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Human rights investigator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a human rights investigator. Human rights investigators usually study criminal justice, law, or business. 60% of human rights investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 293 real human rights investigator resumes to see exactly what human rights investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for human rights investigators are the Western Michigan University and the Western Michigan University.

There are also many online human rights investigator courses to help get the education required to be a human rights investigator.

What education do you need to become a human rights investigator?

What degree do you need to be a human rights investigator?

The most common degree for human rights investigators is bachelor's degree, with 60% of human rights investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Doctorate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a human rights investigator?

You should major in criminal justice to become a human rights investigator. 16% of human rights investigators major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a human rights investigator include law and business.

Most common colleges for human rights investigators

Human rights investigators often get their degrees at Western Michigan University, University of Phoenix, and Florida International University. Here are the most common colleges for human rights investigators in the US based on their resumes.
Human rights investigator common collegePercentages
Western Michigan University8.51%
University of Phoenix6.38%
Florida International University6.38%
Saint Leo University6.38%
George Mason University6.38%

Best majors for human rights investigators

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice16.0%
2Law12.8%
3Business11.5%
4Political Science10.3%
5Psychology9.6%

Best colleges for human rights investigators

The best colleges for human rights investigators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A human rights investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for human rights investigators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become human rights investigators.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$30,300

Enrollment

1,445

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

20 best online courses for human rights investigators

Advertising disclosure

1. Human Rights for Open Societies

coursera

Human rights are under pressure in many places across the globe. Peaceful protests are violently quashed. Voting is tampered with. And minorities are often excluded from decision-making. All of this threatens the ideal of an open society in which each of us can be free and participate equally. A solid protection of human rights is needed for an open society to exist and to flourish. But it is often an uphill battle to work towards that ideal. Equip yourself and learn more about what human...

2. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes

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‘Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes’ is the second course in Leiden University’s new series on International Law in Action. The first course covered international courts and tribunals in The Hague in general. This second course provides an insider perspective into the work of international criminal courts and tribunals. You will learn about the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in The Hague. Atrocities produce unspeakable forms of violence. We will explore...

3. Sexual Harassment Training for Managers

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4.5
(1,111)

Learn how to create a safe, secure, and inclusive work environment...

4. Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, India 2013

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4.5
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A complete guide to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at workplaces in India. Detailed overview on Sexual...

5. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

6. Community Awareness Course: Sexuality and Disability

coursera

This community awareness course from the University of Minnesota Program on Human Sexuality will provide you with a solid introduction to human sexuality for those living with disabilities. Often there are assumptions that the disabled or differently abled people are not sexual, do not have sexual needs, or cannot be involved sexually. In this professionally produced one-hour course, you'll learn about the basics of disabilities and human sexuality. We'll then learn about three different...

7. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

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4.3
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Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

8. Investigative Journalism

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4.4
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How to find hidden sources. How to look for documents and people...

9. HRCI Human Resource Associate

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Human Resource professionals have a significant impact on an organization’s success. They play a vital role in hiring the right people, developing employee policies, and creating a positive work culture. By pursuing a career in Human Resources, you can contribute to the overall achievement of an organization.\n\nThis program is uniquely designed to prepare aspiring Human Resource professionals. Through engaging videos, interactive activities, assessments, and peer-reviewed projects, you can...

10. Sexual Harassment Training for Employees in the Workplace

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4.6
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Learn about sexual harassment in the workplace and the ways to identify, report, and prevent it...

11. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

12. IFCI Expert Cybercrime Investigator's Course

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4.6
(649)

Protect your network - Put cybercriminals in jail. Learn computer forensics, malware analysis and hacker investigations...

13. AML Case Investigation Skills

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4.5
(1,289)

A guide to conducting AML case investigations, writing quality case narratives and the submission of STRs (STR filing)...

14. Human Resources For Beginners

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4.4
(1,664)

A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...

15. Effective Human Resource Administration

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4.5
(2,351)

Effective Human Resource Administration...

16. Forensic Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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Become a specialist in criminal investigations and forensic profiling, start your career and add certificate to resume!...

17. Certification Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)

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Excel in the HR domain!...

18. Introduction to Human Resource Concepts

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Introduction to Human Resource Concepts...

19. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)

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4.2
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An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...

20. HR,HR Analytics, Human Resource Management, Black Friday Ed

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HR Analytics ,HR Courses, human resource management, ,HR certification, HRM, hr payroll, people management, 2022...

Top 10 most affordable universities for human rights investigators

The most affordable schools for human rights investigators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for human rights investigators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for human rights investigators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for human rights investigators

The hardest universities for human rights investigators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for human rights investigators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for human rights investigators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for human rights investigators

The easiest schools for human rights investigators to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, notre dame college, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a human rights investigator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for human rights investigators.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average human rights investigator salary by education level

According to our data, human rights investigators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,166 annually. Human rights investigators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $58,506.
Human rights investigator education levelHuman rights investigator salary
Master's Degree$58,506
High School Diploma or Less$43,058
Bachelor's Degree$52,595
Doctorate Degree$65,166
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,726

Human rights investigator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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