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.
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
GPHS 600 - Introduction to Atrocity Prevention - with Dr. Ashley L. Greene (4 credits - required)
This course introduces you to the complex field of atrocity prevention and equips you to apply a prevention lens to ongoing global conflicts.
You will study the risk indicators that make societies vulnerable to genocide, engage with strategies for increasing societal resilience to mass atrocity crimes, and analyze available tools and best practices for intervention and societal repair.
You will also conduct a risk assessment of a case study of your choice and design a practical atrocity prevention proposal for an international, national, or community-based organization or institution.
3 Courses from the following:
GPHS 610 - 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.
GPHS 620 - 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.
Working with Communities after Trauma - with Dr. Kate DeConinck
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.
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.