Human Rights, MS

Location(s): University Downtown Center

Climate change; racialized violence; threats against people of color, migrants, women and children in a context of global impoverishment and inequality - do you want to do something about today’s human rights crises? Binghamton University’s Master of Science (MS) in Human Rights program trains students to engage and participate in efforts to transform society and change the world. This innovative master’s program is the first human rights-focused graduate degree offered by the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

This program shapes professionals to not only serve and lead organizations but also produce rigorous and critical knowledge. It gives equal attention to the international human rights regime, research methods informed by critical theory, and community-based and organizational practice. The program immerses students in the theory and practice of human rights evaluated critically through the lenses of race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, place, community and/or nationality. Driven by a critical interdisciplinary spirit, the MS in Human Rights offers professional training for applied research and practice. Students learn to analyze the world around them through the lens of human rights and develop skills for working in local, regional, national and international organizations.

Admission Requirements

Consideration for admission to the MS in Human Rights program is open to all individuals with a BA or BS degree from a recognized college or university that meets the admission requirements of Binghamton University’s Graduate School. To be eligible for graduate study, you must:

Provide a complete set of your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) academic transcripts showing one of the following:
- You have earned a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university.
- You are within one academic year of earning a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university.
- You are eligible to apply as part of a memorandum of understanding between your current institution and Binghamton University.
Have earned, at minimum, one of the following:
- 3.0 GPA over your entire undergraduate career.
- 3.0 GPA during your last 60 semester-credits or 90 quarter-credits of your undergraduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as “Pass/Fail”).
- 3.0 GPA in a graduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as “Pass/Fail”).

All students applying to the MS in Human Rights program must submit the following materials:

Online graduate degree application with graduate degree application fee.
Academic transcripts from each college or university that you have attended.
Two letters of recommendation. The letters should come from instructors or professors who can attest to your academic ability for graduate study. If you have been out of college for at least three years, you may submit current letters of reference from employment supervisors or others affiliated with your employment who can attest to your ability to perform successfully and professionally and to the likelihood of success in a graduate program.
Personal statement. The personal statement is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and demonstrate your knowledge and passion for the field of human rights. We are strongly interested in applicants who demonstrate the capacity to foster an institutional culture that advances human rights principles and practices and can succeed in a demanding graduate program. The statement should specifically address your interest in the program, career goals, commitment to human rights principles and practices, and current skills and experiences relative to your current or intended career in human rights. The statement should be two double-spaced pages in length.
Resume or curriculum vitae.
Writing sample. The writing sample should be on a relevant topic and may be a paper submitted for an advanced undergraduate or graduate course, a piece of professional writing or an essay.
GRE scores are not required. International applicants must also submit results from either TOEFL (minimum score of 100) or IELTS (minimum score in Band Seven) unless they have received a college or university degree from a U.S. institution or an institution in a country whose official language is English.

For general guidelines for these materials, see the Binghamton University Graduate School’s Admission Requirements website.

We evaluate applications on a rolling basis. It is strongly recommended that prospective students wishing to be considered for a graduate assistantship or other departmental funding submit applications by January 1.

Program Requirements

Course Requirements

Students pursuing the MS in Human Rights must take the required 9 courses (36 credits), as follows:

A. Core Coursework (15 credits)

B. Research Methods (8 credits)

C. Internship (4 credits)

MSHR 520 - Community-Based Experience

D. Capstone Project (4credits)

MSHR 599 - Capstone Project Seminar

E. Electives (4 credits)

To be taken in a related, specialized field determined in collaboration with the student’s graduate advisor.

Academic Advising

All students will be assigned a faculty advisor to assist them in developing a proposed program of study to use as a guide toward degree completion. New students will be required to meet with their advisor (i.e., in person or via email) at least once each semester, before registering for the subsequent semester’s coursework. In the event it becomes necessary, the program director will substitute as the faculty advisor for a student.

Practical Experience Requirement-Internship Information

This course is designed to ensure accountability and feedback through the community-based experience at three levels: supervision/evaluation by the practicum site supervisor; coordination/consultation with the instructor; and co-reflection/discussion with fellow students.

Students must actively participate in a community-based experience at a local human service agency for 10-12 hours per week, for a semester total of 120 hours. The 10-12 hours should be allotted either in full-day and/or half-day increments so the student may maximize the richness of the experience. It is the student’s responsibility to identify and contact possible internship sites. The site must be approved by the program director, in conjunction with the Department of Human Development Community Liaison. Students will begin the community-based experience by the first week of the semester and continue at the same site throughout the semester.

Capstone Project Information

In addition to coursework, students are required to complete and submit a capstone project. Students will select between two tracks, detailed below. Students must have their capstone project proposals (which will be based on proposals written for MSHR 504/505 and MSHR 520) approved by faculty by the end of the second semester of studies. Students are expected to collect data on research or begin implementation in the summer before taking MSHR 599 Capstone Project Seminar.

In this seminar, students are required to finish the capstone project. To be eligible to register for MSHR 599, students are required to hold a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and have completed MSHR 504 and MSHR 505 (Integrative Community-Based Research I and II); MSHR 520 (Community-Based Experience); and MSHR 510 (Theorizing Social Change).

Traditional Research Thesis (Track 1):

Students in the research thesis track must submit an article-length work of original research, of publishable quality. Students in the research thesis track will spend the first month of their third semester of studies writing a draft of the capstone project paper based on the data gathered in the second semester (or the summer). The subsequent two months of the semester will focus on revisions, informed by peer and instructor feedback. The product will be a paper of publishable quality. Students are required to submit this paper to a peer-reviewed journal in the last week of classes. Students will do a mock conference presentation to prepare students for academic and other conferences.

Applied Thesis (Track 2):

The format requirements will vary for students in the applied thesis track, and must be approved by the primary advisor and the program director. Capstone projects in this track will be evaluated on the basis of their originality, creativity and contribution to human rights. Students in the applied track will submit a summer progress report at the beginning of the semester, and continue to submit regular progress reports as the semester progresses. During the seminar, students will receive feedback from community members and their colleagues and faculty in the human rights program, which will inform the evolution of the project and its implementation. Students are required to submit a final program evaluation at the end of the semester that assesses the achievements of the project with respect to its stated goals and provides a reflection on the student’s experience. Students will create a mock conference presentation to prepare to present their work in a professional setting.

Additional Information about the Program:

MS in Human Rights students must earn a grade of B or better in all courses in the curriculum. Students are permitted to repeat for credit a graduate course in which they earned a grade of B- or lower. This option is contingent on approval by the graduate program director. A course may be repeated only once. Students should refer to the course repeat policy in the Binghamton University Graduate School Manual.

Part-Time Study
The MS in Human Rights program offers both full-time and part-time study options. Students are required to meet with their program director to develop an individualized program. Students opting to pursue the program part-time should note that per the Graduate School policy, a master’s degree curriculum must be completed within five years from the date of matriculation to remain eligible for awarding of the degree.

For more information on the Human Rights MS program, please refer to the Human Development department website. To apply to the Human Rights MS program, visit the University Admissions website.