Rights Studies Program and Catholic social tradition.
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Essex, England
University of Essex
Type of program: Human Rights Centre
Established in 1982, the University of Essex Human Rights Centre enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence, and our 2000 graduates – known as the ‘Essex mafia’ – work to promote and protect human rights around the world. We established the first postgraduate course in international human rights law in the UK in 1983, and we were amongst the first to introduce an expanded suite of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the early years of the new millennium. Through our research and practice, we influence and set human rights agendas and make concrete differences at the international, regional, and national level. Through our education we produce the next generation of human rights leaders throughout the world.
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Graz, Austria
University of Graz
Type of program: European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy of the University Graz (UNI-ETC)
The European Training- and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy at the University of Graz (Uni-ETC) was established in 2009. Located at the Faculty of Law of the University of Graz, it is active in interdisciplinary research, teaching and science-to-public activities in human rights. The Centre is a clearing-house for human rights at the University of Graz and hosts the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Human Security.
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Iowa City, IA
University of Iowa
Type of program: Center for Human Rights
Affiliated with the University of Iowa’s College of Law, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR) has as its mission the promotion and protection of human rights at home and abroad through distinguished multidisciplinary leadership in human rights research, education, and public service to The University of Iowa, its surrounding communities, the State of Iowa, and beyond. To this end, it attends to all categories of human rights, including “first generation” civil and political rights, but gives special attention to “second generation” economic, social, and cultural rights and “third generation” community or group rights.
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London, England
University of London School of Advanced Study
Type of program: Institute of Commonwealth Studies- Human Rights Consortium
he Human Rights Consortium (HRC) was established in 2009 to facilitate and promote research in human rights in the UK and internationally. The HRC’s mission focuses on enhancing the promotion of the human rights research and related activities of scholars nationally and internationally. It aims to build upon the existing successes, networks and expertise of the School Members’ Institutes and develop a particular forum of discipline-focused human-rights-led activities that would both benefit both the Institutes’ strategies and the School as a whole.
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Coral Gables, FL
University of Miami School of Law
Type of program: Human Rights Clinic
The Human Rights Clinic, which launched in January 2011, exposes students to the practice of law in the international and cross-cultural context of human rights litigation and advocacy at the local, national, and international levels. In the classroom, students critically engage with human rights law and contemporary social problems while honing their lawyering and advocacy skills. Outside the classroom, students gain hands-on experience working on cutting-edge human rights projects and cases before the United Nations, the Inter-American human rights system, U.S. courts, and in other fora.
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Minneapolis, MN
University of Minnesota
Type of program: Master of Public Affairs
The Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree program is geared toward mid-career professionals who want to advance their skills in public and nonprofit leadership, management, and policy analysis at the local, state, national, or global level. Designed to stimulate personal and professional growth through concentrated work with dedicated peers, the MPA allows students to design a program that works best for them and their goals.
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Grand Forks, ND
University of North Dakota
Type of program: Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies
The University of North Dakota (UND) Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies (CHARGES) has its origins in projects dedicated to preserving and making available to the public archives related to massive human rights violations. CHARGES has been working as a multidisciplinary program to facilitate research and teaching across disciplines at UND. In particular, CHARGES has worked to increase human rights course offerings on campus and raise awareness regarding existing courses. Currently, CHARGES is in the process creating a special cross-disciplinary course for UND’s Honor’s Program.
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Nottingham, England
University of Nottingham
Type of program: Human Rights Law Centre
The Human Rights Law Centre is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and the establishment and strengthening of the rule of law worldwide. It carries out its work by means of research, training, publications and capacity building. It collaborates with governments, intergovernmental organizations, academics, students and civil society, and has implemented programmes worldwide. Since its establishment in 1993, the Centre’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and the establishment and strengthening of the rule of law has grown to accommodate the key human rights challenges experienced in our increasingly globalized world.
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San José Province, Ciudad Colón, Costa Rica
University of Peace
Type of program: Centre for Human Rights
The Human Rights Centre of the United Nations mandated University for Peace is offering its successful Professional Development Diploma in Human Rights and Forced Displacement, courses for which can be taken entirely online. This Diploma, aimed at professionals seeking training for career development, can be obtained upon successful completion of the following five online courses offered in the programme.
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San Diego, CA
University of San Diego
Type of Program: Woman PeaceMakers Program
We believe that strengthening collaborations between expert “insiders” to these conflicts — specifically women peacemakers — and “outsiders” supporting peace efforts, can transform how we do peacebuilding. The Women PeaceMakers Program offers a unique, 10-month fellowship focused on strengthening and improving peace efforts around the world through building an engaged community of peacemakers from conflict-affected communities and international peace partners looking to enhance their ability to end cycles of violence.
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Los Angeles, CA
University of Southern California
Type of program: Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
The Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership is a three year degree program designed for working professionals who aspire to be educational leaders. Students strengthen their skills for leading groups in high-performing schools, districts, universities, and other organizations and connecting relevant research with practice. Candidates for this program must have earned a master’s degree and have at least three to five years of work experience in a related field.
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Hattiesburg, MS
University of Southern Mississippi
Type of program: Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties
The Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties at the University of Southern Mississippi is founded to advance the principle of “liberty and justice for all,” both here and abroad. The Center is committed to excellence in education and in preparing its students to translate classroom knowledge into action in a variety of careers in the public and private sectors. The Center’s faculty is devoted to providing an academic home for an interdisciplinary minor in human rights and civil liberties.
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Austin, TX
University of Texas at Austin
Type of program: Center for Women’s & Gender Studies or Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice
Center for Women’s and Gender Studies: The mission of the Center for Women’s & Gender Studies is to create committed communities that address the challenges faced in the areas of gender, sexuality, diversity, and equity. We recognize that ending gender discrimination requires ending the related discriminations against disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, sexuality, and socioeconomic class. We foster communities of scholars, teachers and advocates inside and outside The University of Texas at Austin through interdisciplinary research, undergraduate and graduate teaching, social advocacy, and community partnerships.
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Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice: The Rapoport Center’s mission is to serve as a focal point for critical, interdisciplinary analysis and practice of human rights and social justice. Lawyers and law students work side by side with scholars and practitioners across disciplines that include anthropology, sociology, government, fine arts, and public policy. The Center’s motto is “Partners for Change at the Intersection of Academics and Advocacy,” representing its unique position as an academic center that not only works across disciplines, but also collaborates with communities outside the academy with the aim of producing innovative and enduring change in the lives of marginalized individuals and groups.
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Charlottesville, VA
University of Virginia School of Law
Type of program: Human Rights Program
Protecting human rights is the foundation of law. The Human Rights Program at the University of Virginia allows students to explore the range of opportunities available in the human rights field, at home and abroad, through hands-on experiences. The program is the hub for human rights activities at the Law School, and cooperates with student groups, faculty members, the Public Service Center and Career Services, and human rights organizations to coordinate speakers, events, summer and postgraduate employment, and pro bono opportunities.
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Coventry, UK
University of Warwick
Type of program: Centre for Human Rights in Practice
The Centre for Human Rights in Practice was created in 2006 to provide a focus for academics, students, practitioners and activists who wish to advance the study and promotion of human rights at local, national and international levels. The Centre sponsors a variety of projects, including Writing Wrongs; Human Rights, Equality and Public Spending Cuts; International Economic Governance and Human Rights; Protest; Human Rights Education; European Human Rights and Access to Justice.
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Seattle, WA
University of Washington
Type of program: Center for Human Rights
The University of Washington Center for Human Rights is committed to interdisciplinary excellence in the education of undergraduate and graduate students in the field of human rights; promoting human rights as a core area of faculty and graduate research; and engaging productively with local, regional, national, and international organizations and policymakers to advance respect for human rights. Everything the program does is conducted through partnership with organizations on the front lines of global human rights struggles. The Center places the resources of the university at the service of real-world social change, and we evaluate our success in terms of practical accomplishments for justice.
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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
University of Winnipeg Global College
Type of program: Institute for International Women’s Rights or Ridd Institute for Religion & Global Policy or Spring & Summer Institutes
Institute for International Women’s Rights: The Institute for International Women’s Rights provides opportunities for research, learning, dialogue, and action on Women’s Rights in collaboration with groups and organizations within the university, such as the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, and in the larger community, such as the Winnipeg branch of UNIFEM.
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Ridd Institute for Religion & Global Policy: In keeping with the foundational principles of The Global College of The University of Winnipeg, The Ridd Institute for Religion and Global Policy is a nexus in which the academy, policy makers and the community may converge and engage in research, action and dialogue to “mend the world.” In its 7 year history, the Ridd Institute has made substantial contributions to the life of the University and the wider community, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
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Spring and Summer Institutes: This intensive jump start course is designed to introduce students, in a range of disciplines and students entering university, to challenges and opportunities in global to local human rights, by cultivating foundational skills for academic success. In both classroom and community settings, students explore global issues using the city as our human rights ‘campus’ through current news items, literature, and social analysis from diverse perspectives, shaped by research expertise in Global College.
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Laramie, WY
University of Wyoming
Type of program: Center for International Human Rights Law & Advocacy
The Center for International Human Rights Law & Advocacy at the University of Wyoming College of Law provides opportunities for students to engage with global human rights issues. Since the Center’s founding in August 2010, Wyoming students have represented individuals fleeing persecution in asylum proceedings, promoted the rights of women and girls in Mozambique and Cambodia, and advised lawmakers in Uganda on best practices relating to oil governance, among other projects. The Center facilitates internship opportunities, coordinates speakers, and houses the law school’s international experiential learning program. The Center also incorporates course offerings at the College of Law, including: International Human Rights Law, Public International Law and Immigration Law.
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York, England
University of York
Type of program: Centre for Applied Human Rights
The Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) is an interdisciplinary research and teaching centre. It is a friendly community of scholars and visiting practitioners who have a shared focus on the real world challenges of putting human rights into practice and protecting human rights defenders at risk. A focus on human rights defending and defenders shapes all the Centre’s work. The Centre is both genuinely interdisciplinary and committed to practice. The work of the Centre is international in breadth and draws on the University of York’s rich tradition of rigorous and engaged scholarship in the fields of development, post-war reconstruction, public policy, public health, disability rights, gender and women’s rights, environmental issues, and refugee law.
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South Royalton, VT
Vermont Law School
Type of program: Center for Applied Human Rights
The Center for Applied Human Rights at Vermont Law School provides opportunities for research and advocacy training on cutting-edge issues in human rights law and policy. The Center also serves as a focal point for human rights-related events at the law school. Students who work as Human Rights Fellows hone their skills and deepen their understanding of international law as they engage in projects for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) under the supervision of Professor Stephanie Farrior. Through hands-on learning experience, students gain exposure to real-world issues of human rights theory and practice, interact directly with international organizations and grassroots rights advocates, and build their professional network.
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New Haven, CT
Yale University
Type of program: M.A. in Global Affairs
The Master of Advanced Study (M.A.S.) in Global Affairs is a one year program for mid-career professionals. Created in 2013, the program is small by design, with only a few admitted students each year. The M.A.S. is aimed at professionals with extensive experience in a field of global affairs such as, but not limited to, international security, diplomacy, and development.
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New York, NY
Yeshiva University- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Type of program: Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights
The Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights is at the forefront of strengthening laws, norms and institutions to prevent mass atrocities by using a systematic 3-part strategy: prevent, protect, and rebuild. Today, the Institute maintains its original purpose while expanding to meet complex and ever-evolving challenges in mass atrocity prevention and response. Remembering the Holocaust demands being responsive to the future world. With compassion for victims of the Holocaust and mass atrocities, we are dedicated to “paying it forward.” Maturing from a scholarly program into an institute with practical tools, we implement change to prevent and respond to mass atrocities.
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