Social Justice and Human Rights (Graduate Certificate)
Passionate about making the world fairer? Gain the tools to tackle societal issues head-on and prepare to become an advocate who protects rights and promotes change.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
In the social justice and human rights graduate certificate program, you explore key topics in the social justice and human rights graduate certificate program, such as labor, migration, education and the environment, and the legal, political, historical and cultural frameworks that contextualize them. You gain deeper insight into the theory and practice of social justice, human rights and humanitarian efforts, making the program well-suited to channel your interests and passions toward ethical responses to social injustice and human rights abuses.
You may focus on specific issues in international or domestic contexts, including refugee resettlement, immigration and citizenship, human trafficking, racialized violence, and international human rights law and organizations. In courses taught by experienced faculty from various disciplines, you develop an understanding of how social justice and human rights issues are defined by multiple and intersecting forms of inequality and social identity, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and nationality. You may also select courses to develop practical skills in research and grant writing or participate in an internship to gain experience.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
15 credit hours
Required Core (3 credit hours) Electives (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
JHR 501 Proseminar in Social Justice and Human Rights (3) or
JHR 502 Foundations of Social Justice and Human Rights (3)
Students should see their program advisor for a complete list of elective courses.
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. Applicants are required to submit: Additional Admission Information The personal statement should be no longer than 500 words. It should describe the applicant's academic or career goals and how a graduate certificate in social justice and human rights will help achieve those goals. The personal statement should also describe what area of social justice and human rights the applicant is most interested in and why.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 07/15 | Final* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling* |
*A rolling deadline means that applications will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis until the semester begins. International students should be mindful of visa deadlines to ensure there is time to produce necessary visa documents. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit application materials as soon as possible for consideration.
*A final deadline means that all applications and application materials must be received by Admission Services by the deadline date. Applications that are incomplete may not be considered after the final deadline. Applications that are submitted past the final deadline may not be considered.
Explore expanded study opportunities
Students can complete two graduate certificate programs and combine them into a Master of Advanced Study degree, giving ultimate flexibility to build their own master's degree. Interested students can learn more about MAS requirements and the admission process.
Study abroad is possible for graduate students, and it allows students to stand out in many career fields. Students are exposed to unique differences in the human condition worldwide, are able to improve language and cross-cultural skills for effective communication, and are challenged to adapt to new social and cultural circumstances.
There are more than 50 program opportunities, with programs on every continent. Faculty-directed programs tend to be the best fit for graduate students; taking courses over the summer or during academic breaks with ASU professors offers close mentorship and professional network growth in many fields of study while earning ASU credit. Exchange program participation is also possible with careful planning.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Graduates who hold a certificate in social justice and human rights can begin or advance their careers in advocacy work in nonprofit or government agencies, humanitarian work, international law and advocacy, as well as in careers that enable them to address forced migration, trafficking and gender-based or racialized violence.
Career examples include:
- advocate or lobbyist
- community organizer
- grant writer
- humanitarian aid worker
- policy analyst or researcher
- program officer
- public defender
- social justice specialist or consultant
- social service worker
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
|
FAB N101
NCGradAdvising@asu.edu
602-543-3000
Admission deadlines
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
