Center for Human Rights
| Program Director: |
William Saunders, J.D., Human Rights Fellow, Institute for Human Ecology |
The Center for Human Rights, which is associated with the Institute for Human Ecology (IHE), advances the Catholic contribution to the understanding and protection of fundamental human rights through its Master of Arts degree in human rights. The center is under the direction of the Program Director, with the assistance of an interdisciplinary committee selected from the collaborating departments and schools.
The degree draws upon the offerings of five existing schools of the university (Arts & Sciences, Law, Philosophy, Theology & Religious Studies, and Canon Law). It benefits from the participation of an advisory board, which consists of distinguished academics and former diplomats — including Robert George, Mary Ann Glendon, John Keown, John Dilulio, Helen Alvare, Thomas Farr, Kevin Flannery, S.J., Yuri Mantilla, Msgr. Anthony Frontiero, and Juan Carlos Riofrio. Students regularly meet with members of the advisory board to learn about their experience in human rights advocacy.
The Catholic perspective on human rights is vitally important. The commitment to human rights is a permanent feature of the world following World War II, and recognized by various international documents. However, as several popes have noted, claims based on mistaken premises about human rights have marred the promotion and protection of true human rights. This degree grounds students in an authentic understanding of human rights and equips them to put this knowledge at the service of society.
Part-time options are available. The program will award scholarships that will help defray some or all of the tuition costs for as many students as possible. Priority scholarship consideration will be given to admitted students who are fellows or graduates of the Leonine Forum, John Jay Institute, the Faith and Reason Institute’s Free Society Seminar, Cardinal Newman Society schools, EPPC’s Tertio Millenio Seminar, or In Altum.
M.A. Degree in Human Rights
The Master of Arts in Human Rights is designed for graduate students from the United States, as well as abroad, who wish to study human rights from a distinctly Catholic perspective. The program aims to equip students to understand the nature of human rights, and prepare them to articulate — and advocate for — a sound understanding of human rights in domestic and international fora. It also prepares graduate students to think critically and promote the common good.
Students enrolled in the M.A. in Human Rights program must complete 30 credits hours of coursework, including core courses, an internship with a human rights organization, and the capstone course. The capstone course will consist of a seminar, and requires completion of a research paper.
A full listing of the required and elective courses in the M.A. in Human Rights program is available here.
Required* courses for the M.A. in Human Rights Program:
- PHIL 633 Philosophy of Natural Right and Natural Law
- LAW 611 Public International Law
- POL 644 Modern Christian Political Thought
- CL 716 Religious Liberty
- TRS 661 Christian Anthropology
- Capstone course
The faculty teaching these courses are committed to integrating the insights of Catholic Social Thought into their curricula. Many of the program's faculty are also fellows of the Institute for Human Ecology.
In addition to the formal curriculum, the students will benefit from a rich variety of guest speakers on topics related to human rights, drawn from the wider D.C. community. When they are in D.C., members of the advisory board will meet with the students to share advice when entering the human rights field.
Students must maintain a minimum of a B average in order to graduate. They will fulfill the normal requirements for a Masters of Arts degree in Arts & Sciences. Students must take comprehensive exams during their final semester.
*Required courses may vary based on each semester's course offerings.