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Human Rights Case Studies: Learn and Analyze through Online Courses

Case studies are a powerful way to learn more about human rights. In case studies you can learn more about the complexities and challenges of human rights law, recognize the hardships victims of human rights violations are facing and apply the knowledge and skills you have developed during your learning journey in a practical setting. We have compiled a list of online courses that feature human rights case studies. All courses in the list below are free to audit, you can choose to opt-in for a paid verified certificate for an extra fee. Financial aid is available for those who qualify through the course providers.

Amnesty International – Human Rights Defenders

If you want to learn first-hand about the difficulties, hardships and challenges human rights defenders are facing, this course is an excellent choice. Amnesty’s Human Rights Defenders Course features several human rights defenders from various walks of life and various regions of the world. In case studies you will learn about the risks associated with human rights and how you can use your own voice to defend human rights. Throughout the course you have the opportunity to develop your own action plan, that will accompany you on your pathway to action.

UCLouvain – International Law

This law course will explore the judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). You will learn what happens when legally binding rules are breached and how to seek justice through various mechanisms and systems. The course is part of a MicroMasters(R) program that also includes courses on humanitarian law and human rights law.

The University of North Carolina – Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy

This course offered by University of North Carolina considers topics and issues such as pollution, water law, endangered species, toxic substances, environmental impact analyses, and environmental risk. In each chapter of the course you will learn and analyze specific cases to develop a better understanding of environmental law and environmental protection. The entire course takes approximately 15 hours to complete.

University of Minnesota – Resilience in Children Exposed to Trauma, Disaster and War: Global Perspectives

This online course is offered by University of Minnesota. The second module of the course highlights the models and methods used in resilience science and also investigates case studies that relate to resilience, trauma, disaster and war. In the last week of the course you will learn about the stories of young people who experienced the trauma of war and conflict.  The course aims to equip you with knowledge and skills of what can be done to protect young people at risk from trauma, war, disasters, and other adversities. You will also learn about the importance of fostering resilience in children at risk.

Princeton University – Writing Case Studies 

This skill-oriented course offered by Princeton University will be helpful for everyone writing their own case studies. In this course you will learn about key elements of case studies, how to develop a research strategy and how to plan and carry out an interview professionally. You will also discover how to handle common challenges when doing research and how you can plan the writing process of your case study. The entire course takes roughly 20 hours to complete.

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Human Rights Careers

Human Rights Careers (HRC) provides information about online courses, jobs, paid internships, masters degrees, scholarships and other opportunities in the human rights sector and related areas.