Overview: The thematic area in human rights is designed for students who are passionate about the provision of equal opportunity to all human beings. Students who wish to identify the prevalent inequalities in the world and in different social settings, understand the root of these disparities and work towards the elimination of such discrimination where possible, declare human rights as their thematic area. The coursework students undertake helps them to understand social differences and their effect on human rights, helps them develop ethical responses to human rights abuses and teaches them skills to successfully advocate for human rights of various interest groups. Students in this thematic area can also choose to specialize in group rights of different kinds, instead of gaining general knowledge.

Coursework examples: A student of Human Rights can choose to study human rights law and take courses in philosophy, law, political science, psychology, communication and sociology. Another example would be of a student interested in women's rights who can take classes in gender and women studies, sociology, political science and law. There are several course options for this thematic area; please speak with an academic advisor to discuss possibilities!

Possible career paths: Common career paths for students of Human Rights include human rights law, international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch, conflict resolution, social work, international organizations such as OHCHR, investigative journalism etc. For more information, visit the career prep section.