1. What distance learning courses does HREA offer?
2. What type of computer do I need to participate?
3. Do I need high-speed Internet access?
4. Do I have to sign on to the Internet at a particular time or place?
5. Are there any textbooks required for my course?
6. Who teaches the courses?
7. Can I talk to the instructor(s) before the course to ask questions?
8. What is the method of delivery for the distance learning courses?
9. How do I learn?
10. What does it mean to be an "auditor" in a course?
11. Do you offer scholarships?
12. Am I eligible for the discounted non-OECD tuition rate?
13. Do you offer course credits or certification?
14. What are the application deadlines?
15. Does HREA offer any follow-up services for course participants?
16. How can the tuition be paid?
17. What if I am unable to complete the course I have registered for? Do I get a refund?
18. I have a different question. How can I get in touch with you?
1. What distance learning courses does HREA offer?
The following specialised courses are offered on an annual or semi-annual basis:
Research & Evaluation in the NGO Sector (Course 1E)
Human Rights Advocacy (Course 2E)
Human Rights Advocacy, in Arabic (Course 2A)
Human Rights Advocacy, in French (Course 2F)
Human Rights Advocacy, in Russian (Course 2R)
Use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) for Human Rights Work-Advanced course (Course 3E)
Human Rights Monitoring (Course 4E)
Human Rights Monitoring, in Arabic (Course 4A)
Human Rights Monitoring, in French (Course 4F)
Human Rights Monitoring, in Russian (Course 4R)
Rights-Based Programming (Course 5E)
Rights-Based Programming, in French (Course 5F)
Project Development and Management in the NGO Sector (Course 6E)
Introduction to Human Rights Education (Course 8E)
Introduction to Human Rights Education, in German (Course 8D)
The European System of Human Rights Protection and Promotion (Course 9E)
The United Nations Human Rights System (Course 10E)
Human Rights Litigation (Course 13E)
Monitoring Children's Rights (Course 14E)
Armed Conflict, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Course 15E)
Election Observation (Course 16E)
Monitoring Women's Rights (Course 17E)
Child Rights Programming (Course 19E)
Starting in 2008, the following thematic courses are offered regularly:
Mainstreaming Human Rights (Course 1T)
Terrorism, Human Rights and Human Security (Course 2T)
Genocide: What Role for International law (Course 3T)
Business and Human Rights (Course 4T)
International Tribunals, World Courts and Human Rights (Course 5T)
National Human Rights Institutions (Course 6T)
Gender Mainstreaming (Course 7T)
The European Union and Human Rights (Course 8T)
The UN Human Rights Council (Course 9T)
Human Rights of Migrants, Migrant Workers and Their Families (Course 11T)
Minority Rights, Indigenous Peoples and International Law (Course 12T)
Gender and Peacebuilding (Course 13T)
Women in War and Armed Conflicts (Course 14T)
Human Rights and Transitional Justice (Course 15T)
Back to top
2. What type of computer do I need to participate?
You can use any PC, Macintosh or Linux computer that has Internet access.
Back to top
3. Do I need high-speed Internet access?
No. HREA’s courses do not require a high-speed internet connection and are set up so that participants from all over the world can access the course websites, download course materials, and participate in online discussions. HREA course discussions can also be followed solely through email. HREA course facilitators are always available to help if participants encounter any problems accessing or downloading course materials.
Back to top
4. Do I have to sign on to the Internet at a particular time or place?
No, courses are mostly asynchronous and you can participate at any time using any computer that has access to the Internet. HREA offers chats and webinars (online PowerPoint presentations with audio) as part of our courses, and attendance is much encouraged but not mandatory. These are the only parts of the course that will require participants to be online at the same time as other participants.
Back to top
5. Are there any textbooks required for my course?
No. Any learning material required for your course will be available online for your use.
Back to top
6. Who teaches the courses?
Courses are led by practitioners from human rights organisations around the world who understand the conditions faced by professionals in these fields.
Back to top
7. Can I talk to the instructor before the course to ask questions?
You may email your specific questions to applications@hrea.org, and we will forward them on to the course instructor.
Back to top
8. What is the method of delivery for HREA distance learning courses?
HREA's courses are not exclusively Web-based. HREA uses a dual system that makes it possible to (partly) participate in the distance learning courses via e-mail only. We use the Moodle Learning Management System.
Back to top
9. How do I learn?
HREA's courses typically involve 50 hours of reading, online discussions, assignments, and regular interaction with students and the instructor(s) and facilitator. Courses are offered over a three-month period. They are based on a participatory, active learning approach with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning.
Participants will receive the syllabus before the course begins and will have access to the course website on the first day of the course. All readings will be available on the course website in .pdf form or as links, and some of the readings will be optional. Participants will need to have access to the Internet on a regular basis.
Participants do not need to schedule a particular time to be available during the online discussions; rather, they are online forums that participants can contribute to whenever they are able. A discussion question will be e-mailed out weekly to all participants, who will need to go to the course website to respond. Participants will need to make time to respond to these questions on a weekly basis and will receive weekly collective feedback from the course instructor on the discussion. A weekly “mini-lecture” from the instructor will also be available on the course website to provide extra information about the topics for the week and the readings. Course weeks begin either on Mondays or Wednesdays.
Participants will also need to complete a number of written assignments as part of the course, usually including a Final Project on a topic of their choice. Assignments will be uploaded to the course website, and participants will receive individual feedback on their assignments from course instructors.
Chats and webinars, described above, are also offered as part of HREA courses and give participants a chance to interact with each other in a “live” session.
Back to top
10. What does it mean to be an "auditor" in a course?
The main differences between auditors and participants are as follows. Auditors have access to the course website, including all course readings/materials, and can follow along with the online discussions but are unable to contribute to them. Auditors are not able to attend chat sessions but may be invited to webinars if included in the course. Auditors are not able to submit assignments for review by the instructor(s) and will not receive a certificate upon completion of the course. Those that opt for the auditing option are generally activists who just want to have access to recent literature and debates or are too busy to be able to keep up with course requirements (regular participation in online discussions, written assignments).
Back to top
11. Do you offer scholarships?
Since 2002 HREA has offered over 500 scholarships, in part through support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Open Society Institute and the Charles Hughes Memorial Foundation. Unfortunately, we are no longer in a position to offer scholarships. Instead applicants who are permanent residents of non-OECD countries are eligible for discounted tuition fees (exceptions are the courses Human Rights Advocacy, Human Rights Litigation, Human Rights Monitoring, and Rights-Based Programming, for which there are no discounted tuition fees). Current member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Back to top
12. Am I eligible for the discounted non-OECD tuition rate?
We introduced the non-OECD rate as a gesture towards applicants from small NGOs and community-based organisations in developing countries, as HREA is no longer in a financial position to offer full scholarships, as we used to in the past. Please be aware that only permanent residents of non-OECD countries are eligible for the discounted tuition rates, not nationals of OECD countries working for international organisations who are temporarily based in non-OECD countries or applicants from non-OECD countries that work for well-resourced organisations.
Back to top
13. Do you offer course credits or certification?
HREA's distance learning courses are not accredited. However, accreditation can be arranged for courses carried out cooperatively with higher education institutions.
Back to top
14. What are the application deadlines?
The application process for courses is announced three times a year. Deadline of application for courses in the first trimester (February-April) is 1 December of the previous year. Deadline of application for courses offered in the second trimester (April-June) is 1 February. Deadline of application for courses in the third trimester (September-November) is 1 June.
Back to top
15. Does HREA offer any follow-up services for course participants?
Alumni of HREA's distance learning courses stay connected to one another through alumni networks through a combination of listservs, on-line forums and web sites. "Refresher" courses are also sometimes offered. Course web sites are archived by HREA and remain accessible to alumni.
Back to top
16. How can the tuition be paid?
Tuition can be paid either on-line via credit card (VISA or MasterCard) or via bank transfer to our US bank account. Please do not make any payments until you have received a confirmation that you were accepted in a course.
Back to top
17. What if I am unable to complete the course I have registered for? Do I get a refund?
Unfortunately, we can only refund tuition in exceptional circumstances.
Back to top
18. I have a different question. How can I get in touch with you?
If your question was not answered here, please e-mail applications@hrea.org and we will respond to your query as soon as possible.
| 
