Law, Public Policy, and Human Rights
Eleanor Townsley, Nexus director
Katie Walker, coordinator
108 Daniel L. Jones Building
413-538-3010
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/academics/find-your-program/law-public-policy-and-human-rights
Overview and Contact Information
The goal of the Nexus in Law, Public Policy, and Human Rights is to provide students with the tools necessary to form a deep understanding of how complex relationships between local and national political processes both create public policies and shape legislation and its interpretation. This Nexus provides students with both an academic and experiential lens. Students will choose courses from several departments including politics, economics, history, and sociology in order to examine how both law and public policies are imbedded in much larger social, historical, and economic realities.
See Also
Faculty
This area of study is administered by the following Nexus track chair:
Serin Houston, Associate Professor of Geography and International Relations
Requirements for the Nexus
A minimum of 18 credits:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Three courses above the 100 level chosen from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair | 12 | |
One approved 300-level course from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair | 4 | |
A substantive internship 1 | ||
COLL-211 | Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education | 2 |
A presentation at LEAP Symposium | ||
Total Credits | 18 |
- 1
At least 200 work hours and responsibilities that exercise ability to think analytically and creatively, and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s stated mission and complements the student's area of focus
Additional Specifications
-
Nexus students will develop a brief proposal outlining their specific area of focus including a course outline. Students will schedule an advising meeting with a track chair to get approval and complete a Plan of Study form to be returned to the Nexus Program office.
- The sequence of a Nexus is part of what makes it unique:
-
In preparation for the summer internship or research, students complete courses chosen in consultation with the track chair. If seeking funding through LYNK UAF, students will additionally complete orientation and advising, and online training.
- COLL-211 is taken after the internship or research project and culminates in a presentation at LEAP Symposium.
-
Courses Counting toward the Nexus
Courses other than those listed below may count toward the Nexus. Students should consult the Nexus track chair for consideration of courses not on the list.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Anthropology | ||
ANTHR-216HR | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Anthropology and Human Rights' | 4 |
ANTHR-216MH | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Migration and Human Rights' | 4 |
ANTHR-316LW | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Ethnographies of Law' | 4 |
College(Interdeptmnt) Courses | ||
COLL-211 | Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education | 2 |
Critical Race & Political Econ | ||
CRPE-208 | Introduction to Twentieth-Century Critical Race Theory | 4 |
CRPE-244 | The Historical-Grammar of Black Feminist Thought Across the Caribbean and the Americas | 4 |
CRPE-356 | Latinas/os/x and Housing: Mi Casa Is Not Su Casa | 4 |
Economics | ||
ECON-213 | Economic Development | 4 |
ECON-220 | Introduction to Econometrics | 4 |
ECON-310 | Seminar in Public Economics | 4 |
ECON-320 | Econometrics | 4 |
Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
EOS-299ND | Topic: 'Individuals and Organizations' | 4 |
Geography | ||
GEOG-206 | Political Geography | 4 |
Gender Studies | ||
GNDST-206BF | Women and Gender in History: 'The Historical-Grammar of Black Feminist Thought Across the Caribbean and the Americas' | 4 |
GNDST-333MC | Advanced Seminar: 'Latinas/os/x and Housing: Mi Casa Is Not Su Casa' | 4 |
GNDST-333PG | Advanced Seminar: 'Who's Involved?: Participatory Governance, Emerging Technologies and Feminism' | 4 |
History | ||
HIST-230 | History and Law | 4 |
Philosophy | ||
PHIL-225 | Symbolic Logic | 4 |
Politics | ||
POLIT-235 | Constitutional Law: The Federal System | 4 |
POLIT-236 | Civil Liberties | 4 |
POLIT-247 | International Law and Organization | 4 |
POLIT-273 | Public Policy | 4 |
POLIT-314 | Political Violence: Causes and Solutions | 4 |
POLIT-327 | Transitional Justice | 4 |
POLIT-343 | Law and Religion | 4 |
POLIT-366 | Global Migration | 4 |
POLIT-384 | Ending War and Securing the Peace: Conflict Mediation and Resolution in the 21st Century | 4 |
Psychology | ||
PSYCH-201 | Statistics | 4 |
Religion | ||
RELIG-209 | Disability and Religion | 4 |
RELIG-267 | Buddhist Ethics | 4 |
Sociology | ||
SOCI-216WK | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Sociology of Social Work' | 4 |
SOCI-225 | Social Science Research and Data Analysis | 4 |
SOCI-231 | Criminology | 4 |
SOCI-234 | Social Problems | 4 |
SOCI-316VN | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Violence and Intimacy' | 4 |
Spanish | ||
SPAN-350MG | Advanced Studies in Concepts and Practices of Power: 'Spanish Migrations' | 4 |