Minor in Human Rights

Minor Description

The minor in Human Rights is an option for students who are interested in the rapidly emerging field of human rights. The minor is a tri-campus initiative (UW Bothell, UW Seattle, and UW Tacoma). Students may, but are not required to, take courses from more than one campus in order to earn the minor.

Students who may benefit from the minor:

Students who are applying to law school
Students who want to work in international human rights NGOs or humanitarian non-profits
Students who are interested in working in government
Students who are interested in the issue of globalization of industry and labor
Students who interested in environmental justice issues or environmental law

Minor Requirements

Students pursuing the Human Rights minor must complete 25 credits in the following areas:

10 credits in Human Rights Core courses
5 credits in Human Rights Broad Context courses
10 credits in either Human Rights Core or Broad Context courses
Completion of the Practical Experience Requirement (PER)
- Submit the Practical Experience Requirement form once completed

These courses may be take at UW Bothell, UW Seattle or UW Tacoma.

Note: Classes in this minor are offered primarily during the day-time hours.

Practical Experience Requirement

The purpose of the practical experience requirement for the human rights minor is to ensure that students connect with real world issues during their university experience as they pursue the human rights minor.

Students may choose one of the following activities to satisfy the Practical Experience Requirement (PER):

Take the course BIS 403 Washington, D.C., Human Rights Seminar
- Requires an application and selection. Deadline is generally in Spring quarter. See website for more information.
Take the course BIS 497 Political Internship in State Government
- Requires an application and selection. Deadline is generally in October. See website for more information.
Take an Advanced Seminar course with a Human Rights experience and reflection
- See list of example Past Practical Experience courses;
- Courses not listed can be petitioned using the PER form.
Complete a Study Abroad course for at least 3 credits, with a Human Rights component
Complete an Internship for at least 3 credits, with a Human Rights component
- Students with an Internship offer should register for BIS 495 Internship Course
Complete volunteer service or an organizing experience that deals with a Human Rights issue
- Appropriate volunteer or organizing experiences are placements with agencies or organizations whose activity involves the promotion of human rights. Typically, these are advocacy, activist groups or NGOs, government agencies, and non-profits which facilitate access to claims and benefits which might be deemed. While traditional charity work may be laudable, it is not typically conceived in human rights terms and may not be accepted for a practical experience requirement.

To complete the Practical Experience Requirement:

Complete PER course/experience or volunteer activity
- If volunteer or internship work, provide confirmation of hours from a supervisor via email to IASAPPLY@uw.edu
Submit the Practical Experience Requirement form
- Students will be required to submit a reflection statement on how their experience connects to the Minor in Human Rights
Submit any additional materials via email to IASAPPLY@uw.edu
Verify with your Academic Advisor that all requirements for the Human Rights Minor are completed

We will be unable to confirm that graduation requirements have been met for the minor until the completed Practical Experience form is received in full. Questions about the PER Form can be sent via email to IASAPPLY@uw.edu

Human Rights Minor Courses at UW Bothell

Core Courses

BIS 324 Gender, Human Rights, and Global Cinema
BIS 335 Human Rights in America
BIS 353 Human Rights in Theory and Practice
BIS 403 Washington, D.C. Seminar on Human Rights
BIS 414 Topics in Human Rights
BIS 466 Human Rights and Resistance
BIS 468 Human Rights and Sustainable Development

Broad Context Courses

BIS 165 Introduction to Ethnic Studies
BIS 167 People’s History of the United States
BIS 175 Introduction to American Government
BIS 183 Introduction to the Middle East
BIS 203 Economics of Gender
BIS 219 The Politics of Sex Education
BIS 224 Introduction to Feminist Studies
BIS 226 Foundations of U.S. Social Services
BIS 227 Rad Women in the Global South
BIS 249 Introduction to Labor Studies
BIS 264 Africa on Film
BIS 275 Social Problems
BIS 282 Introduction to Globalization
BIS 284 International Relations
BIS 305 Issues in Social and Political Philosophy
BIS 307 Environmental Justice
BIS 310 Women, Culture and Development
BIS 313 Issues in Media Studies (Topic: Human Rights in Public Culture)
BIS 326 Race, Space, and Segregation
BIS 332 Global Digital Industries
BIS 336 History of Mass Incarceration in the United States
BIS 348 Industrial and Organizational Psychology
BIS 356 Ethics and the Environment
BIS 365 Institutions and Social Change
BIS 367 Ethics and Society
BIS 374 Middle East Politics
BIS 380 Bioethics
BIS 394 Comparative Economic Development
BIS 415 Public Policy and Law
BIS 416 U.S. Constitutional Law
BIS 420 Colonizing History in Sub-Saharan Africa
BIS 431 Issues in Sexual Politics and Cultures
BIS 433 Gender, Work, and Family
BIS 441 Global Labor Markets
BIS 445 Meanings and Realities of Inequality
BIS 448 Social Policy
BIS 450 Decolonizing Psychology
BIS 459 Conservation and Sustainable Development
BIS 470 Art, Politics, and Social Change
BIS 483 Community Organizing
BISAES 364 Public Memory and Dissent in American Culture
BISAES 367 Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
BISGST 303 History and Globalization
B HLTH 462 Global and Local Health Inequalities and Interventions

Past Practical Experience courses

Minor in Human Rights Faculty

Ben Gardner
Maryam Griffin
Ron Krabill
Alka Kurian
Camille Walsh

Human Rights Minor Resources

Tri-Campus Human Rights Minor – All courses for the minor from UW Seattle, UW Tacoma and UW Bothell.