Skip to main content

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.

See what we are doing.

Events Calendar
In the News
Faculty 07.26.22

During her tenure, Natalie Hudson established human rights studies as an independent program separate from the Department of Political Science.

Read more
06.07.22

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.

Read more
Diversity and Inclusion 10.26.21

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.

Read more