St. Paul's Human Rights Minor

Minor in Human Rights

A minor in Human Rights is a secondary area of concentration in a subject different from your honours program. Students enrolled in any degree program may pursue this minor program.

Students interested in pursuing a minor in Human Rights need to complete a Plan Modification Form and submit it to Professor Anna Purkey, program director for approval. In order to be eligible to declare it, you must have at least 0.5 units (1 course) completed from the curriculum list with a 65% average or above. You can declare your minor starting in your second year.

To fulfill the minor, students must complete a minimum of four academic course units (eight courses) with a minimum cumulative average of 65% in accordance with the below curriculum.

*The curriculum of the minor in Human Rights is currently in revision. Below are the existing and proposed new curriculum.

Existing curriculum

The existing curriculum of the Human Rights Minor requires students to complete seven required courses and one elective:

Required courses
- HRTS 101, Introduction to Human Rights
- HRTS 102, Human Rights Codes, Commissions, and Policies
- HRTS 201, Human Rights Theory I
- HRTS 202, Human Rights Theory II
- HRTS 203, The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- HRTS 301, Human Rights and the United Nations
- HRTS 305/INDG305, Indigenous Rights in a Global Context
Approved electives
- GSJ 102, Introduction to Gender and Social Justice: The Global South
- GSJ 206/LS 201, Women and the Law
- HIST 221, Racism and Response in Canadian History
- HIST 321/LS 331, Human Rights in Historical Perspective
- INDG 201/CDNST 201, The Indigenous Experience in Canada
- PACS 318, Peacebuilding in Divided Societies
- PACS 324, Human Rights, Peace, and Business
- PHIL 328/LS 352, Human Rights
- PSCI 463/LS 463, Rights and Public Policy

Revised curriculum (beginning Fall 2022)

The proposed new curriculum of the minor in Human Rights requires students to complete four required courses and four electives:

Required Courses
- HRTS 101, Introduction to Human Rights
- HRTS 201, Foundations and Critiques of Human Rights (formerly Human Rights Theory I)
- HRTS 204, Discrimination, Rights, and Canadian Law (formerly HRTS 102, Human Rights Codes, Commissions, and Policies)
- HRTS 203, The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Approved Electives
- CI 250, Truth-Reconciliation-Story
- GSJ 102, Introduction to Gender and Social Justice: The Global South
- GSJ 206/LS 201, Women and the Law
- HIST 221, Racism and Response in Canadian History
- HIST 271, Global Indigenous Issues
- HIST 321/LS 331, Human Rights in Historical Perspective
- HIST 314, The American Civil Rights Movement
- HRTS 301, Human Rights and the United Nations
- HRTS 302, Critical Approaches to Contemporary Human Rights Issues
- HRTS 305/INDG305, Indigenous Rights in a Global Context
- HRTS 390, Special Topics in Human Rights
- HRTS 490, Advanced Topics in Human Rights
- INDG 201/CDNST 201, The Indigenous Experience in Canada
- PACS 318, Peacebuilding in Divided Societies
- PACS 324, Human Rights, Peace, and Business
- PACS 325, Refugees and Forced Migration
- PHIL 328/LS 352, Human Rights
- PSCI 421/LS 464, Justice and Gender
- PSCI 463/LS 463, Rights and Public Policy
- SDS 210R/LS 273, Children’s Rights in Canada
- SDS 449R, Race and Gender Equality
- SPAN 400, Memory, Human Rights, and Reconciliation