The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies is designed to provide anyone with a bachelor’s degree (including pre- and in-service teachers) a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary foundation in Holocaust and genocide studies in historical and contemporary contexts.

A collaboration between the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute and its Dodd Impact Programs, Center for Judaic Studies and Jewish Life, Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, and the Neag School of Education, the Certificate offers an opportunity for participants to deepen their substantive knowledge base and research skills and to develop teaching skills through both in-depth coursework, experiential learning opportunities, and specially designed seminars. Notably, the program also provides a foundation for pre-service and in-service teachers interested in developing expertise in how to teach the Holocaust and genocide, building capacity as part of the state of Connecticut’s 2018 Holocaust and genocide education mandate.

Students will gain an understanding of histories of the Holocaust and other genocides, and will be provided an introduction to the psychological, sociological, philosophical, political and legal issues in the field. Students in the certificate program will be exposed to a diversity of approaches to understanding and interpreting the underlying causes and forms of perpetration of mass violence and genocide, as well as the range of preventive responses and long-term consequences. Students also will develop practical skills for teaching, preventing, responding to, or memorializing genocide. Developing critical inquiry skills, communication and dialogic skills, and empathy and effective pedagogical techniques are emphasized.