The Certificate in Human Rights (uncapped/nonselective) is open to all Yale undergraduates and will require the specific introductory course, GLBL 3102, Gateway to Human Rights (the first instance will be taught in the Fall 2025), plus four elective courses in human rights. These electives will be tagged in Yale course search with the Human Rights elective attribute. The electives will be categorized as being either domestic or international as an area of study; students will be required to take at least one of each area of study in the four electives that they take.

The Intensive Certificate in Human Rights is selective, with applications open to sophomores each spring semester. The Intensive Certificate in Human Rights will require the introductory course, GLBL 3102, Gateway to Human Rights, plus five Human Rights elective courses and participation in a non-credited senior colloquium. The cohorts selected for the intensive certificate will be intentionally small (around 15 students). Students will be required to take at least one of each area of study (domestic and international) in the five electives that they choose.

The application round for Spring 2025 closed on Friday, March 7.

We understand that some students were not aware of the application timeline this spring (2025) for the new intensive certificate. We will hold an extraordinary application round in fall 2025 for undergraduates in the classes of 2026 and 2027 (only). This application round will open September 5, 2025, and close at 5pm EST on September 12, 2025.

See a list of courses that count as Human Rights elective courses (list subject to change).

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