HRT-Human Rights

HRT 100. Introduction to Human Rights. 3 Hours.

Serving as a first step in understanding human rights, this course is designed to make students both consumers of state-of-the-art research in human rights at the international and national levels and producers of advocacy projects for human rights improvement at the local level. As such, by the end of this course, students should (1) justify their preferred definition of human rights based on a strong grasp of the various definitions of human rights, including comparisons between universal and culturally contingent perspectives; (2) understand the evolution of human rights and the implications for the three generations of human rights; (3) identify the ways in which human rights may be violated and the cross-national extent of human rights violations; (4) be able to list and discuss several types of efforts aimed at improving respect for human rights, including the efforts associated with inter-governmental organizations, powerful states, and non-governmental organizations; and (5) be capable to advocate for the changes in local human rights. This course meets Blazer Core Curriculum City as a Classroom with flags in Justice and Service/Community-based Learning.

HRT 395. Special Topics in Human Rights. 3 Hours.

This upper-level human rights course is designed for students with prior coursework or strong interest in global issues, social justice, or public policy. Each semester, the course focuses on a different theme, allowing students to explore a specific area of human rights in greater depth. Topics may include - but are not limited to - human rights and technology, environmental and climate justice, migration and mobility, transitional justice, or rights-based approaches to development and public health. Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws on political science, international law, history, anthropology, and sociology, students will critically examine how human rights are defined, practiced, and contested across cultural and political contexts. The course emphasizes analytical writing, critical discussion, and applied engagement with contemporary issues through case studies, multimedia materials, and independent research. It is particularly well-suited for students in human rights, political science, international studies, sociology, anthropology, public health, and related fields who are looking to deepen their understanding of human rights through a focused and topical lens.

HRT 400. Skills and Methods in Human Rights. 3 Hours.

This undergraduate course introduces students to the research process in human rights with a focus on mixed, qualitative, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods. After a short introduction to human rights principles and concepts, students will learn the basics of study design and human subjects research, interview and focus group preparation and implementation, data collection, qualitative content analysis, and working with underrepresented communities for scholarly purposes. Using a combination of didactic, interactive, and applied approaches, this class will leave students with a deeper understanding of how qualitative, mixed methods, and CBPR research can center the voices of marginalized groups, how researchers can best collaborate and co-create with community partners, and how human rights research can provide agency to involved participants and inform advocacy and policy.

HRT 481. Human Rights Independent Studies. 3 Hours.

Individualized course to explore a Human Rights topic and develop an integrative research portfolio or project. Requires instructor approval.
Prerequisites: PSC 316 [Min Grade: C]

HRT 482. Directed Research in Human Rights. 1-6 Hour.

Directed research on Human Rights. Open to Human Rights minors only. Requires instructor approval.
Prerequisites: PSC 316 [Min Grade: C]

HRT 483. Honors Directed Research in Human Rights. 1-6 Hour.

Directed research on Human Rights, for students enrolled in the Honors College. Open to Human Rights minors and Honors College students only. Requires instructor approval.
Prerequisites: PSC 316 [Min Grade: C]

HRT 485. Human Rights Professional Internship. 1-3 Hour.

Experiential learning in the field of human rights, allowing students to gain valuable professional experience and develop a reflective professional activity portfolio related to human rights work and advocacy. Instructor permission required.

HRT 490. Capstone in Human Rights. 3 Hours.

This seminar course is designed as a capstone academic experience in which each student is expected to demonstrate independent research skills, prepare and present a formal paper, and participate in the discussion and analysis of presentations by other members of the seminar. The formal paper should be a significant example of the student’s academic credentials in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Prerequisites: HRT 100 [Min Grade: C] and HRT 400 [Min Grade: C] and PSC 316 [Min Grade: C]

HRT 495. Special Topics in Human Rights. 3 Hours.

This advanced upper-level human rights course is designed for students with prior coursework or strong interest in global issues, social justice, or public policy. Each semester, the course focuses on a different theme, allowing students to explore a specific area of human rights in greater depth. Topics may include - but are not limited to - human rights and technology, environmental and climate justice, migration and mobility, transitional justice, or rights-based approaches to development and public health. Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws on political science, international law, history, anthropology, and sociology, students will critically examine how human rights are defined, practiced, and contested across cultural and political contexts. The course emphasizes analytical writing, critical discussion, and applied engagement with contemporary issues through case studies, multimedia materials, and independent research. It is particularly well-suited for students in human rights, political science, international studies, sociology, anthropology, public health, and related fields who are looking to deepen their understanding of human rights through a focused and topical lens.