Fairfax, USA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest start date
TUITION FEES
USD 4,897 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for International student | Domestic student is 1st of February
** in-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 16,980 - out-of-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 1,803 - mandatory student fee
Key Summary
Introduction
Students in the Social Justice and Human Rights programs examine a wide variety of oppressions such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, anti-immigrant oppression, ableism, economic injustice, animal exploitation, and environmental injustice, as well as related denials of human rights, such as human trafficking, settler colonialism, mass incarceration, use of sweatshop and child labor, unequal access to education, and voter disenfranchisement.
This concentration is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and competencies necessary for vocations or further study related to social, political, and economic equality; human rights education, advocacy, and law; and domestic and global justice. Students examine local, societal, and global issues through both a human rights lens, focusing on the fundamental rights of human beings and how they are secured or denied, and a social justice lens, focusing on societal inequalities and how they are sustained or alleviated. By doing so they develop nuanced understandings of the relationships between individual experiences in a local context and global systems of privilege and oppression. These understandings are applied to the study of a variety of forms of exploitation ranging from racism, sexism, and heterosexism to environmental degradation and animal abuse; violations of fundamental human rights such as human trafficking and denial of access to education; and the theory and practice behind movements fomented in response. Graduates are well prepared for local or international work in legal, non-profit, educational, and community change organizations and governmental agencies.
Program Outcome
- Written Communication - Demonstrate effective writing skills while understanding and communicating with diverse audiences.
- Inquiry - Evaluate scholarly works and format a question, problem, or challenge that is relevant and appropriate in scope.
- Civic Engagement - Articulate the responsibility of the individual within local and global communities.
- Digital Literacy – Proficient use of information technology and congruence with ethical standards around digital literacy in everyday life.
- Reflective Practice – Analyze prior learning and apply that knowledge to demonstrate comprehension and future implications.
- Well-Being - Develop self-efficacy and regularly assess the quality of one's own life.
Career Opportunities
This concentration prepares students for:
- graduate studies in fields such as human rights education, advocacy, law, and domestic and global justice
- careers in legal, nonprofit, educational, and community change organizations and governmental agencies.
Curriculum
Degree Requirements
Total credits: minimum 120
Integrative studies students complete INTS 391 Understanding Integrative Studies and choose a concentration from the options below. Before registering, students should see an advisor to help plan their degree program to meet Mason requirements. The advisor also can help students choose electives or a minor.
Required Course
- INTS 391 Understanding Integrative Studies 3
Concentration in the Major
A concentration is the equivalent of a major in a traditional degree program. Students choose from an established multidisciplinary concentration below or create with faculty an individualized program of study to fit their interests and needs. Concentration coursework combines integrative studies (INTS) classes with coursework from other Mason units (departments, schools, and colleges). While fulfilling the concentration requirements, students are also responsible for completing a minimum of 30 credits of INTS coursework. Any INTS courses required for the concentration will apply. Students must present a minimum GPA of 2.00 in courses applied to the concentration.
Social Justice and Human Rights (SJHR)
Examines local, societal, and global issues through both a human rights lens, focusing on the fundamental rights of human beings and how they are secured or denied, and a social justice lens, focusing on societal inequalities and how they are sustained or alleviated. Students develop nuanced understandings of the relationships between individual experiences in a local context and global systems of privilege and oppression. Students complete the following coursework:
Core Courses
- INTS 334 Environmental Justice (Mason Core) 4
- INTS 362 Social Justice and Human Rights (Mason Core) 3
- INTS 337 Social Justice Consciousness and Action 3 or INTS 434 Research for Social Change
- INTS 437 Critical Race Studies (Mason Core) 3 or INTS 438 Representations of Race (Mason Core)
Total Credits 13
Electives
Select 18 credits from the following: 18
- INTS 300 Law and Justice (Mason Core)
- INTS 304 Social Movements and Community Activism (Mason Core)
- INTS 305 Conflict Resolution and Transformation
- INTS 310 Violence and Gender
- INTS 315 Spirituality and Conflict Transformation (Mason Core)
- INTS 316 Introduction to Childhood Studies (Mason Core)
- INTS 319 Contemporary Youth Studies (Mason Core)
- INTS 336 Poverty, Wealth and Inequality in the US (Mason Core)
- INTS 337 Social Justice Consciousness and Action
- INTS 346 Art as Social Action (Mason Core)
- INTS 347 Gender Representation in Popular Culture (Mason Core)
- INTS 405 Women and Leadership
- INTS 416 Refugee and Internal Displacement (Mason Core)
- INTS 417 Human Trafficking and Smuggling
- INTS 435 Leadership in a Changing Environment
- INTS 436 Social Justice Education (Mason Core)
- ANTH 365 Scientific Racism and Human Variation
- ANTH 367 DNA, Identity, and Power
- SOCI 307 Social Movements and Political Protest
- SOCI 308 Race and Ethnicity in a Changing World (Mason Core)
- SOCI 326 Conflict, Violence, and Peace
- SOCI 394 Sociology of Human Rights
Other relevant coursework from AFAM, ANTH, COMM, CONF, CRIM, CULT, EVPP, FRLN, GLOA, GOVT, PHIL, PSYC, SOCI, WMST, and other coursework with advisor approval.
Total Credits 18
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English Language Requirements
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