Disclosure: Human Rights Careers may be compensated by course providers.

5 Free Courses on Protecting Vulnerable Groups and Populations

Caring for Vulnerable Children

Caring for Vulnerable Children is a free online course offered by the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom. The class is geared toward individuals with no previous experience in health care who are interested in pursuing a career in the field as well as health care professionals who are new to their positions, wish to advance in their careers or require additional education to adequately perform their job duties. During the six-week course, students will learn the definition of vulnerability and discover techniques to help them better care for children who qualify for the term.

Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice

Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice is a free online course offered by Harvard University, a prestigious Ivy League institution in the United States. This intensive course is geared toward policymakers, lawyers, health workers, educators, law enforcement, and social workers and lasts for 28 weeks. Topics covered in the video lectures include The Legal Foundation of Child Protection; Defining and Measuring Child Protection; Causes and Consequences of Violence;  Strategies for Preventing and Addressing Violence; Examples of Preventing and Addressing Violence; Children in Conflict with the Law; Children in Contact with the Law; Migrant Children and the Law; Components of a Child Protection System; Identifying Problems in Child Protection System; and Global and Local Action to Strengthen Child Protection Systems.

Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People

Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People is a free online course offered by the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. Through this class, students will develop their communication skills, so that they are better able to provide support and care in educational, health care and social services settings. The class lasts for four weeks and is taught through online videos and supplemental assignments. Most students will need to devote four hours of study time to the class per week in order to master the topics covered.

Improving Palliative Care in Care Homes for Older People

Improving Palliative Care in Care Homes for Older People is a free online course offered by Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. Intended for individuals who work in long-term care settings, this class examines elder care homes in six European countries that were reviewed by the PACE, Palliative Care for Older People study. The three-week class uncovers areas of improvement for these facilities in order to educate students on how they can enhance care in their own workplaces.

Human Rights, Human Wrongs

Offered by the SDG Academy, this course takes 11 weeks to complete. Our world cannot afford the continued violations of fundamental human rights. The injustices towards marginalized groups – from women to children, and indigenous peoples – not only affect them but also jeopardize global stability and our collective future. This MOOC provides a platform for recognizing these issues as participants uncover barriers to justice and human rights.

About the author

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.