The following is an overview of the degree requirements for the Human Rights Studies M.A. program. Students should consult the courses and registration pages for additional information.

Students are encouraged to use the Human Rights Studies Checklist to track their own degree progress and select appropriate courses each term in consultation with the program director Human Rights Studies students must complete 30 credit points, including the thesis, to graduate.

The breakdown of points is as follows:

Core Courses – 9 points

• HRTS G4020 Introduction to Human Rights
• HRTS G4800 Human Rights and International Law
• HRTS G4820 Human Rights and International Organizations

Concentration – 12 points

Students take four courses within their chosen area of concentration. The purpose of the concentration is to provide students the opportunity to gain expertise in a particular area of human rights and ensure that the student’s thesis is informed by relevant coursework.

Potential concentrations include human rights and development, ethnicity, health, race, religion, women/gender, etc. However, students are not limited to these examples, and concentrations are often much more specific. The concentration is selected in consultation with the program director.

Elective Human Rights Courses – 6 points in total

Thesis – 3 points

Restrictions/Requirements

Internships, practica, and independent study courses do not count towards the degree.

No more than three courses in the Law School may count towards the degree.

Courses must be level 4000 or higher. Exceptions can be made in instances where student can demonstrate, in consultation with the professor and ISHR, that the course is suitable for a graduate level education.

Courses with codes beginning with V or BC (for instance CLAS V3140, AHIS BC3950) do not apply toward the M.A. degree.