Genocide Prevention & Human Security (M.A.)
The Master of Arts Program in Genocide Prevention and Human Security (GPHS) prepares students to engage the major 21st century challenges to peace through interdisciplinary research, policy analysis, and advocacy on genocide and mass atrocity prevention and the promotion of human security in local, national, and international frameworks.
The MA program offers three tracks:
Thesis Track - designed for students who wish to go on to PhD studies. They will have the option additionally of focusing on topic courses that reflect their academic interests and taking language courses (at Keene and elsewhere) to complement their studies.
For students more interested in nongovernmental organization (NGO) and other professional work after graduation, there are two tracks. Both the tracks will result in a final project involving substantial research and writing.
Critical Global Engagement - will allow students interested in international work to focus on a particular region and country, including through travel to that region, with optional internships and language courses while there.
Internship Track - allows students to take up to four courses that consist of completing internships and honing leadership, career building, and job skills.
The program offers an Accelerated Masters option for current undergraduate students who wish to complete their studies without interruption at the Masters level in the field of Genocide and Human Security.
MA courses will be taught either online (synchronous or asynchronous) or face-to-face, depending on face-to-face enrollment. Face-to-face courses will not be open to CAP students, unless they are in residence at the time.
Admissions Criteria
Students with a baccalaureate degree in any field may apply for admission to this graduate program on a part-time or full-time basis. Admission will be based upon the evaluation of undergraduate transcripts, a writing sample, and a statement of interest and intended study in the program. All students must submit an application for Graduate Study in Genocide Prevention and Human Security, including required materials, to the Graduate Studies Office. For additional information refer to the Graduate Application. All students will select a graduate faculty adviser upon matriculation to the program.
Accelerated Masters Admission Criteria
Any student with 74 undergraduate credits may apply for admission to the M.A. program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements (32 credits) | ||
| Introductory Courses | ||
| GPHS-600 | Intro to Atrocity Prevention | 4 |
| GPHS-601 | The Genocidal Process | 4 |
| Electives/Concentrations | ||
| Select up to four of the following courses: | 8-16 | |
| Seminar in Genocide Studies | ||
| Seminar in Holocaust Studies | ||
| Case Study in GPHS | ||
| Upstream Prevention (Certificate program course) | ||
| Midstream Prevention (Certificate program course) | ||
| Downstream Prevention (Certificate program course) | ||
| Independent Study (subject to faculty availability and approval) | ||
| Intro: Hist & Archive Studies | ||
| Students who are not in the Critical Global Engagement capstone track can take GPHS-693 and GPHS 694. | ||
| Students may decide to cluster their elective courses within one of five topics courses: Courses are available to be repeated up to 4 times for a total of 16 credits. | ||
| Gender & Genocide Prevention | ||
Topics may include: Gender & Genocide; Gender Identities & Conflict; Perpetrator Behavior; Queering Genocide Prevention; and Women & Peacebuilding. | ||
| Education & Genocide Preventio | ||
Topics may include: Education in Emergencies; Education & Genocide Prevention; and Memory & Memorialization. | ||
| Social Justice & Human Securty | ||
Topics may include: Human Security Approaches to Genocide Prevention; Social Justice Activism Against Genocide; Trauma & Social Healing; Peace Building in Theory and Practice; Refugee Crises; Ideologies of the Other; Colonialism & Genocide; and Indigeneity & Genocide. | ||
| Mapping, Tech & Prevention | ||
Topics may include: Genocide Prevention Policy: Issues & Actors; Early Warning; Technology & Genocide; and Mapping Genocide. | ||
| Law & Prevention | ||
Topics may include: Intervention in Genocide; Justice & Genocide; International Law & Genocide; Domestic Prosecutions & Universal Jurisdiction; and Lemkin & the Genocide Convention. | ||
| Capstones: Choose One Track | 8-16 | |
| Thesis Track (8-12 credits) | ||
| The thesis track is designed for students who wish to go on to advanced (PhD) studies, who wish to research a subject matter in-depth, and/or who wish to create a study of publishable quality while in the program. Students may take up to 12 credits of GPHS-691, if needed. | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Internship Track (8-16 credits) | ||
| The internship track allows students to focus on converting their studies into practical application through internships and/or language study. Students in this track are required to take 2-4 semesters of GPHS-692, which will be used to complete internships approved by faculty and to produce a final project that enhances and deepens their professional experiences. Students in this track can include language study as well as regional or topical specialization in their planning. | ||
| Critical Global Engagement Track (8-16 credits) | ||
| The critical global engagement track is designed for students who wish to have a holistic, hands-on international experience related to genocide prevention. It combines academic and practical work. | ||
| Critical Global Engagement | ||
| International Study Program | ||
At the end of GPHS 694 students will have the option of staying on in the country to participate in an internship and/or a language program for credit. | ||
| Total Credits | 24-40 | |
Accelerated Masters
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements (120 Baccalaureate credits, 32 graduate credit hours) | ||
| During their senior undergraduate year, admitted students will take | ||
| GPHS-600 | Intro to Atrocity Prevention | 4 |
| GPHS-601 | The Genocidal Process | 4 |
| or GPHS-693 | Critical Global Engagement | |
| These two courses will count toward both the BA in HGS and MA in GPHS. Students in the Accelerated Masters program will be matriculated upon completion of their Baccalaureate degree and may enroll in graduate classes immediately, including the Summer Session. | ||
Upon completion of the Genocide Prevention and Human Security M.A. degree, students will:
- Have a fundamental understanding of the genocidal process and its prevention in an interdisciplinary framework.
- Have a firm grasp of current theories and research skills relevant to the field.
- Have a demonstrated ability to conduct independent and innovative research and/or apply that research to the practice of genocide prevention and the promotion of human security.
- Have a clear command of professional communication skills in a variety of formats (oral, written), involving both expert and non-expert audiences.
- Have a strong ethical standards of professional conduct and research.
- Have a mastery of other professional skills such as collaboration, leadership, and conflict resolution.