Civil and Human Rights

Transform your studies with insights into justice, law, and human dignity.

Requirements:
15 credit hours

Open to:
all undergraduate students

Disciplinary Focus:
political science; economics; anthropology; history; sociology; law; theology

Two students in a classroom conversation. A man wearing a maroon shirt and a Notre Dame scarf gestures with his hand while speaking. A woman with long, dark hair wearing a red jacket listens attentively.

The minor in civil and human rights provides a unified and interdisciplinary study of domestic and global civil and human rights with an emphasis on the dignity of the human person.

Students receive an introduction to theories and laws, and are able to study certain issues of justice and equity in depth, building a lifelong commitment to pursuing civil and human rights in their chosen profession.

This minor is proudly administered by the Keough School’s Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights.

Curriculum

15 credit hours

Core Courses

6 credit hours

One course with a global focus, either:

Introduction to International Human Rights (3 credits) or
International Law and Human Rights (3 credits)

One course with a domestic focus, either:

The New Stratification: Immigration Policy and Human Rights (3 credits) or
Contemporary Issues in Race and U.S. Law (3 credits)

Electives

9 credit hours

Electives allow you to focus on the topics that resonate most with your personal or professional interests. Below is a sample of electives offered:

God and Slavery in the Americas
Social Consequences of Mass Incarceration
Black Political Thought
Human Trafficking Policy
Forced Migration and Refugees

“The minor in civil and human rights gave me a moral framework — a critical lens through which I examine systems of government, power, and policy.”

Kristen Lemus ’25

Ready to take the next step?

For more information about the minor in civil and human rights, contact Arlene F. Montevecchio at amonteve@nd.edu.