Undergraduate
Human Rights and Global Justice
-
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
-
- Peterborough
-
- Paid Co-op Available
-
- Fall & Winter & Summer
- Humanities & Social Sciences (Arts)
At a glance:
- Degree Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Campus Peterborough
- Work Experience Paid Co-op Available
- Program is Offered Fall & Winter & Summer
- Study Options Part time/Full time
- OUAC Codes RHA - Peterborough RHB - Peterborough co-op
- Apply Now Stay in Touch
The Trent Advantage
Examine human rights and global justice through multiple perspectives, gaining critical insight and hands-on experience to understand complex issues and create meaningful change.
Human rights are shaped by law, politics, culture, economics, history, and social movements. At Trent, you will explore these connections through an interdisciplinary program drawing on feminism, anti-racism, Indigenous perspectives and knowledges, sexual diversity, and class-based discrimination. Build critical thinking and practical experience through paid co-op, community-based research and international learning.
- Apply what you learn through paid co-op, field placements, community-based research, and other hands-on opportunities.
- Gain an international perspective taking your education global to Ghana or Bolivia, with opportunities to experience different cultural and social contexts while deepening your understanding of human rights and global justice.
- Earn a B.A. and LL.B. in just six years through the Trent/Swansea dual-degree pathway, combining studies at Trent with the opportunity to live, learn, travel, and experience life abroad in Wales.
Program Possibilites
Specialize your studies in Human Rights and Global Justice with a focus on a specific field within your degree
-
Gender, Law & Human Rights Advocacy
Take courses spanning law, policy, and global advocacy while building a solid foundation of gender-based methodologies and theory. Choose to participate in the Trent in Bolivia study abroad program, and you will also add hands-on international experiential learning experience to your degree. Through this specialization, you’ll develop the expertise to address gender-based violence, discrimination, and economic inequality and the tools to implement feminist perspectives on policy and social change.
-
International Law & Policy
The specialization provides a foundation in international legal frameworks, political institutions, and policy processes that shape economic and social systems. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will gain deeper insights into the political and policy dynamics that influence human rights and global governance. Students will explore the role of law and human rights institutions in shaping international relations and justice. Experiential learning opportunities, including policy-focused courses and placements, enable students to apply legal and political analysis to pressing international and global challenges, preparing them for careers in law, diplomacy, public policy, and international organizations.
Add an Option to your Human Rights and Global Justice degree to explore an additional area of interest
-
Global Development Studies
Gain a critical understanding of the processes of change that shape the globe. Explore the relationship between colonialism, development, and globalization to address issues of inequality, poverty, the environment, gender, human rights, migration, food, agriculture, health, culture, and ethnicity in different regions of the world.
-
Global Power & Politics
The most urgent political problems of our time pose fundamental moral problems that require not only goodwill and commitment, but a deep understanding of the mechanisms of global power and politics. This option is designed to enable you to develop a critical understanding of the formal, informal, visible and hidden structures of power in the global age and the mechanisms that propel global power and politics.
-
Legal Studies
Understanding the legal system in Canada is valuable for everyone, not just lawyers and policy makers. A complement to virtually any B.A. or B.Sc. degree, this option provides students with fundamental knowledge about Canadian law. You’ll learn about rights and freedoms, what it takes to draft and pass new laws, and how the law influences and is influenced by society and culture.
Career experience while you learn
Every Human Rights and Global Justice student has a guaranteed route to paid, credited experience before they graduate.
Paid Co-op Available
- Graduate with paid work experience completing three 12–16-week work terms in the summer of years two and three, and the fall of year four, all as part of your four-year degree.
- Work in areas such as community education, equity, diversity and inclusion, civil service, human resources, labour relations, or international development.
Research Opportunities
- Work with a local community organization to investigate human rights and social justice issues, such as migration, while building practical research experience.
- Pursue specialized research in areas such as global migration, global cities and social justice, and global health and human rights, with opportunities to complete a dedicated research practicum.
Field Schools and Hands-On Courses
- Gain hands-on experience through Trent in Bolivia, connecting theory and research methods with community development work in the Andes.
- Apply legal and political analysis to real-world policy challenges through a public policy field placement available in the International Law & Policy specialization.
Study Abroad
- Take your study of human rights and global justice beyond the classroom through Trent in Ghana or Trent in Bolivia, gaining first-hand experience with local communities and organizations while exploring global issues in their social, political and cultural contexts.
Placements
- Gain practical policy experience through a field placement with an organization, applying legal and political analysis to pressing global challenges.
- Build international experience in Ghana or Bolivia, working with organizations engaged in human rights and global justice issue.
Internships
- Gain professional workplace experience by working within a business or organization on a paid internship, building career-ready skills, making industry connections, and exploring potential career paths.
Career Paths
- Lawyer
- International Development Officer
- Humanitarian Assistance Worker
- Disaster Relief Specialist
- Policy Researcher
In Their Own Words
While other programs tend to have a focus on human rights through a Canadian lens, we address human rights as a universal concern, exploring movements and phenomena that span borders, and affect us all in a fundamental way.
Dr. Chris Beyers
Director, Human Rights and Global Justice
Admissions
Whether you're graduating from an Ontario high school, looking to study in Canada, or training for a second career, Trent has clear pathways for students to apply and be admitted to study at either of our campuses.
Requirements
If you are coming straight from high school in Ontario or are a recent grad, the general admission requirements are:
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
- A minimum of six Grade 12 4U or 4M courses, including program-specific prerequisites
- ENG4U with a minimum of 60%
| Admission Requirements | Recommended Admission Requirements | Estimated Admission Average | Co-op Admission Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG4U | 70-75% | 80-85% |
Requirements
Students from across Canada can use their grades from their home province to apply to Trent.
Requirements
International students from outside Canada can apply based on the curriculum of their home country.
Requirements
Mature students can apply to Trent based on previous education and professional or volunteer experience.
Requirements
With many transfer agreements and flexible pathway options, Trent University makes it easy for students to make the most of the credits you have already earned.
Tuition Estimate
Estimate your tuition, ancillary fees, and potential entrance scholarships based on your program, residency status, and academic average.
Tuition
Base Tuition Fee
$6,240.85
Ancillary Fees
Ancillary Fees (non-tuition costs supporting student services, such as athletics, campus safety, college fees, etc.)
$2,122.22
Total:
$ 8,363.07
* The tuition details and scholarships listed are for domestic students only. International applicants should contact the financial aid office directly for equivalent guidance.
Scholarships
If you’re a top scholar with an average of 80% or higher, you qualify to automatically receive an entrance scholarship to Trent. Scholars with 95% or higher? You earn free first-year tuition – no application required.
| Entrance Average | Maximum Scholarship Potential | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 95%+ | $18,241 | $6,241 first year Full Tuition + $4,000 x 3 years |
| 90-94.9% | $12,000 | $3,000 x 4 years |
| 85-89.9% | $8,000 | $2,000 x 4 years |
| 80-84.9% | $6,000 | $1,500 x 4 years |
* Available to Domestic students only. Based on 2026/27 tuition for a general arts and science program
Explore additional funding for domestic and international students