Liberal Studies M.A. Program: Human Rights Studies
Degree Programs:
Full-Time/Part-Time: Free-Standing M.A.
The Program in Human Rights focuses on the concepts and day-to-day operation of human rights work from the viewpoint of several disciplines. The program is designed to introduce students from diverse backgrounds and with different professional interests to the general legal and philosophical principles and the history of human rights, and to offer them particular knowledge in one area of human rights-health, women and gender, economics and development, race and ethnicity, and religion. The program of study concludes with a substantial research paper analyzing the problems, mechanisms and philosophical underpinnings of human rights work.
Special Admission Requirements
Transcripts
An
official transcript showing all courses and grades of any academic work
from each college and university attended must be submitted.
A Transcript Request Form
should be completed and sent to each institution, school, etc. from
which you are requesting a transcript. Please ask the sending
institution to return this with the transcript. Each sheet downloaded
contains three transcript forms for your convenience.
A Fall Term Grade Report Form
should be used if you are currently taking courses and would like your
fall term grades to be seen by the faculty admissions committee of your
designated department or program. Please complete this form and return
it to us once the grades are available. If you are admitted, you must
submit a final official transcript.
Letters of recommendation
Two
letters of recommendation are required. If you have recently received
an academic degree or are currently enrolled in a degree program,
letters from faculty members are preferable. If you have not been
enrolled in an academic program for some time, you may submit letters
from supervisors or colleagues in positions of responsibility.
It is important that your recommendation letters come from people who know you well. They
should assess your particular strengths and weaknesses, your degree of
maturity, and your ability to complete successfully a demanding
academic program.
If your evaluators prefer to submit the letter in paper form, please download the Letter of Evaluation Form
GRE scores
Submission of GRE scores is optional. Admissions decisions are based on your application as a whole.
TOEFL scores
All international students whose native language is not English or
whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose
official language is not English, must submit scores of the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS. For more information,
refer to the GSAS admissions policy for international students.
Statement of Academic Purpose
It is necessary for us to evaluate your background and your
ability to succeed academically as well as to understand the reasons
you have chosen to apply to the Human Rights Studies program.
Therefore, please compose a statement of approximately 1,000 words
describing any relevant course work, preparation in languages,
professional activity and other experience pertaining to your
background and interest in the program and your academic plans for
graduate study at Columbia and their relation to your plans upon
receiving your M.A.
Writing Sample
Please provide a short paper no more than 1,000 words in length or a
similarly-sized coherent excerpt from a longer paper that you have
written for a course. Alternatively, provide a
focused essay written in an academic style in which you analyze an
article, book, exhibit or event relevant to your field of interest.
CV/Resume
A CV/Resume is required.
Miscellaneous
A Supplementary Materials Form
should be attached to any supplementary document which is not submitted
online. If you are submitting more than one document under the same
cover, please attach a separate form to each document.
Deadlines
There is No Admission for the Spring Semster
For Admission in the Fall Semester – March 15th
FLAS Fellowships are available for students entering in the Fall. If you are applying for the FLAS Fellowship you must submit your application, including the FLAS Essay by February 16th.
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