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Human Rights and Humanitarianism Interdepartmental Concentration

This concentration provides students an opportunity to engage in the interdisciplinary study of human rights and humanitarianism. The objectives of the concentration are to cultivate in students: (a) a familiarity with major developments in the history of human rights and humanitarianism; (b) an understanding of the institutional frameworks governing human rights and humanitarianism, including international law, international organizations, civil society movements, etc.; (c) an understanding of the theoretical and philosophical debates about the meanings of human rights and humanitarianism; (d) a capacity to understand and evaluate practical debates over the methods, motivations, and consequences of human rights and humanitarian action, including but not limited to questions of policy-making, fieldwork, and media and artistic representation; (e) a familiarity with a range of current and past global (including local, national, and international) human rights problems.

Given that students and faculty approach the study of human rights and humanitarianism from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, the program permits students to complete this concentration in conjunction with a wide array of majors. The program promotes breadth by requiring that students complete courses in more than one department.

Human Rights and Humanitarianism Interdepartmental Concentration

Structure of the Concentration

A concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarianism consists of five (5) courses selected from two lists of courses: Framework Courses and Specialized Courses. Of these five courses, at least two (2) must come from the list of Framework Courses and at least one (1) from the list of Specialized Courses.

Students are encouraged to pursue internships and take study away courses in the areas of human rights and humanitarianism. These may be counted toward the concentration with the approval of the program coordinator.

Framework Courses

These courses provide students with a basic understanding of the international norms of human rights and humanitarianism, the history and purpose of the primary intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the philosophical/historical/intellectual background of the field. Framework courses focus on a limited set of practices as a way of providing a basic, common language for students.

Specialized Courses

These courses offer students a chance to acquire more detailed mastery of specific topics, themes, or regions in studies of human rights and humanitarianism. Specialized courses offer exposure to the broader array of histories and movements dedicated to the promotion of human dignity and the protection of human rights.

The concentration's specialized courses also include several recently developed topics course that may be offered again in upcoming semesters:
/ Writing Human Rights
/ Language of Diplomacy
Gender, Power and Sexualities in Africa
The Holocaust

, may count as an elective along with another 2-credit course, internship, or independent study, with permission from the Program Director.