Human Rights Studies (B.A.)
University of Dayton is home to the nation's first bachelor's degree program in human rights studies at a Catholic university. Through our interdisciplinary program, you will have countless opportunities to become involved with human rights issues. Each year, students organize Human Rights Week, a week long program with nationally known scholars and speakers, issue forums, artistic presentations and other activities.
You can take courses and conduct research in locations around the world through our education abroad programs. Recently, students have traveled to Burundi, Chile, El Salvador, Geneva, Haiti, Ireland, Kenya, Malwai, Mexico, Rwanda, South Africa, Switzerland and Uganda.
As a human rights studies major, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through internships with government agencies, Congress, nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations, human rights groups and multinational corporations interested in safeguarding human rights in the workplace.
To ensure you are prepared for work anywhere in the world, you must show proficiency in a foreign language by passing a University examination or completing a language course in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish at the 141-level or higher with a minimum grade of C.
Career Opportunities
With a bachelor's degree in human rights studies, you will be prepared for a variety of career paths. Some graduates work on the front lines of social justice and public policy with nongovernmental organizations such as Amnesty International, Catholic Relief Services and the Red Cross. Others mold policy through government service, bring light to human rights issues around the world through political journalism, or continue their studies in law or graduate school. In the business world, human rights studies' graduates are monitoring labor practices and helping companies establish just business models.