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Program Planning
Requirements
To obtain a joint major in Human Rights Studies, a student must complete requirements for the Human Rights
program AND the major requirements for another department. The requirements for Human Rights are:
Introductory course (one required)
To provide any interested student with an overview of human rights as an idea and as a major social
movement, these courses examine the breadth of the eld, and enable her to evaluate human rights as a
potential major.
Core courses (two required)
The following courses familiarize the student with the basic methods and institutions that make up the modern
human rights movement.
Related courses (three required)
The three related courses will re ect the student's personal interests and specialization in human rights with
the advice and guidance of her academic advisor.
For a full list of courses and their descriptions, please consult the Course Catalog
(http://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/courses-instruction/human-rights-studies/). To nd options for a
given semester, please consult the Directory of Classes (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/).
A senior thesis on a human rights topic
The senior thesis or project in the area of human rights studies is written in the senior thesis seminar of the
major department. Where this is not possible, it is written in HRTS BC3099 Independent Study.
All of the above requirements must be approved by the student's human rights academic advisor. Up to three
of the required human rights courses may also satisfy requirements of the other major, but no course may
count for both the joint major and a major/minor in another department.
Advising
A student chooses her academic advisor from among the Human Rights program faculty. Due to the
interdisciplinary nature of the program, an unlisted professor whose work is relevant may also be chosen.
A junior/senior looking for a thesis advisor may also consult the list of Human Rights faculty for a suitable
advisor in her area of research.
To ensure that courses meet the requirements for the major, students must con rm their selection with the
Director of Human Rights Studies, Professor J. Paul Martin (mailto:jmartin@barnard.edu), before their nal
semester.