Human Rights, Master of Arts
Program Director: Professor Susan Kang
(skang@jjay.cuny.edu)
The Master of Arts in Human Rights is a professionally-oriented degree program that provides students with a thorough understanding of human rights theory and the practical skills necessary to translate understanding into practice. Students completing the program will be able to demonstrate understanding of substantive concepts in the scholarly and practical field of human rights, conduct methodological research, and engage in practice-oriented work, such as fact-finding, report-writing, media outreach, and advocacy. Program graduates will be highly competitive for a variety of positions including public and media relations, fundraising, social science research, and legal support services.
Admissions. General admissions information for John Jay's graduate programs can be found under the Admissions section of this bulletin along with any Program-specific admissions requirements.
Additional information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College or changed to this program in September 2023 or thereafter must complete it in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose the form shown here or the earlier version of the program. A copy of the earlier version may be obtained in the 2022-2023 Graduate Bulletin.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts in Human Rights consists of 36 credits. Students should be able to complete the course of study in two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study.
The program culminates for all students in HR 750: Advanced Seminar in Human Rights, in which students participate in collaborative research and advocacy with a human rights organization serving as a client, and produce a value added original policy paper to serve the organization’s needs. Students also have the option of engaging in an internship or, those with overall GPAs of 3.5 or higher and an A- or better in ICJ 715, may write a thesis with the approval of the program director. Internships and theses can count toward elective credit.
Core Requirements
| HR 700 | Introduction to Human Rights: Theory, Practice, & Research | 3 |
| HR 701 | International Human Rights: Organizations and Institutions | 3 |
| HR 702 | Human Rights: International and Domestic Legal Frameworks | 3 |
| HR 713 | Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | 3 |
| HR 705 | Philosophy of Human Rights | 3 |
| HR 706 | Human Rights Advocacy and Activism | 3 |
| HR 718 | Health as a Human Right | 3 |
| HR 750 | Advanced Seminar in Human Rights | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
Electives
Select four courses:
| HR 711 | Human Rights and Humanitarianism | 3 |
| HR 712 | Civil and Political Rights and Civil Liberties | 3 |
| HR 714 | Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility | 3 |
| HR 780 | Internship in Human Rights | 6 |
| HR 790 | Social Entrepreneurship Lab: Practicum and Fundraising Tutorial | 6 |
| CRJ 744 | Terrorism and Politics | 3 |
| CRJ 754/PAD 754 | Investigative Techniques | 3 |
| CRJ 765 | Social Movements, Revolution, and Terrorism | 3 |
| CRJ 778 | Victimology | 3 |
| CRJ 784 | Organized Crime | 3 |
| ICJ 703 | International Criminal Law | 3 |
| ICJ 704 | Crime, Justice, and Cultural Struggles | 3 |
| ICJ 705 | Human Rights and Counterterrorism | 3 |
| ICJ 706 | Transnational Crime | 3 |
| ICJ 715 | Applied Research Methods in International Crime and Justice | 3 |
| ICJ 730 | Human Trafficking | 3 |
| PAD 718 | International Public Policy and Administration | 3 |
| PAD 732 | The Independent Sector: Contemporary Issues in Nonprofits and Philanthropy | 3 |
| PSY 705 | Victimology | 3 |
| FOS 761 | Forensic Anthropology: Osteological & Genetic Identification | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Total Credit Hours: 36