Certificate in Human Rights

The Emory Graduate Certificate in Human Rights, offered by the Institute of Human Rights, is an integrated, innovative, and cooperative approach to human rights scholarship and training. The certificate combines the teaching and research strength of Emory University with the applied programs of our professional partners.

Our partners include:

  • CARE USA
  • The Carter Center
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Our faculty come from several schools at Emory, including:

  • Emory College
  • Laney Graduate School
  • The School of Law
  • Rollins School of Public Health
  • Goizueta Business School
  • Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
  • Candler School of Theology

This is a self-guided certificate which allows students flexibility in the completion of certificate requirements. Before completing an APE/ILE, interested students are encouraged to meet with one of the program’s faculty members for advisement on their course of study. RSPH students should reach out to Dabney Evans at dabney.evans@emory.edu after reviewing all certificate materials.

Certificate students will be equipped with a skill set that allows them to address challenges raised by current human rights issues and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of these approaches. Students will be trained to meet the needs of a global, rapidly changing human rights agenda. This training will allow students to use human rights mechanisms to advance the public good.

This certificate is available for MPH, MSPH, and PhD candidates in all departments at Rollins. There are no pre-requisite courses for the certificate.

Upon completion of the Certificate in Human Rights, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the interdisciplinary nature of human rights
  2. Evaluate human rights policies across disciplines

This certificate program has 1 required course (GH526-3 credit hours) plus 6-9 hours of elective credits. Students must additionally ensure that their APE and ILEs are related to human rights, as described below.

Awarding of the certificate requires students to complete the following:

  • Core seminar: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Human Rights (ES585/ GH526/ LAW819/ POLS585). This foundational, three-credit-hour course is usually taken in the Fall Semester of an MPH student’s second year and examines the theory and practice of global and human rights from an interdisciplinary
  • Additional approved courses: MPH and MSPH students are required to take a total of six additional credits from the approved course listing (below). Doctoral level students must take a total of nine additional credit hours.
  • Applied Practice Experience (APE): Students must complete an APE with a substantive human rights component. APEs must fulfill all RSPH requirements including development of deliverables for the APE partner. The Institute of Human Rights helps coordinate placements, if requested.
  • Integrated Learning Experience (ILE): Students must complete a culminating experience or thesis with a substantive human rights emphasis. For students who complete a capstone for their department, please reach out to the certificate administrator for additional options to fulfill this. In extenuating circumstances, students may replace the APE and/or ILE requirement with additional elective courses in lieu of these requirements.

Please note, both APE and ILE requirements must be approved by certificate administrator to count towards fulfillment of the certificate.

Additional information about the Institute of Human Rights may be found on their website at http://humanrights.emory.edu. NOTE: This website is undergoing revisions in summer/fall 2024.

Course Code Course Name Semester Offered Credits
BSHES 560R BSHES Seminar: Health Equity Fall/Spring 1
BSHES 560R BSHES Seminar: Immigration as a Social Determinant of Health Fall 2
BSHES 565 Violence as a Public Health Problem Spring 2
BSHES 567 LGBTQ Public Health Spring 2
EH 571 Global Environmental Health Policy: Power, Science and Justice Spring 2
EH 572 Environmental Justice: Theory and Public Health Practice Spring 2
EPI 516 Issues in Women's Health Fall 2
EPI 523 Correctional Healthcare Epidemiology Spring 1
EPI 591S Social Epidemiology Fall/Spring 2
GH 508 Health and Human Rights Seminar Spring 2
GH 536 Religion & Health in Context: HIV Spring 3
GH 541 Technology of Fertility Control Fall 2
GH 556 Foundational Ethical Challenges in Global Health Fall 3
GH 563 AIDS: Global Public Health Implications Fall 2
GH 572 Community Transformation: A Five-day Experiential Workshop on Partnerships and Empowerment Fall/Spring 2
GH 583 Introduction to Global Mental Health Fall 2
GH 593 Religion & Health: Sexual & Reproductive Health Fall 2
HPM 565 Health Care for the Indigent Fall 2
HPM 577 The Mental Health/Medical Interface in the United States Fall 2

Human Rights Certificate Administrators

Dabney P. Evans, PhD

Associate Professor, Hubert Department of Global Health

Dabney.evans@emory.edu

 

David Davis, PhD

Professor, Department of Political Science

poldd@emory.edu

 

Edward Queen, PhD

Associate Professor, Center for Ethics

equeen@emory.edu