After Graduation
What are you going to do with a degree in Human Rights and Human Diversity? We can't tell you, but you have three basic immediate options:
- Enter the workforce;
- Go on to further education;
- Do a graduate internship.
Explore some of the careers that our graduates have gone on to.
- www.canada.ca: Includes information about the federal government's general post-secondary recruitment program as well as about internships.
- Ontario Public Service Careers: This site is useful for looking for full-time jobs or for looking ahead to think about the kinds of qualifications you need for particular careers.
- Charity Village: Jobs with non-profit organizations. Canadian site.
- 211Ontario: Not directly a jobs site, but useful for locating nonprofits/community organizations in Ontario.
- Idealist.org: A good site for jobs and internships with nonprofits in Canada and internationally.
- The Communication Initiative Network: Look under "Classifieds" and click "Vacancies" for jobs in the communications field, many with an international and social justice focus.
Compiled below are the results of some research on careers in the UN and other international organizations. The Human Rights and Human Diversity program cannot vouch for the veracity of these sources and only provides them for informational purposes.
Book
- Jorge Chediek, "Careers in International Organizations" and Alf Ivar Blikberg, "Starting Out at the United Nations," in Maria Pinto Carland and Candace Farber, Careers in International Affairs (8th ed.) (Washington, D.C: Georgetown University Press, 2008). On reserve in the Laurier Brantford collection on one-day loan. Call number: JZ 1238 U6 C37 2008.
Online Guides
- Getting a job at the UN: Blog by Mark Overman. Has lots of useful links embedded in it.
- International Organization Careers (US State Department): Section titled "Students and Young Professionals" has links to tons of sites with internship programs.
- UN Careers
- How to Get a Job With the United Nations: WikiHow. Contains links to many UN job sites as well as tips.
Job Sites
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Site lists jobs with the UN related to human rights around the world. You're probably not qualified right now, but reading the ads gives you an idea of what you need to do to get from here to there.
- UNICEF: Employment
- United Nations Development Program
Please note that most internships at or working with the UN are unpaid and highly competitive. Please speak to the HRHD program coordinator for ideas on how to increase your chances.
Here are some organizations that have hosted internships related to the United Nations:
- United Nations
- International Idea Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
- Women's International League for Peace & Freedom
- Mennonite Central Committee
- Oxfam International
- In general, search using "NGO" and "status with UN in New York"
- TalentEgg: Hatching Graduate Careers.
- Careercruising: An online career guidance resource for the North American marketplace for which Laurier has a subscription (login: wlu and password: laurier). If you have questions about Careercruising or would like assistance in job searching or researching career options, please consult Laurier's Career Development Centre.
- LinkedIn.com: Another great website to search for job ads.
- Jobpostings.ca
Further Study
Many professional programs (e.g., Law, Social Work, Business, Public Administration) do not require any specific program of undergraduate education. Others are generally more insistent that students have an undergraduate degree in their own or a closely related discipline (e.g., History, English, Psychology, Sociology). Of course, this won't be a problem for you because you must combine your HRHD Honours program with one of the other Honours programs we offer at Laurier Brantford.
Listed below are some programs that appear to fit particularly well with the aims of Human Rights and Human Diversity.
- Applied Politics (MAP), Wilfrid Laurier University
- Communication and Social Justice (MA), Windsor
- Conflict Analysis and Management (MA), Royal Roads University (Victoria, BC)
- Conflict Studies and Human Rights (MA), Utrecht
- Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs (MA), American University, Washington DC
- European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation, various partner universities
- Gender and Diversity Stream in Political Science PhD Program, Carleton University
- Global Affairs (MA) Munk School of Global Governance, University of Toronto
- Global Affairs with a Concentration in Human Rights (MS), Rutgers
- Global Governance (MA and PhD), Balsillie School of International Affairs (Waterloo, ON)
- Globalization and International Development Studies (MA) University of Ottawa
- Globalization Studies (MA), MacMaster University
- Human Rights (LLM), University of Aberdeen
- Human Rights (MA), University College London
- Human Rights (MA), University of Manitoba
- Human Rights and Conflict Management (MA), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa, Italy). English is the language of instruction.
- Human Rights and Criminal Justice (LLM), University of Aberdeen
- Human Rights and Cultural Diversity (MA), Essex (UK)
- Human Rights and International Politics (MSc), University of Glasgow
- Human Rights and International Relations (MA), University of Roehampton, London
- Human Rights Studies (MA), Columbia University
- Human Rights and Social Justice (MA), London Metropolitan University
- Human Security and Peacebuilding (MA), Royal Roads University (Victoria, BC)
- Immigration and Settlement Studies (MA), Toronto Metropolitan University
- Industrial Relations and Human Resources (MIRHR and PhD), University of Toronto. This site includes a list of 'recommended' courses to take in preparation for this interdisciplinary Masters degree. There are, however, no specific requirements beyond a four-year honours degree.
- International Affairs (MA), Columbia University
- International Crimes, Conflict, and Criminology (MSc), University of Amsterdam (in English; need social science BA, not just Criminology)
- International Crime and Justice (MA), New York University
- International Development Studies (MA), Dalhousie
- International Peace and Conflict Resolution (MA), American University, Washington D.C.
- International Public Policy (MA), Wilfrid Laurier University
- International Relations (MA)(online), American University Washington
- Irish Centre for Human Rights (MA and PhD), Galway. Offers MAs and PhD programs related to human rights.
- Local Economic Development (MA), University of Waterloo
- Migration and Diaspora Studies (MA), Carleton University
- Peace and Conflict Studies (MA), University of Waterloo
- Public Administration (MPA), Queen's
- Public and International Affairs (MA), York (Glendon Campus)
- Public Service (MPS), University of Waterloo
- Policy Studies (PhD), Toronto Metropolitan University. Includes a stream in Immigration Settlement and Diaspora Policies.
- Social Justice and Community Engagement (MA), Laurier
- Social Justice and Equity Studies (MA), Brock University
- Social Work (HBSW) Lakehead (Barrie) Accelerated 1-year program for people holding a degree.
- Social Work (MSW), Laurier
- Social Work (MSW), Windsor
- Socio-Legal Studies (MA and PhD), York University (Toronto)
- Understanding and Securing Human Rights (MA), University of London. (This program has a competitive scholarship called the Routledge Studentship. It is open to students from Commonwealth countries and it is worth £12,000.)
The programs in the following Ontario lists are typically two to three semesters for people who have completed a degree. However, not all programs associated with these links are graduate certificate programs. Read carefully.
- Management in Community Services, Conestoga
- Event Management
- Fundraising and Development
- Government Relations, Seneca College
- Human Resources Management, Conestoga
- International Development, Humber
- Paralegal
- Professional Writing and Communications, Humber
- Project Management
- Public Relations
- Social Media Marketing, Conestoga
- Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund: Scholarship for Canadian Students Pursuing Graduate Studies in the United Kingdom
- Rotary Peace Fellowships: Funding for MA studies
Graduate Internships
The following sites may sometimes list graduate internships. The Entering the Workforce links above may also list graduate internships.
Our Graduates are Successful
Here are some examples of what our graduates have gone on to:
-
Master of Social Work (Laurier, Lakehead)
-
Master of Arts: Public Policy (Toronto), Political Science (Queen's), Public Policy & Administration (Carleton), International Public Policy (Laurier), Globalization and International Development (Ottawa), Immigration and Settlement Studies (TMU), Human Rights (Manitoba), Globalization (McMaster), Public Service (Waterloo), Sociology (Memorial), Public Health (Brock), Religion and Culture (Laurier)
-
PhD: Political Science (Princeton), Women and Gender Studies (Western), Sociology and Legal Studies (Waterloo)
-
JD/LLB (Law degree): Osgood Hall (York), University of Toronto, TMU, Windsor, City University of London (UK), Sussex University (UK)
-
Lawyers
-
Associate Professor (Queen's)
-
Human Resources in public, private and non-profit sectors as generalists, specialists, operation coordinator, health and safety coordinator, recruiting coordinator
-
Professional Fund Raisers for hospitals, non-profits, universities
-
Non-profit sector: Volunteer and Programming Director, Professional Fundraising, Program Support Worker, Youth Support Counsellor, Events Coordinator, Equality Mobilizer, Case Worker, Canvasser, Volunteer and Programming Director, Residential Coordinator
-
Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Governments with Global Affairs; Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada; Natural Resources; Solicitor General's Office as Research and Evaluation Officer, Regional Supervisor, Policy Analyst, Officer (Intellectual Property)
- Private Sector: District Manager, Public Relations, Project Manager/Coordinator, Administrator, Clinical Therapist, Executive Assistant, Customer Care Advisor, Consultant, Administrator, Customer Experience Associate, Manager, Account Manager, Paralegal, Office Assistant, Law Clerk