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:
Elif Babül, Professor of Anthropology
Serin Houston, Associate Professor of Geography and International Relations
Requirements for the Nexus
A minimum of 18 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Four courses chosen from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair | 16 | |
At least one course at the 300 level | ||
At least one course at the 200 level or above | ||
One course at the 100 level or above 1 | ||
| A substantive summer internship 2 | ||
| COLL-211 | Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education | 2 |
| A presentation at LEAP Symposium | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Only one course at the 100 level is permitted to count toward the Nexus.
- 2
The summer internship must meet College requirements for a substantial educational experience: 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
-
Students will schedule an advising meeting with a track chair to get approval and complete an online 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-216PR | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Precarious Labor' | 4 |
| ANTHR-316HD | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Problematizing Humanitarianism' | 4 |
| ANTHR-316LW | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Ethnographies of Law' | 4 |
| ANTHR-316VN | Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Violence and the State' | 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 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON-213 | Economic Development | 4 |
| ECON-220 | Introduction to Econometrics | 4 |
| ECON-310 | Seminar in Public Economics | 4 |
| ECON-320 | Econometrics | 4 |
| English | ||
| ENGL-226 | Black Before the Law | 4 |
| Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
| EOS-299ND | Topic: 'Individuals and Organizations' | 4 |
| French | ||
| FREN-331FE | Courses on Social and Political Issues and Critical Approaches: 'Fabulous Feasts: French Cuisine and Food Culture' | 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 |
| German Studies | ||
| GRMST-231HR | Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'History and Law' | 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-248TE | Topics in Politics: 'Science, Technology and Public Policy' | 4 |
| POLIT-273 | Public Policy | 4 |
| POLIT-314 | Political Violence: Causes and Solutions | 4 |
| POLIT-327 | Transitional Justice | 4 |
| POLIT-334 | Black American Political Thought | 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 |
| POLIT-385 | Global Security | 4 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSYCH-201 | Statistics | 4 |
| Religion | ||
| RELIG-209 | Disability and Religion | 4 |
| RELIG-267 | Buddhist Ethics | 4 |
| Sociology | ||
| SOCI-225 | Social Science Research and Data Analysis | 4 |
