The University Network is proud to announce a new Minor in Human Rights Advocacy in partnership with Wesleyan University. The Minor will offer Wesleyan students the opportunity to merge their interdisciplinary studies with hands-on experience in human rights practice over the course of their academic study at Wesleyan. 

The new Advocacy Minor builds on two former programs: our Human Rights Summer Intensive and our Pilot Program in Human Rights Advocacy. For more information about the origins of our minor, click the links above.

Applications for the new Minor at Wesleyan are accepted each semester. Students selected for the Advocacy Minor will complete seven required courses in human rights: 

• Human Rights Standards

• Human Rights Advocacy

• Advanced Human Rights Advocacy

• Research and Writing for Advocacy

• Three (3) additional courses related to human rights offered by Wesleyan faculty and/or University Network Staff

These courses are designed to provide students with an understanding of foundational human rights texts and critiques, and sharpen their research, writing, and advocacy skills. The flexibility of the Minor’s curriculum will allow students the ability to personalize their schedules and distribute their Advocacy Minor courses across multiple academic semesters.

As part of the Minor, students will receive training from human rights experts, practice their fact-finding and documentation skills in our Intensive Simulation Exercise, and apply their skills to real-world human rights projects under the guidance of our experienced supervisors. Throughout the Minor, our supervisors and staff will provide personalized feedback to students, developing students’ skills to advance human rights and social justice, locally and globally. Through their projects, students will directly support the work of communities facing rights abuse and injustice. 

During breaks in the academic year, students in the Minor may travel to the site of rights abuse to work directly with affected communities in small groups (2 or 3 students) with a supervisor.

We encourage all Wesleyan students who share a passion for social justice and human rights to apply, regardless of their intended career trajectory. The goal of the Minor is to allow students to critically engage in human rights and, in the future, engage with human rights from their chosen profession in ethical, informed, and creative ways.

Do you Have questions? Check out our FAQ.