Human Rights Studies
First in Human Rights
The University of Dayton established the nation’s first undergraduate human rights studies program in 1998. More than one hundred students have graduated from the program and pursued careers as human rights advocates and academics or humanitarian professionals in legal, governmental and nonprofit sectors.
The Human Rights Studies Program offers a B.A. in human rights studies, an interdisciplinary pre-professional degree firmly grounded in traditional liberal arts. Students, faculty, and staff participating in the program enter into it guided by their fundamental commitment to respect and promote the dignity of each human person. The program also offers a minor in human rights studies that students can integrate with any degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and even across units, making degrees in business, engineering or education all the more distinctive.
Promoting Respect and Dignity
Excellence in the classroom and robust experiential learning opportunities allow our students to explore and advocate for the human experience in today's world.
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Faculty and Staff
During her tenure, Natalie Hudson established human rights studies as an independent program separate from the Department of Political Science.
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Nine University of Dayton students and recent graduates won competitive national fellowships to pursue advanced degrees, study internationally or teach abroad during the 2022-23 academic year.
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Aligned with the University of Dayton's mission to be an anti-racist institution, a recent racial wealth gap simulation was an opportunity for students to learn how political systems uphold racism and to engage in thoughtful conversation outside of the classroom.
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