Health and Human Rights
Educational Objectives
The Certificate Program in Health and Human Rights is designed to:
- Increase understanding and foster positive attitudes among health professionals regarding the key linkages among human rights ideals, legal guarantees of human rights, and the promotion and protection of public health.
- Elaborate and explain details regarding the vital roles of health professionals in promoting human rights, especially the right to health, and building a “culture” of human rights.
- Build familiarity with international human rights standards, instruments, and the numerous state-based and international laws related to human rights, especially those that impact upon the health of populations and individuals.
- Introduce some skills needed to investigate, analyze, and document abuses of human rights as they relate to health and public health practice.
Eligibility
The Certificate Program in Health and Human Rights is open to all enrolled graduate degree or nursing degree program candidates from any academic unit within the Johns Hopkins University, with the exception of JHSPH MAS students, who are not eligible to apply until they have completed their primary degree program.
Admissions Criteria
Applicants should review the How to Apply page for information about eligibility and special instructions. The certificate program's review committee will review the applications and notify each applicant of their admissions decision.
Requirements for Successful Completion
The certificate program requires a minimum of 18 term credits. All required and elective courses must be taken for a letter grade and a 2.75 or better overall GPA for all Certificate courses is required. The certificate program length is flexible; it varies from student to student, however, the certificate must be completed within three years.
The student should review the section of the website that addresses completion before completing certificate program requirements. The student's transcript will not indicate that the certificate was earned until the Notification of Completion has been submitted and verified by the certificate program and processed by the Registrar.
Course of Study
Students should check the course catalog to confirm when courses are offered. The term and time may change from what is listed in the table below and some courses are only offered every other year. Students should also check for prerequisites and whether instructor consent is required for courses.
Course of Study | ||||||||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits | Online Term | Campus Term | ||||||
| 550.860 | Academic & Research Ethics All students are required to complete this free online course during their first term of study | 0 | 1,2,3,4,Summer | - | ||||||
Required CoursesStudents must complete two required courses: 1). a Human Rights and Health Seminar (180.636 or 180.600), and 2) Assessing the Epidemiologic Impact of Human Rights Violations (340.639). | ||||||||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits | Online Term | Campus Term | ||||||
| All students are required to take one of the two Human Rights and Health courses below: | ||||||||||
| 180.636 | Human Rights and Health Seminar | 3 | - | 2 | ||||||
| OR | ||||||||||
| 180.600 | Special Topics in Health and Human Rights: Public Health Implications of Health as a Human Right (fees) | 2 | - | WI | ||||||
| All students should also take the required course: | ||||||||||
| 340.639 | Assessing the Epidemiologic Impact of Human Rights Violations | 2 | - | 4 | ||||||
| Ethics Requirements: at least one of the three courses in ethics: | ||||||||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits | Online Term | Campus Term | ||||||
| 221.616 | Ethics of Public Health Practice in Developing Countries | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||||
| 306.625 | Ethical Issues in Health Policy | 3 | - | 2 | ||||||
| 306.665 | Research Ethics and Integrity: U.S. and International Issues | 3 | - | 3 | ||||||
| Elective Courses: total of at least six units. Includes at least one of the first two electives below: | ||||||||||
| Course Number | Course Name | Number of Credits | Online Term | Campus Term | ||||||
| 340.683 | Human Rights in Public Health Practice | 2 | - | 3 | ||||||
| 306.650 | Public Health and the Law | 3 | - | 3 | ||||||
| Additional Elective Courses: | ||||||||||
| 180.629 | Environmental and Occupational Health Law and Policy | 4 | - | 3 | ||||||
| 221.639 | Healthcare in Humanitarian Emergencies | 3 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| 301.615 | Seminar in Health Disparities | 3 | - | 2 | ||||||
| 301.627 | Understanding and Preventing Violence | 3 | - | 3 | ||||||
| 308.610 | The Political Economy of Social Inequalities and Its Consequences for Health and Quality of Life | 3 | - | 3 | ||||||
| 340.705 | Advanced Seminar in Social Epidemiology | 3 | - | 3
| ||||||
| 380.750 | Migration and Health: Concepts, Rates, and Relationships | 3 | - | 3 | ||||||
| 380.756 | Poverty, Economic Development and Health | 4 | - | 2 | ||||||
| 410.611 | Health, Poverty, and Public Policy in the U.S. | 3 | - | 2 | ||||||
| 700.622 | Bioethics, Human Rights, and Public Health | 3 | - | 1 | ||||||
| SAIS 650.766 | Corporate Sustainability, Business and Human Rights (Course is offered at JHU School of International and Advanced Studies- please see their course catalog for information about timing) | |||||||||
WI = Course offered in the Winter Institute held in January in Baltimore/Washington DC
SI = Course offered in the Summer Institute in Baltimore
Sponsoring Department
Environmental Health and Engineering
Contact Information
Certificate Program Contact
Name: Margaret Burke
Phone: 410.502.7578
Email: mbburke@jhu.edu
Faculty Sponsor
Name: Robert S. Lawrence
Faculty Co-sponsor
Name: David Stein