Human Rights and Social Justice Bridging Disciplines Program Certificate
Department website: https://undergraduates.utexas.edu/academics/bridging-disciplines-programs/programs/human-rights-social-justice
This program introduces students to the interdisciplinary study and practice of human rights at home and around the world. Students learn about the forms of oppression, marginalization, and violence that concern human rights researchers and practitioners. Through coursework drawn from the humanities, social sciences, law, fine arts, and public policy, students develop knowledge of the issues and debates that dominate human rights and social justice scholarship today, including an understanding of the regional contexts within which contemporary human rights violations take place. At the same time, students learn about the historical, theoretical, and institutional underpinnings of international human rights advocacy and social justice movements, from the legacies of colonialism and imperialism to the international institutions that were formed in the wake of World War II. Finally, through the Connecting Experience component, students have the opportunity to complement their coursework with hands-on experience in an organization working on human rights and social justice concerns.
Total Hours Required: 18
Requirements
Requirements are listed in the table below. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum. Students should also review the University's Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: Foundation | 3 | |
| Human Rights: Theories and Practice | ||
Approved hours | ||
| Hours chosen from: Strand | 9 | |
| Choose either more than one of the following topics (Nationalism, Imperialism, and War; Social Groups and Social Justice; or Theory, Policy, and Institutions), or from more than one of the Geographic categories (Regional, US, or Comparative) | ||
| Nationalism, Imperialism, and War- Comparative | ||
| Authoritarianism | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Nationalism, Imperialism, and War- Regional (non-US) | ||
| Introduction to Holocaust and Genocide Studies | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Nationalism, Imperialism, and War- US | ||
| Puerto Rico In Crisis | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Social Groups and Social Justice- Comparative | ||
| Applied Social Ethics | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Social Groups and Social Justice- Regional (non-US) | ||
| Latino Migrations and Asylum | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Social Groups and Social Justice- US | ||
| Race and United States Social Policy | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Theory, Policy, and Institutions- Comparative | ||
| Global Governance | ||
Other courses from approved list on BDP website | ||
| Theory, Policy, and Institutions- US | ||
| Rights in Modern America | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Approved Hours chosen from: internship and/or Connecting Experiences (see advisor) | 6 | |
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Internship Experience | ||
| Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- A three to four page essay in which students reflect on what they have learned and accomplished through their experience is required. The essay is reviewed and must be approved by a member of the faculty panel in order to complete the certificate requirements
- To create an interdisciplinary experience, students must choose courses from a variety of disciplines. Only one of the strand courses may come from the student's major department(s) or from same as with the student's major department(s). The certificate as a whole must represent a variety of disciplines; the advisor can help ensure that the coursework will meet the certificate requirements for interdisciplinarity.
- In courses taken for a letter grade, the student must obtain a grade of at least C- .
- A cumulative certificate GPA of at least 2.0 is required.
- Only one BDP course, including connecting experience, may be taken pass/fail. Any exceptions will be considered by the faculty panel on an individual basis.
- The student may be able to count courses toward the certificate that are not listed, if enough of the course content relates to the BDP topic. Consult with the advisor to petition a course to count towards the certificate.