Minor Requirements

David Cohen speaks to his Transitional Justice class.

Completion of a minimum of 25 units of Human Rights-related coursework

  1. All students must complete the required gateway course
  2. Students must complete at least one course across each of three streams to ensure breadth and depth. Students may select courses from a pre-approved list or petition to receive credit for another course.
    • Foundations: courses that explore the fundamental theoretical or historical foundations of human rights, or broadly survey institutions integrally involved in the protection and promotion of human rights
    • Contemporary Issues: courses that offer a depth of study on a particular human rights issue, such as poverty, gender equality, public health, or the environment, or the human rights reality of a specific geography, social group, or context
    • Practice: courses dedicated to the practical application of human rights principles through skills development, advocacy training, and experiential or community-engaged learning
  3. Student must complete a capstone requirement. To fulfill the Capstone requirement, students may choose between one of two pathways: the Independent Project Pathway or the Course Equivalency Pathway. Students must complete 3-5 units for their capstone requirement, reflecting the nature of the student’s proposal. The student must receive a grade of ‘B’ or higher to claim credit for the human rights minor. Learn more about the capstone requirement.

Administrative requirements

  1. Students may not double-count courses for completing major and minor requirements.
  2. At least 10 of the 25 units must be completed on Stanford’s campus.
  3. All courses to be counted toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade.
  4. All students must maintain a GPA of no less than 3.0 in the classes counting toward the minor, and all courses will be taken for a letter grade except where letter grades are not offered, as required by University policy.
As I reflect over my time at Stanford, I am so grateful for everything the Human Rights minor has given me. It has given me the ability to connect my own fight for social justice and liberation to the institutions that hold power. It has given me the opportunity to take advantage of Stanford's resources and travel across the world. But most of all, it has given me a passion to continue fighting for change, something I know I will take with me as I move on to future endeavors.
Cheng-Hau standing in an archway.
Cheng-Hau Kee '19