Program Overview

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Social Justice and Human Rights, MA

Program Description

The Master of Arts program in Social Justice and Human Rights explores key topics such as labor, migration, education, and the environment, and the legal, political, historical, and cultural frameworks that contextualize them. This program is well-suited to those who aim to channel their interests and passions toward ethical responses to social injustice and human rights abuses.

At a Glance

• College/School: New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
• Location: West Valley or Online
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

Accelerated Program Options

This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving students who want the opportunity to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree.

Degree Requirements

• 30 credit hours and a thesis, or
• 30 credit hours including the required applied project course (JHR 593), or
• 30 credit hours including the required capstone course (JHR 549)

Required Core

• JHR 501 Proseminar in Social Justice and Human Rights (3)
• JHR 502 Foundations in Social Justice and Human Rights (3)

Professional Development

• JHR 506 Grant Writing for Social Justice and Human Rights (3)
• JHR 515 Power and Inequality in Academia and Activism (3)
• JHR 584 Internship (3)

Research

• JHR 500 Research Methods (3)
• JHR 525 Critical Methodologies in Social Justice and Human Rights (3)

Electives

• JHR 503 Gender-based Violence and Sex Trafficking (3)
• JHR 504 International Law and Organizations (3)
• JHR 505 Migration, Asylum and Refugees (3)
• JHR 510 Problem-based Seminar in Social Justice and Human Rights (3)
• JHR 540 Critical Humanitarianism (3)
• JHR 550 Global Justice (3)
• JHR 598 Topic: Global Racial Justice (3)

Culminating Experience

• JHR 549 Capstone in Social Justice and Human Rights (3) or
• JHR 593 Applied Project (6) or
• JHR 599 Thesis (6)

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements
• Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in applicable master's degree program
• Official transcripts
• Statement of purpose
• Two letters of recommendation
• An academic writing sample (preferred) or professional writing sample
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Proof of English proficiency

Tuition Information

Tuition information can be found on the university's website.

Attend Online

ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year.

Global Opportunities

Studying abroad is possible for graduate students. There are more than 50 program opportunities, with programs on every continent.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with a master's degree in Social Justice and Human Rights can begin or advance their careers in advocacy work in nonprofit or government agencies, humanitarian work, international law and advocacy, as well as in roles that enable them to address forced migration, trafficking, and gender-based or racialized violence.

• Advocate or lobbyist
  • Community organizer
  • Grant writer
  • Humanitarian aid worker
  • Policy analyst or researcher
  • Program officer
  • Public defender (with further education)
  • Social justice specialist or consultant
  • Social service worker

Graduates from this program are well-positioned to pursue additional graduate education, such as law school or doctoral programs.