Human Rights Minor

Overview

The Human Rights Minor is a multidisciplinary, 15-unit minor at San José State University. Students in the Minor will have the opportunity to explore the history and structure of formal human rights and international law, study historical and contemporary human rights struggles, meet and work with Bay Area human rights organizations, and gain experience in a seminar capstone symposium course.

In order to graduate with Human Rights Minor, students are required to complete three required courses and two elective courses.

Elective courses must be taken in separate departments to ensure a broad and interdisciplinary education. Please consult the minor form for a complete list of eligible elective courses.

Students are responsible for meeting (or getting waived by instructor) any prerequisite courses. Proper planning and advising will ensure that students graduate when intended. Students are highly encouraged to meet with a department advisor during posted office hours.

Curriculum and Requirements

Required Lower Division Coursework

Students must have completed their lower division coursework to enroll in many of the courses in the Human Rights Minor. There may also be prerequisites that must be taken before students will be able to enroll in substantive elective courses.

Students interested in the minor should register for JS 25, complete their lower division coursework, and complete their major's 100W requirement. 

Advantages to the Minor

The courses within the Human Rights Minor may overlap with major course requirements, reducing time to completion. Many of the Minor courses also fulfill SJSU Studies Course Requirements (Area R, S, and V). Proper planning and advising will ensure that students graduate when intended.

Students will receive exposure to Bay Area human rights organizations though the capstone (JS 179) course.

Students will find the Human Rights Minor fulfilling if they are interested in careers or scholarship (graduate or professional school) related to:

  • community organizing
  • social movements
  • social problems
  • crimes against humanity
  • forensic reporting on war crimes
  • genocide
  • human rights advocacy/reporting
  • international law/relations
  • policy studies

Our faculty in the Department of Justice Studies hold advanced degrees in:

  • Criminology, Law, and Justice
  • Jurisprudence and Social Policy
  • Justice Studies
  • Journalism
  • Law, Policy, and Society
  • Political Science
  • Sociology

Students will also receive the highest quality instruction across disciplines in the Colleges of Applied Sciences and Arts, Business, Humanities and the Arts, Science, and/or Social Sciences. Faculty in other departments contributing courses to the curriculum hold degrees in fields ranging from Anthropology, to Economics, to Social Work, and more.

Careers Related to the Minor

  • Law
  • International Relations
  • Public Policy
  • Social justice advocacy/reporting/organization or diplomacy

Steps to Complete the Minor

  1. Declare the Human Rights Minor
    • If you have earned fewer than 90 units, you can declare the minor by emailing the Minor Coordinator your student ID number and stating your interest.
      If you have earned more than 90 units, you must meet with the Minor Coordinator in office hours. 
  2. Take the Classes
    • Enroll in courses as specified by the Human Rights Minor Form [pdf] and log course completions on form.
    • When selecting substantive elective courses in the minor, we encourage students to choose courses that also fulfill other university requirements.
  3. Apply for Graduation

Meet with an Advisor

The Human Rights Coordinator, Dr. Justin Strong, is the Department of Justice Studies' designee to lead advising for the Human Rights Minor. Contact Dr. Strong if you are interested in declaring a Human Rights Minor or if you have additional questions.