Graduate Course List

This page provides an overview of our course offerings, to help students as they make decisions and plans for the academic year ahead. Please note that this schedule will be updated periodically and may be subject to change. Students are encouraged not only to revisit this page but also to confirm the course listings in the online Directory of Courses and Vergil, where course descriptions and class meeting times will be posted.
  • ISHR Spring 2025 Graduate Courses
  • HRTS GR6800 International Human Rights Law 
  • HRTS GR6990 Human Rights Research Seminar 
  • HRTS GU4210 Equality, Identity, and Rights 
  • HRTS GU4380 Advocacy for Socio-Economic Rights 
  • HRTS GU4460 Climate Justice 
  • HRTS GU4850 Beyond Human Rights Critique  
  • HRTS GU4880 Human Rights in the United States
  • HRTS GU4930 Int'l Humanitarian Law and Human Rights 
  • HRTS GU4940 Human Rights and Education 
  • HRTS GU4975 Borders, Surveillance, Rights  
  • HRTS W4915 Human Rights and Urban Public Space

As part of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), our students take courses in a range of departments, including Political Science, Religion, Anthropology, Women’s Studies, and Sociology. Students can also take human rights related courses offered by other schools at Columbia.

Each semester, the program publishes a list of courses of potential interest to graduate students. We try to keep this information as up-to-date as possible, but students should also consult the Directory of Classes, departments offering the course, and school bulletins for additional course information when planning their course schedules.

This course list is subject to change upon receipt of additional course information. If you would like to suggest an addition or modification to this list, please email relevant course information and syllabi to humanrightsed@columbia.edu. Courses that are not on the pre-approved list may also fulfill degree requirements if the student can demonstrate that he or she can complete substantial coursework specifically focusing on human rights in that course.

Before each semester’s registration period, students should confer with the program to verify that courses of interest fulfill degree requirements.

Approval of a class for the degree does not guarantee enrollment in that course. Students are responsible for following all registration and cross-registration procedures. Consult the Directory of Classes and individual departments/instructors regarding any permission/application/prerequisites needed for a course.

Types of Courses

Pre-Approved Courses

Pre-Approved Courses automatically count towards the degree as an elective human rights course. They fulfill the concentration requirement of the degree, depending on the student’s selected concentration.

Additional courses

These courses are additional courses of potential interest to human rights students. Courses on this list, as well as others listed on the Directory of Classes, may fulfill degree requirements if the student can demonstrate that he or she can complete substantial coursework specifically focusing on human rights. Students who would like to count one of these courses towards the degree should consult with the program.

 

Dept Course # Format Title Instructor(s) Credits
AFRS GU4100 SEM Slavery and Freedom in Latin America Walker, Tanara 4.0
CSER GU4004 SEM Data, Race, Power and Justice Luna Lucero, Brian 4.0
CSER GU4005 SEM Abolition: Theory and Practice Sandler, Matthew 4.0
CSER GU4350 SEM Cinema of Subversion Gamalinda, Eric 4.0
EMPA U6452 SEM Social Justice Movements in the Age of Social Media Greenberg, Richard 3.0
HRTS GR6800 SEM International Human Rights Law Dugard, Jackie 3.0
HRTS GR6800 SEM International Human Rights Law Cooper, Belinda 3.0
HRTS GR6990 SEM Human Rights Research Seminar Wyman-McCarthy, Tim 3.0
HRTS GR6990 SEM Human Rights Research Seminar Molavi, Shourideh 3.0
HRTS GU4210 SEM Equality, Identity and Rights Ikawa, Daniela 3.0
HRTS GU4380 SEM Advocacy for Socio-Economic Rights Rosenthal, Mila 3.0
HRTS GU4460 SEM Climate Justice Dugard, Jackie 3.0
HRTS GU4850 SEM Beyond Human Rights Critique Wyman-McCarthy, Tim 3.0
HRTS GU4880 SEM Human Rights in the United States Chia, Joy 3.0
HRTS GU4930 SEM Int'l Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Cronin, Bruce 4.0
HRTS GU4940 SEM Human Rights and Education Mitoma, Glenn 3.0
HRTS GU4975 SEM Borders, Surveillance, Rights Molavi, Shourideh 3.0
INAF U6123 SEM Storytelling for Social Change: Skills and Narratives Chisholm, Nicole Jamiyla 3.0
INAF U6202 SEM Internet Governance and Human Rights Micek, Peter 3.0
INAF U6405 LEC Human Rights and the Politics of Inequality Braun, Rainer 3.0
INAF U6462 SEM Collaborative Social Justice and Health Policy Goldberg, Rose 1.0
INAF U6499 PRC Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy Practicum Perez, Laura 1.5
INAF U8166 SEM Rethinking Human Rights and Humanitarianism Heinrich, Andrew 3.0
INAF U8180 SEM Human Rights Skills and Advocacy Becker, Jo 3.0
LAW L6459 LEC The Law of Genocide Rosensaft, Menachem 2.0
LAW L8006 SEM Domestic Violence and the Law Leidholdt, Dorchin 2.0
LAW L8816 SEM Transnational Business and Human Rights Ewing, Anthony P 2.0
LAW L9383 SEM International Humanitarian Law Rona, Gabor 2.0
PUAF U8353 SEM Race Policy and American Politics Greer, Christina 3.0
REGN U6410 SEM Social Movements and Citizenship in Africa Prais, Jinny 3.0
SOCI GU4801 SEM Israel and the Palestinians Cohen, Yinon 4.0
SUMA K5888 LEC Geographies of Environmental Justice and Sustainability Williams, John 3.0
SUMA PS4490 LEC Women in Cities Blaustein, Susan 3.0
SUMA PS5040 LEC ESG-Aligned Corporate Governance Wasser, Jessica 3.0
WMST GR6001 SEM Theoretical Paradigm: Feminist Practice: Reframing Gender Violence, Globally Abu-Lughod, Lila 4.0
WMST GU4330 SEM SWANA Diasporas: Culture, Politics, and Identity Formation in a Time of War Moradian, Manijeh 4.0
HRTS W4915 SEM Human Rights and Urban Public Space Chasin, Noah 3.0