Program Overview
Students in the UMass Boston School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) examine key issues that lead to the political, economic, and social inclusion of individuals and groups of people worldwide in their societies. In response to growing national and international interest in human rights education, we are offering a human rights certificate through SGISD.
Human rights is an increasingly important field of study in the United States and around the world. On every level, from local to international, people are using human rights to mobilize grassroots movements, organize coalitions, and analyze policies and procedures. Studying this discipline also empowers us to advocate for social justice, measure progress in advancing human well-being, and, as a last resort, litigate to advance the rights to health, education, and decent work for all.
Human rights provides a legal and ethical framework for changing our societies and organizations to make them more inclusive of everyone, including people who are marginalized and disadvantaged.
Human rights involves scholarly work in law, applied ethics, international relations, economics, social policy, and international development. Our students may also choose to focus on a specialized area, such as religious minorities, children, workers, women, or people living in poverty.
Our faculty has expertise in:
- Economic, social, and cultural rights
- The rights to education, health, and decent work
- Indigenous rights
- Gender and women's rights
- Human security and development
- International disability rights advocacy
- United Nations human rights mechanisms
- Human rights impact assessment and indicators