Social Justice and Human Rights Concentration
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, 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.
Other Concentrations
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 experience 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.
Mason offers many Accelerated Master's Programs that allow students to earn a bachelor's and master's degrees in as little as 5 years. Click here to learn more about the different degree programs.
The Masters of Art in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) is also in the School of Integrative Studies and offers a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights. Our Undergraduate and Graduate advisors work together to support SIS students through this pathway.
Major Map
| First Year | Middle Years | Last Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academics |
Take required courses. Make a connection with a professor. Meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester your first year. Small classroom learning in this major Find scholarships. |
Meet with your advisor to choose courses and stay on track with meeting degree requirements. Declare/consider declaring your concentration. Consider a double major or a minor. Is a Bachelor to Accelerated Master's (BAM) program right for you? Apply as early as 60 credits! Reach out to faculty for research mentorship. |
Work closely with your advisor to verify you are meeting your graduation requirements. Apply for graduation. Take INTS 491 Senior Capstone (Mason Core). Consider submitting your research to CHSS Research Symposium.
|
| Career and Professional Prep |
See what students and alumni say about this major. Visit the Career Services Center to start research on the types of jobs or industries you may find interesting (ex. Human Services, Nonprofit, Work Abroad, and more). Build a resume and LinkedIn profile to continue career exploration and develop your professional persona. Activate your Handshake profile to explore and opt-in to industry email lists. Start talking to professionals and faculty members via informational interviews to gain insight on their path through their career. |
Enroll in INTS 420: College to Career Skills. Look for internship opportunities using University Career Services and Handshake. Have an internship? Enroll in INTS 490: Internship to receive credit for internship. Discuss with multiple faculty and current professionals in the work force whether graduate school might be the right path for you. Consider graduate or professional schools in the United States or abroad. Prepare standardized admission tests for graduate or professional schools, if necessary. Apply for scholarships and fellowships. Create your own Career Advisory Board (pdf). Join student organizations related to your career field. Talk to your professors about your goals, and ask them about job or internship opportunities. Connect with Mason alumni who share your career interests and have a career conversation (docx) with them. Use job search sites specific to your career field. Attend career fairs and employer events where you can meet multiple representatives. International Students: Be informed of the latest immigration compliance rules and regulations for on-campus and off-campus work authorization. Contact the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) for more information. |
Specify prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least nine months before graduation. Finalize materials for post-graduation employment (such as your LinkedIn page, a portfolio, etc). For graduate school applications, prepare statement of purpose/goals statement, resume and/or CV, and notify the writers of your letters of recommendation before application deadlines.
|
| Experiences |
Attend a meeting of )department-sponsored student club) to meet fellow majors and get involved in LinkedIn and Mason 360. Consider joining at least one Mason student org. Check them all out on Mason 360. Look ahead to planning a student abroad program through the Global Education Office. In the meantime, see what Northern Virginia and Washington DC have to offer!
|
Meet people and become involved in the life of the college. Events and news for your major. Strengthen your leadership competency. Become a CHSS Ambassador. Become a CHSS Undergraduate Learning Assistant. |
Attend a regional or national research conference (Search for student discounts or complimentary for conference registration). Join professional associations (student discount membership may be available).
|