ISHR’s Human Rights Summer Program offers students the opportunity to explore human rights both inside and outside the classroom. Courses can be taken independently or as part of a four-course certificate program.

Program participants include students enrolled in degree programs at Columbia University, visiting students, and professionals.

About the Institute: ISHR was the first academic center in the world to be founded on an interdisciplinary commitment to the study of human rights. It is committed to providing excellent human rights education, fostering innovative and interdisciplinary academic research, and building the capacity of human rights leaders, organizations, and universities around the world.

2013 ISHR Summer Courses

Session D: May 28 – July 5	Session Q: July 8 – August 16
Introduction to Human Rights	International Human Rights Law
Human Rights and Business	Human Rights and Visual Regimes
Human Rights of Women	Human Rights and Foreign Policy
Human Rights Skills and Advocacy

Program Overview

Students may take the four courses as part of the summer certificate program or individually. Course descriptions are available online.

Academic credit of 3 points is awarded for each course. All courses are 4000-level and are designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Students who take summer courses include non-degree students, students enrolled in the Human Rights Studies M.A. and human rights major, other CU degree programs, and visiting students from other schools. Previous coursework or knowledge of human rights is not required to enroll in the summer courses, but ISHR offers an optional half-day introductory class at the beginning of each summer session that reviews key human rights concepts, laws and institutions for interested students. This class is not offered for academic credit and no tuition fees are charged.

Throughout the summer, students are invited to attend discussions, trainings, performances, films, and other events related to human rights on and off campus. Students also have the opportunity to learn from human rights practitioners through in-class guest lectures and optional site visits. In the past, students have met practitioners working at organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the American NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture, Business for Social Responsibility, Human Rights Watch, and International Center for Transitional Justice, Sanctuary for Families, and UNHCR. Each year, students are also provided the opportunity to attend the Human Rights Watch Film Festival and a session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at the United Nations.

Application & Registration Deadlines

Application Deadlines	Registration Dates
Session D: May 16th	Early registration for Columbia students: April 1-5 & April 29-May 3
Session Q: June 27th	Session D Registration: May 23 – May 28
	Session Q registration: July 3 – July 8

All new and visiting students must apply to the School of Continuing Education Summer Session in order to register for summer courses. Current Columbia Students do not need to apply.

Registration information for current, new, and visiting students is available on Continuing Education’s registration page.

Please see the Summer 2013 Calendar for all registration, application and session dates.