Human Rights

Director: Tina K. Reuter (UAB Institute for Human Rights, College of Arts and Sciences)

   The Human Rights minor is interdisciplinary in nature and draws from a number of social science and humanities fields, including African-American studies, anthropology, criminal justice, foreign languages, international studies, history, political science, psychology, sociology, public health, and social work. It allows students to grow in their understanding of human rights, and market their expertise in that field.

   With the establishment of the Institute for Human Rights in the College of Arts and Sciences at UAB and other human rights related initiatives such as the MA in the Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights, a minor in human rights serves as a unique curricular focal point for students.

   Birmingham is the cradle of the civil rights movement and an international destination for scholars and practitioners interested in human rights and civil rights. An increasing number of topics of societal concern are viewed through a human rights lens. In this context, foundational knowledge of human rights is a key expertise to possess in today’s globalized and progressively complex world.

   Through this minor program, critical thinking and interdisciplinary approaches to this discipline link theoretical approaches to human rights, the rule of law, and social justice with students’ learning environment. Service learning and community-based approaches enhance students’ academic experience by enabling them to practice skills and test classroom knowledge. A human rights minor makes students more competitive for fellowships, internships, human rights careers, and non-profit work.

   Upon completing the requirements of the Minor in Human Rights, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the evolution and implementation of human rights from different disciplinary perspectives, including political science, international studies, law, history, psychology, anthropology, criminal justice, social work, sociology, and public health;
2. Discuss innovative answers to questions of human rights. This includes, for example, making connections between human rights implementation and the political, social, economic, and cultural environment of societies;
3. Synthesize approaches to human rights that are presented in different disciplines. Students are encouraged to develop personal approaches to dealing with human rights through academic learning, scholarly investigations, education abroad, discussions with peers and faculty, and practical experiences (service learning and internships);
4. Participate actively in campus and community platforms related to human rights.

The Minor in Human Rights supports the majors in political science, international studies, anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, social work, and public health by giving students the opportunity to engage in-depth with a topic that is related to the overall focus of their major. It could also be of interest to majors in foreign languages who aim to work at an international NGO.

 Students interested in the minor may contact Dr. Tina Reuter through the UAB Institute for Human Rights, or their academic advisor.