Study Human Rights from the Uniquely Catholic Perspective

The Master of Arts in Human Rights, developed by the Institute for Human Ecology (IHE), is designed for students who wish to study human rights from a distinctly Catholic perspective. It draws upon existing courses of several schools at The Catholic University of America. The interdisciplinary degree is awarded by the School of Arts and Sciences. The program’s director is human rights expert William Saunders, J.D. The distinguished Advisory Board consists of experts in Catholic social thought and human rights - Robert George (Princeton), Mary Ann Glendon (Harvard), John Keown (Georgetown), Fr. Kevin Flannery, SJ (Gregorian), Helen Alvare (George Mason), John DiIulio (Pennsylvania), Thomas Farr (Religious Freedom Institute). (Photo above: students meet with Dr. Glendon at the State Department)

Graduates will:

  • Become knowledgeable about the international legal structure of human rights
  • Understand the Catholic anthropology of the human person
  • Understand the natural law of rights and the place of rights in the political order
  • Be able to analyze and discuss whether claimed “rights” are defensible as such
  • Understand the intersection of human rights concepts and Catholic social thought
  • Be prepared to contribute to the building of a culture of human rights that advances the good of the human person in community
  • Learn about cutting edge human rights issues with lecturers such as Chen Guangcheng, the Barefoot Lawyer
  

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit

  1. Application fee
  2. A letter indicating the reasons for pursuing the degree
  3. Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work with a minimum GPA of 3.0
  4. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score or a Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score
  5. Three letters of recommendation
  6. An admissions interview with the program director, William Saunders

International applicants must submit:

  1. Application fee
  2. A letter indicating the reasons for pursuing the degre
  3. An official translation of foreign transcripts from an approved source 
(e.g., through World Education Services)
  4. Scores on the IELTS or TOEFL in accordance with university policy
  5. Three letters of recommendation in English
  6. An admissions interview with the program director, William Saunders

Application Deadlines

Priority deadline for scholarship consideration: February 1
Fall deadline for international applicants: July 15
Fall deadline for domestic applicants: August 1