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Minor
On Campus College of Arts & Sciences
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Why Earn Your Minor in Human Rights and Social Justice at Sacred Heart?

In this minor, you will explore key historical, political, legal, moral, and sociological influences that have created and formed the study of human rights. 

You will learn to identify and comprehend major domestic and international declarations, treaties, and covenants governing human rights, as well as mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing human rights standards.

Required Courses | 18 credits

This course will introduce students to current and historical issues and controversies of human rights and social justice through case studies, lectures, and group work.

This course will introduce students to current and historical issues and controversies of human rights and social justice through case studies, lectures, and group work.

At least two of the following each from a different discipline:

Provides an overview of the criminal justice system and its processes.

The course is designed to introduce students to the field of global studies by promoting an understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of global processes. Global studies imparts an appreciation for the complexity of world societies and broadens our understanding of challenges through an interdisciplinary approach to twenty-first century problems. The course approach is interdisciplinary with special attention given to political, economic, social, historical, and cultural patterns that mark globalization processes. Specific topics to be explored are the environment, migration, human rights, peace, conflict, global trade, and economic linkages.

Examines the theoretical foundation of American government, the U.S. Constitution, political behavior, interest groups, political parties, Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court.

Students are taught how to investigate social issues as sociologists do-by tracing the troubles of men and women back to broader social forces and problems. The relevance of sociology is demonstrated through examples of applied sociology and through the students' use of social theory and methods to address social problems.

Choose three electives from below (must be in at least two disciplines):

  • AN 110 Human Cultural Diversity
  • AN 210 World Cultures
  • AR 107 Art and Activism
  • CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CJ 200 Constitutional Law
  • CJ 222 Race, Ethnicity and Crime 
  • CJ 224 Women and the Criminal Justice System 
  • CJ 225 Domestic and Sexual Violence 
  • CJ 255 Constitutional Rights of Prisoners
  • CM 254 Media and Democracy
  • CM 351 Women in Film & Television
  • DA 310 Social Issues through Dance
  • ENG 241 Black Writers in America
  • ENG 242 American Women of Color
  • GS 101 Introduction to Global Studies
  • HI 207 History of Latin America to 1826
  • HI 208 History of Latin America Since 1826
  • HI 212 Contemporary Latin America
  • HI 214 French Revolution and Napoleon
  • HI 218 Modern France
  • HI 225 African-American History
  • HI 231 The Cold War and American Society
  • HI 235 Women in American Society
  • HI 255 Celtic and Irish History
  • HI 285 20th Century China
  • HI 322 U.S. Foreign Policy
  • HI 328 The Immigrant Experience
  • PH 251 Introduction to Ethics
  • PH 255 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
  • PH 309 Theories of Justice
  • PH 310 Philosophy of Race
  • PH 315 Philosophy of Gender
  • PO 121 American Government and Politics
  • PO 122 Introduction to International Relations
  • PO 239 International Politics
  • PO 325 The Politics of Law
  • PO 351 Constitutional Law
  • PO 352 The First Amendment
  • SO 110 Sociological Imagination
  • SO 201 Poverty and Inequality in the US
  • SO 224 Social Capital & Civil Society
  • SO 234 Sociology of Health and Health Care
  • SO 239 Diversity and Oppression
  • SO 244 Racial and Ethnic Relations
  • SO 254 Society & Economic Change
  • SO 258 Society and the Environment
  • SO 259 Social Movements
  • SO 263 Sociology of Gender
  • SW 140 Perspectives on Family Violence
  • SW 224 Human Diversity and Social Justice
  • TRS 242 Catholic Social Justice Tradition
  • TRS 255 Human Rights
  • TRS 341 Religion, War and Peace
  • TRS 343 Philanthropy as Moral Action
  • TRS 383 Holocaust, Genocide and Religion

Special topic courses

In addition, special topic 299 courses across various disciples, capstone experiences, and internships may be approved on an individual basis. 

The Chair of the Department of Sociology will approve special topics courses, as well as other courses toward the minor. An application for course inclusion is available upon request. 

Capstone experience

If a student shows interest in either a fieldwork project, lengthy research paper, or internship – in consultation with a faculty advisor – it may be counted as an internship or independent study in their respective major as a Human Rights and Social Justice Minor Capstone Experience.

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