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About
the Major in Human Security
One
of the most innovative, forward-thinking disciplines
in international affairs today, the human security
major covers a wide swath of issues critical to the
safety of people worldwide.
Students
in the human security program study threats to individuals
from non-governmental, nonmilitary sources. Examples include civil wars,
international migration and crime, global climate
changes, natural disasters, and refugees. Drawing
on a variety of related academic disciplines, students
prepare for careers as analysts and policymakers in
many settings, notably government, nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), think tanks, and the United
Nations.
Our
program, one of the first of its kind in the United
States , emphasizes the development of peacekeeping
and peace-building skills. Students will be able to
pursue research interests through the Ford Institute
for Human Security, where current projects include
- genocide;
- slave and forced labor;
- corporate social responsibility;
- intrastate conflict
and human rights;
- internal displacement;
- forced migration;
- refugees;
- environmental security;
and
- public health.
An
example of the major's interdisciplinary approach
to human security issues is the study of water supply
and the problems associated with division of water
rights and resulting shortages. Such research might
include a study of the role of climate change and
public health, as well as the impact of water supply
on food shortages.
Graduates
might work internationally or domestically. Because
the globalization process has made the world seem
exponentially smaller, threats from tsunamis, earthquakes,
disease, and starvation are arriving faster and in
a more dramatic fashion than ever before. By training
students to focus on the human condition as a planet,
our program seeks to teach a new generation of leaders
able to guide our global community through some of
the most perilous times it has ever experienced.
Click
to download (PDF Document) the Plan of Study for the
Major in Human Security
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