Genocide Prevention & Human Security (M.A.) · Academic Catalog

Master of Arts

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

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

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

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.

Major Requirements

32 credits

Introductory Courses

GPHS 600 Intro to Atrocity Prevention GPHS 601 The Genocidal Process

Electives/Concentrations

8-16 credits

Students take up to four classes from the list below. With advisor permission, students can include up to two semesters of GPHS 692 Internship and up to two semesters of GPHS 698 Language Study. Language study may be completed at other institutions (see GPHS 698 for details).

GPHS 605 Graduate Seminar in Genocide Studies
GPHS 606 Graduate Seminar in Holocaust Studies
GPHS 607 Case Studies in Genocide Prevention & Human Security
GPHS 610 Upstream Prevention (Certificate program course)
GPHS 620 Midstream Prevention (Certificate program course)
GPHS 630 Downstream Prevention (Certificate program course)
GPHS 698 Independent Study (subject to faculty availability and approval)
HIST 651 Introduction to History and Archives Studies

Students who are not in the Critical Global Engagement capstone track can take GPHS 693 – Critical Global Engagement and GPHS 694 – International Study Program.

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.

GPHS 640 Gender & Genocide Prevention

Topics may include: Gender & Genocide; Gender Identities & Conflict; Perpetrator Behavior; Queering Genocide Prevention; and Women & Peacebuilding.

GPHS 645 Education & Genocide Prevention

Topics may include: Education in Emergencies; Education & Genocide Prevention; and Memory & Memorialization.

GPHS 650 Social Justice & Human Security

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.

GPHS 655 Mapping, Technology & Prevention

Topics may include: Genocide Prevention Policy: Issues & Actors; Early Warning; Technology & Genocide; and Mapping Genocide.

GPHS 660 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 from Thesis, Internship, or Critical Global Engagement Tracks Below

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.

GPHS 691 Thesis (8 credits)

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.

GPHS 693 Critical Global Engagement (4 credits)

GPHS 694: International Study Program (4 credits)

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.

Accelerated Masters

120 Baccalaureate credits, 32 graduate credit hours

During their senior undergraduate year, admitted students will take GPHS 600 Intro to Atrocity Prevention and one of the following: GPHS 601 – The Genocidal Process 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.