Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Program

Founded in 2015, the Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice (RHRJ) Certificate aims to provide undergraduates from across the Five Colleges with a strong foundation in the field of reproductive politics.  Reproductive health, rights, and justice scholarship examines the impact of reproductive policies not only on individuals, but also on communities, with particular attention to communities that have been historically marginalized. The field also includes study of the history of social movements for reproductive empowerment, including the movements for women's liberation, disability rights, racial justice, economic justice, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and the women's health, reproductive freedom, and reproductive justice movements.  By taking six courses across a range of disciplines and completing a special final project, RHRJ certificate graduates are prepared for graduate school, as well as careers in law, science, medicine, health, politics, social work, and community organizing.

Please note that this list may not include all courses that meet the certificate requirements.  If you have questions about what courses can count toward the certificate, please contact your RHRJ certificate advisor.

A foundational course has 90–100% reproductive health, rights, and justice content, as reflected in the course title and description. Foundational courses introduce students to reproductive politics, including the reproductive health, rights and justice frameworks; introduce students to thinking intersectionally about reproductive issues, for example, how gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability and nationality intersect to shape women’s experiences of reproductive oppression, and their resistance strategies; and teach students to think systemically about reproductive issues, rather than just individually, that is, about the impact of reproductive politics not only on individuals, but also on communities, and how social, economic, legal and political conditions impact reproduction. The material may be covered through any disciplinary or interdisciplinary lens, including history, sociology, legal studies, public policy, women, gender and sexuality studies, political science, journalism, religious studies, American studies, transnational studies, etc. 

A transnational/global course has 25% reproductive health, rights, and justice content, as defined above, with a transnational/global (i.e. non-U.S.) focus. 

An additional course has 25% reproductive health, rights, and justice content, as defined above.

All courses used to fulfill the certificate requirements must be selected from the courses currently approved to count toward this certificate by the RHRJ steering committee.

Note that if you don't see classes from all campuses currently listed, they will appear as the campuses release their course schedules for the semester. The five campuses release their schedules on different dates. Visit this page for specific dates.

Program Co-Chairs:

Cora Fernandez-Anderson, Assistant Professor of Politics, Mount Holyoke

Jennifer L. Nye, Lecturer in Law and Social Justice, Department of History, UMass Amherst

Five College Staff Liaison:

April Shandor, Academic Programs Coordinator

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