The John Jay Human Rights Master of Arts Program is a professionally-oriented master’s program that provides students with a thorough understanding of human rights law and theory and the practical skills necessary to translate this understanding into practice. Students completing the program will be able to demonstrate understanding of substantive concepts in the scholarly and practical field of human rights, conduct methodological research, and engage in practice-oriented work, such as fact-finding, report-writing, media outreach, and advocacy.
Program graduates will be highly competitive for a variety of positions including public and media relations, fundraising, social science research, and legal support services.
Key components of the online program are:
- 100% online courses - Flexible course schedule. No scheduled meeting times. You can study when and where you want.
- Small class size - Typically no more than 20 students per class. That means more one-on-one time with the instructor.
- Accelerated 8-week session format - Earn credits every 8 weeks. Finish within one year.
- Prominent faculty - Our faculty members are leading authorities in human rights studies.
- Affordable price - We offer one of the most affordable human rights studies programs in the U.S.
- A prestigious credential - Online or on campus, you’ll obtain a credential that is recognized worldwide.
A senior college of The City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a preeminent national and international leader in all aspects of education related to criminal justice and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
For more information about our program, please complete the Request Information form, or apply today for admission.
The online Master of Arts in Human Rights consists of 36 credits. Students should be able to complete the course of study in two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study.
In the capstone course, HR 750: Advanced Seminar in Human Rights, students participate in collaborative research and advocacy with a human rights organization serving as a client, and produce a value added original policy paper to serve the organization’s needs. Students also have the option of engaging in an internship or, those with overall GPAs of 3.5 or higher and an A- or better in ICJ 715, may write a thesis with the approval of the program director. Internships and theses can count toward elective credit. We have core requirements as well as elective courses and we work with each student to build a curriculum of 36 credits that serves their intellectual and professional ambitions.
To be considered for admission, students must meet the following requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or an international equivalent
- An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (or meet contingency requirements as determined by the program on a case-by-case basis)
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or IELTS, is required for international applicants who have not studied in English-speaking countries. John Jay College’s TOEFL code number is 2115-99. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, and 79-80 for the Internet-based test. The minimum score for IELTS is 7.
- Submission of a complete application (see Application Process below)
Faculty Name
Susan Kang, PhD
BA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Biography
Susan Kang, Associate Professor of Political Science, received a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PhD from the University of Minnesota. Her research and teaching interests include international relations, international political economy, labor and human rights, and international law. She has published articles in the following journals:
New Political Science, Human Rights Quarterly and Journal of Workplace Rights, and Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. Her book Human Rights and Labor Solidarity: Trade Unions and the Global Economy was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2012. Her co-edited volume, Human Rights: Institutions and Practices, was published by University of Toronto Press in 2019. She is the former co-chair of the Labor Project, an American Political Science Association Related Group.
Faculty Name
Charlotte Walker-Said, PhD,
Yale University Ph.D. 2010
Biography
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice-City University of New York. I graduated with a Ph.D. in History from Yale University in 2010, and before that earned an A.B. at Princeton University. Before coming to John Jay College, I was a Theodore Lentz Fellow in Human Rights at Webster University (2012-2013), a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Chicago (2010-2012), and Visiting Lecturer at Harvard University (2009-2010).
My research focuses on Christianity, law, and human rights in Cameroon and Central-West Africa. I am also interested in applications of human rights law and philosophy in techniques of Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa. I am the author of the forthcoming book with James Currey, entitled "Faith, Power, and Family: Christianity and Social Change in French Cameroon" and the editor, along with John D. Kelly, of the volume, "Corporate Social Responsibility? Human Rights in the New Global Economy," with the University of Chicago Press. I have published articles in the journals, Gender & History, French Politics, Culture & Society, the International Journal of African Historical Studies, and Le Mouvement Social.
Faculty Name
Jennifer Rutledge, PhD,
Associated Faculty- Human Rights MA
BA University of Wisconsin-Madison
Biography
Jennifer Rutledge completed her BA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. Her research and teaching interests are in social policy and comparative politics. Her current research focuses on food politics, the welfare state and state legitimacy. She has published articles in diverse journals such as Food, Culture and Society, Asian Politics and Policy, the Asian Journal of Political Science and Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Her book, Feeding the Future: The Emergence of School Lunches as Global Social Policy, was published with Rutgers University Press (https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/feeding-the-future/9780813573335). This book was named a top 16 book of 2016 by This is Hell Radio and her interview on that program about that book was named the best interview of 2016 (https://thisishell.com/interviews/921-jennifer-geist-rutledge).
Faculty Name
Veronica Michel-Luviano
Associated Faculty- Human Rights MA
Apply Online