Overview
In this unparalleled certificate program, you will engage with esteemed, world-class thinkers and build the skills necessary for a career in the scholarship and hands-on practice of genocide prevention.
This transformative program is completely online and asynchronous so you can learn on your own schedule from anywhere in the world. Courses feature interactive work and high-impact learning experiences that connect you with an engaged cohort of students and with experts and organizations practicing atrocity prevention around the world.
As part of this unique global cohort, you will have the opportunity to work closely with world-renowned practitioners with decades of experience in the areas of law and policy, education, anti-slavery and human trafficking, religion, trauma, atrocity prevention, and transitional justice. Our teaching team will help you integrate what you learn into your profession or prepare for a new career field.
The certificate program equips you with foundational knowledge and practical strategies that you can implement immediately for the prevention of mass atrocity crimes and the advancement of human security on a local and international scale.
Eligibility
The Keene State College Certificate in Applied Genocide Prevention proudly welcomes students and professionals who have not completed an undergraduate degree but who bring lived experience and a history of professional or service-related work. In lieu of an undergraduate transcript, applicants are invited to submit a portfolio that includes a written narrative summarizing the applicant’s accomplishments and professional or service-related experience, and any related documentation that supports the written narrative.
Presidential Scholarship
We are pleased to announce a Presidential Scholarship for students and practitioners from conflict-affected regions applying to the Graduate Certificate program. The scholarship will apply $1,000 toward tuition. Applicants should indicate their interest in the scholarship in their Statement of Intent as part of their program application.
Certificate Requirements - 16 credits
HGS 600: Preventing Genocide - with Dr. Ashley L. Greene (4 credits - required)
This course introduces you to the evolving field of genocide and atrocity prevention and equips you to apply a critical prevention lens to ongoing global conflicts.
You will study the risk indicators that make societies vulnerable to identity-based violence, engage with strategies for increasing societal resilience to genocide and related crimes, and analyze available tools and best practices for intervention and societal repair.
You will also engage with global organizations doing the work of genocide prevention and take part in collaborative efforts to integrate cutting-edge approaches in prevention work on issues such as technology, hate speech, misogyny, and secondary trauma.
3 Courses from the following:
HGS 601: International Human Rights & Security - with Dr. Henok Gabisa
Explore the evolution of international human rights law and policy, particularly its significance as a vital instrument for fostering global public order and human security.
This course will equip you with a thorough understanding of the sources of human rights laws, along with the structures, norms, policies and jurisprudence governing human rights obligations.
You will also delve into the origins and applications of human rights laws, the mechanisms for enforcing these duties, and judicial and quasi-judicial bodies for redress and accountability.
Special emphasis is placed on the role of human rights values in mitigating vulnerabilities in pre- and post-conflict nations, promoting effective transitional justice, ensuring accountability and preventing cycles of atrocity crimes in a way that guards peace and human security.
HGS 602: The Intersectionality of Atrocity Crimes - with Dr. Kevin Bales CMG
Together, we will delve into the complexities and interrelationships, across history, that mark most genocides.
We will examine how the genocide committed against the Indigenous People of the Baltic Region between 1200 and 1500 prepared Europeans for their genocidal assault on the Indigenous Peoples of North America – and how both genocides served several other purposes.
Readings will include chapters from a soon-to-be published book on slavery and genocide, as well as first-hand accounts, and a joint inquiry into how genocide is defined, as well as how we define and understand subsidiary activities such as genocidal massacres.
HGS 603: Working with Communities After Trauma - with Dr. Kate Gibeault
Examine trauma through a multidisciplinary lens by evaluating the psychological, biological, and social consequences of mass atrocity.
You will learn about emerging models for trauma-informed care and how to work with communities that have experienced a life-shattering event.
We will also examine case studies from across the globe to bring this theory to life in grounded ways.
HGS 604: Preventing Identity-based Violence through Education - with Dr. Edward Kissi
Coming Summer 2025
This exciting new offering will debut in Summer 2025 as a six-week course that explores content, pedagogy, and techniques for advancing the prevention of identity-based violence through education.
Streamlined MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies Track - Certificate students may apply to MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program & take: The Field of Genocide Studies, Holocaust Historiography, and 2 electives.
Contact Us
Dr. Ashley L. Greene
Ashley.Greene@keene.edu
