Undergraduate Minor Program Information
Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ's Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) was established in late 2016 with external donor and institutional support. I-GMAP's comprehensive set of academic, research and outreach activities have contributed to making Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ a leading actor in the international community of atrocity prevention scholars and practitioners. By connecting scholars and students with practitioners, I-GMAP is working toward its mission to increase understanding, develop commitment and build capacity for effective prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities, and to break down barriers and build bridges between academics and practitioners across multiple disciplines and among scholars, policy makers and civil society actors.
I-GMAP aims to push the field beyond the study of the Holocaust and other past genocides or the prediction of future risks based on analysis of data, to focus on prevention. I-GMAP recognizes mass atrocities as complex processes that include multiple opportunities for disruption or prevention. As opposed to the limited view of atrocity prevention as conflict management and intervention in the midst of crisis, I-GMAP advocates for a broad definition of mass atrocity prevention that includes strategies to reduce the likelihood of violence before it starts, mitigate harm and motivate an end to conflicts once they begin, and rebuild in the aftermath of atrocities. This model of atrocity prevention also assigns responsibility for prevention to individuals and organizations in all lines of work and at all levels, not simply the official leaders of nation states. Effective prevention thus spans all disciplines and professions.
In terms of academic programs, I-GMAP offers the world's first professional Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (MS in GMAP) — an interdisciplinary advanced graduate certificate that can be completed with any other graduate degree offered at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ â€” and an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor with funded internship awards. The Master of Science in GMAP is intended for those who wish to pursue professional careers dedicated to atrocity prevention. The graduate certificate and undergraduate minor are designed to prepare individuals to incorporate an atrocity prevention awareness into other fields of study and work or to prepare students to enter the master's degree program.
Graduate
Master of Science (MS) in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP)
The Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP) is the first and only graduate degree of its kind. This professional degree prepares graduates to analyze risk factors, formulate strategies, and implement policies and practices to reduce the occurrence, severity, and potential for reoccurrence of genocides and other mass atrocities around the world. With a focus on the application of an atrocity prevention lens, the program educates students to recognize opportunities to engage in upstream (before conflict), midstream (during conflict) and downstream (post-conflict) prevention measures. Through a University-wide interdisciplinary approach integrating classroom learning, applied research, engagement with practitioners and a funded intensive field placement, the program prepares graduates to be prevention actors at the micro (individual), meso (organizational) and macro (societal) levels. The program is University-wide and overseen by the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) which reports to the provost.
Admissions
Prospective students apply through the Graduate School. In addition to the standard requirements of the Graduate School, a résumé, a personal statement and two letters of recommendation are required.
Educational and Career Objectives
The MS in GMAP program aims to prepare ethical and competent prevention agents for the public, nonprofit and private sectors who are well-educated, theoretically-informed and practically-focused and who are prepared to bridge traditional divides to generate creative and effective solutions. They will be equipped to bring together evidence from history and the present day, from domestic and international contexts, from academic and practitioner worlds, from governmental, civil society and corporate sectors, and from a wide range of disciplines and professions.
Curriculum
The curriculum requires completion of 45 credit hours, which include a combination of required courses, electives within categories of classes, individualized tailoring of the curriculum to meet student interests, a funded field placement, project work linked to the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP), and a final capstone project.
Core Courses
Students are required to complete five core courses with a grade of B or better:
- GMAP 500 Essentials of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (4 credits)
- GMAP 501 Micro-Dynamics of Mass Atrocities (4 credits)
- GMAP 502 Comparative Genocides (4 credits)
- GMAP 503 International Nongovernmental Organizations (PAFF 555) (3 credits)
- GMAP 504 Transitional Justice (PHIL 609) (4 credits)
Required Categories of Electives
Each student must complete one course from the following three Special Topics categories:
1. GMAP 518 (A-Z) Special Topics in Politics and Policy for Atrocity Prevention (3-4 credits)
These courses will generally be cross-listed as GMAP 518 (A-Z) but may also be approved for credit by the GMAP Curriculum Committee without cross-listing. The following courses are pre-approved as of 2021:
- PAFF 520 21st Century Governance
- PLSC 663P Modeling Violent Conflict
- PLSC 663Q Political Regimes and Transitions
- PLSC 663W Human Rights and World Politics
- SOC 603 Structural Inequalities
- SOC 690D Counterrevolution: Global South
Other courses may be added to this list with approval from the I-GMAP Curriculum Committee.
2. GMAP 528 (A-Z) Special Topics in Tools and Technologies for Atrocity Prevention (3-4 credits)
These courses will generally be cross-listed as GMAP 528(A-Z) but may also be approved for credit by the GMAP Curriculum Committee. The following courses are pre-approved as of 2021:
- ANTH 544 Methods in Forensic Anthropology
- CS 532 Database Systems
- CS 533 Information Retrieval
- CS 535 Introduction to Data Mining
- GEOG 544 GIS and Spatial Analysis
- GEOL 553 Applied Geophysics
- NURS 581E Medicolegal Death Investigation
- PAFF 523 Public Policy Analysis
Other courses may be added to this list with approval from the I-GMAP Curriculum Committee.
3. GMAP 538 (A-Z) Special Topics in GMAP (2-4 credits)
This requirement is fulfilled by completing one or more courses totaling 4 credits from among the following or other approved courses. These courses may be cross-listed as GMAP 538(A-Z), but may also be approved for credit by the GMAP Curriculum Committee:
- AAAS 530 Trauma in JPN Lit & Film
- AAAS 531 Unresolved Issues: Wars in Asia
- AAAS 580F Race in Transnational History
- ANTH 572C Anthropological Approaches to Human Rights
- ANTH 572G Human Migration and Disease
- COLI 581 Colonization, Mass Violence, Genocide & Cultural Memory
- HIST 501U History and Memory
- HIST 560G Soviet Genocide
- HIST 572C Middle East Forced Migrations
- NURS 581G Forensic Health of Victims
- NURS 581J Forensic Pediatrics
- PAFF 538A Building Public Memory
- Other courses may be added to this list with approval from the I-GMAP Curriculum Committee. Students may also fulfill this requirement by completing an extra course from either the GMAP 518 or 528 categories.
Advanced Methods for GMAP
Students will complete 8 credits in one of the options below selected in consultation with their GMAP advisor:
- Option A: Advanced quantitative analysis
- Option B: Advanced qualitative analysis
- Option C: Advanced languages and cultural proficiency
- Option D: Advanced computing technologies
GMAP 550 Mechanisms of Atrocity Prevention (MAP) Project (1-6 credits per semester for a total of at least 3 credits)
The Mechanisms for Atrocity Prevention (MAP) Project engages students in evaluating alternative approaches to promoting prevention, including but not limited to national mechanisms. National mechanisms for prevention are multi-agency and comprehensive systems within a country for detecting and responding to early warning signs, integrating proactive prevention strategies and monitoring effectiveness. The Mechanisms of Atrocity Prevention (MAP) Project evaluates national, subnational, civil society and private sector mechanisms for prevention. Under the supervision of the I-GMAP assistant director, students will work as part of a team to participate in stages of the project underway at the time of enrollment. Students may complete the minimum 3 credits in a single semester or over time; given the annual cycle of the project, students are encouraged to enroll for multiple semesters and may repeat the course for up to 6 credits. This requirement may also be fulfilled through GMAP 597 (independent study) credits.
GMAP 580 GMAP Field Placement (1–4 credits)
Under the supervision of the I-GMAP assistant director, students will be matched with an appropriate prevention-focused governmental, civil society or private sector organization to work full-time for a minimum of four months, and generally for a period of six months. A basic travel and living stipend will be provided by the institute to ensure that placements are not limited to those organizations with the capacity to pay or those students with the financial means to volunteer. Based on student interests and professional aspirations, visa considerations for international students and language proficiencies, students may be placed within or outside the United States.
GMAP 590 GMAP Capstone Project (4 credits)
Under the supervision of one of the I-GMAP co-directors or other designated GMAP faculty member, each student will conceptualize, research and write a report with specific recommendations and a plan for implementation, targeted to an appropriate governmental or nongovernmental official or organization, which draws upon the GMAP program coursework and the student's individual field placement. The capstone process will review with students the issues of professional ethics, reflective practice and self-care to protect the mental health of prevention practitioners.
Total minimum required credits: 45*
*Note: The actual number of credit hours may be reduced as a result of Prior Learning Assessment or may be higher based on a student's course selection or a decision to register for additional field placement credits (and completing a corresponding increased level of academic work) if necessary to satisfy requirements associated with financial aid or visa status.
Academic Advising
All students are assigned a faculty advisor at the start of their first semester. Faculty advisors assist students in planning their curriculum and provide additional academic counseling as needed. Students are required to meet with their advisors once a semester. Failure to meet this requirement may result in severance from the program.
Individualized Prior Learning Assessment
The MS in GMAP allows for prior learning assessment for a limited number of credit hours for select components of the degree program. With the exception of the core courses (GMAP 500, 501, 502, 503, and 504) and the Capstone Project (GMAP 590), students may fulfill up to 12 credits of program requirements through a process of Individualized Prior Learning Assessment (IPLA) based on prior experience resulting in graduate-and professional-level learning and corresponding competencies. That is, students may demonstrate prior graduate- and professional-level learning to fulfill the requirements in: special topics in politics and policy for atrocity prevention, special topics in tools and technologies for atrocity prevention, special topics in GMAP, advanced methods for GMAP, mechanisms for atrocity prevention applied research projects or the field placement. The sources of appropriate and acceptable prior learning differ for the different program components. Additional information and instructions for applying for IPLA are available on the I-GMAP website.
Graduation
Following the student's satisfactory completion of coursework, the field placement and the capstone project, the program recommends to the Office of Student Records that the candidate be awarded the MS in GMAP degree.
Double Degree Programs
Drawing on resources from across Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ, we offer three double degree programs that allow students to earn a Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP MS) and another master’s degree from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ in just three years. Students in these programs gain knowledge, skills and perspectives in fields other than genocide and mass atrocity prevention. Each double degree program leads to the award of two professional degrees in significantly less time (and tuition costs) than if the two degrees were pursued separately. The double degree options are as follows:
- Double Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and Public Administration (MS-MPA)
- Double Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and Systems Science (MS-MS)
- Double Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and History (MS-MA)
The Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (MS in GMAP) is housed within the University-wide Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ and the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is housed within the College of Community and Public Affairs at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ. Both are considered professional terminal degrees. By carefully structuring the sequence of courses and using courses in one program to count as electives in the other, the MS in GMAP/MPA double degree program will allow students to complete both degrees in three years of full-time study without compromising the professional standards of either program.
The double degree program will prepare students for administrative positions that focus on atrocity prevention. Topics students learn about in the MS in GMAP program include analyzing risk factors, formulating strategies, and implementing policies and practices to reduce the occurrence, severity and potential for recurrence of genocides and other mass atrocities around the world, while the MPA provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for management in the public and nonprofit sectors. View the course sequencing template.
Double Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and Systems Science
The Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (MS in GMAP) is housed within the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ and the Master of Science in Systems Science (MS in Systems Science) program is housed in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ. Both are considered professional terminal degrees. By carefully structuring the sequence of courses and using courses in one program to count as electives in the other, the MS in GMAP/MS in Systems Science dual degree programs will allow students to complete both degrees in three years of full-time study without compromising the professional standards of either program.
The double degree program will prepare students for positions that focus on understanding, modeling, analyzing, optimizing and improving various forms of complex systems for atrocity prevention. Topics students learn about in the MS in GMAP program include analyzing risk factors, formulating strategies, and implementing policies and practices to reduce the occurrence, severity and potential for recurrence of genocides and other mass atrocities around the world, while the MS in Systems Science provides students with knowledge and skills skills to enact systems thinking and problem solving methodologies. View the course sequencing template.
Double Degree in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and History
The Master of Science in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (MS in GMAP) is housed within the University-Wide Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ, while the Master of Arts in History (MA in History) is housed within the Harpur College for Arts and Sciences. By carefully structuring the sequence of courses and using courses in one program to count as electives in the other, the MS in GMAP/MA in History double degree program will allow students to complete both degrees in three years of full-time study without compromising the professional or academic standards of either program.
The double degree program will prepare students to enter the workforce with a deep understanding of the past in order to help prevent future acts of collective violence. The Department of History offers graduate students the opportunity to specialize in geographic regions, such as American, European, Latin American and Ottoman history, in addition to thematic areas of studies, such as imperialism, medicine and technology, and women, gender and sexuality. As part of the MS in GMAP program, students will also learn how to analyze risk factors, formulate strategies, and implement policies and practices to reduce the occurrence, severity and potential for recurrence of genocides and other mass atrocities around the world. In doing so, students who graduate from the double degree program in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention and History will be able to directly apply historical knowledge for social good. View the course sequencing template.
Graduate Certificate in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention
Open to graduate students in any discipline or department, the Graduate Certificate in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP) introduces students to the current range of practices designed to be prevention actors before, during and after mass atrocities, regardless of what academic discipline they are studying or what career path they choose. The certificate consists of four courses (13-16 credits, depending on course selection), in each of which students must earn a grade of B or better. The courses include one required course (4 credits) and three additional courses (3-4 credits each), one selected from each of three areas in consultation with one of the IGMAP co-directors. New courses are added to each of the categories every semester.
This course of study informs practice through the application of the latest scholarship in areas such as the quantitative analysis of at-risk communities; how factors such as gender, climate change, political transitions and population flows contribute to risks for genocide and mass atrocities; and the role of governments, civil society actors and international bodies in effective prevention.
Requirements:
- Foundations course (4 credits) GMAP 500/PHIL 580K/PAFF 568 Essentials of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (generally offered every spring semester)
- Historical Examples of Genocide and Mass Atrocity (3-4 credits). One course from this
category selected from an approved list which includes:
- GMAP 502/PAFF 538C/HIST 501E Comparative Genocide
- COLI 531G Colonization, Violence and Genocide
- HIST 572C Middle East Forced Migrations
- HIST 500 Genocide and Mass Atrocity in Soviet History
- HIST 530A Issues: U.S. History Before 1877
- HIST 501U History and Memory
- HIST 531 Civil Rights and Anti-Apartheid
- HIST 552F Violence in Pre-Modern Era
- HIST 572G Armenians & Kurds-Ottoman Empire
- HIST 552F Race in Trans/National History
- ANTH 572G Human Migration and Disease
- Concepts, Actors and Institutions in Atrocity Prevention (3-4 credits). One course
from this category from an approved list which includes:
- GMAP 504/PHIL 580D Transitional JusticePAFF 555/GMAP 503 International NGOs
- GMAP 518 (a-z) Special Topics in Politics and Policy for Atrocity Prevention
- PAFF 538A Building Public Memory
- PLSC 663W Human Rights and World Politics
- PLSC 663Q Political Regimes and Transitions
- AAAS 580I Language Power & Meaning
- Methods of Understanding Atrocities and Atrocity Prevention (3-4 credits). One course
from this category selected from an approved list which includes:
- GMAP 501/PAFF 538B Micro-Dynamics of Mass Atrocities
- GMAP 528 (a-z) Special Topics in Tools and Technologies for Atrocity Prevention
- ANTH 572C Anthropological Approaches to Human Rights
- GEOL 552 Environmental Geophysics
- PLSC 486A Models of Violent Conflict
- NURS 581G Forensic Health of Victims
- NURS 581F Forensic Health of Offenders
- NURS 581J Forensic Pediatrics
- ANTH 518 Ethnographic Analysis
- PAFF 548A/NURS 540 Elements of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- PAFF 523 Introduction to Policy Analysis
- GEOG 503A Programming in GIS
- GEOG 532 Introduction to Remote Sensing
- ANTH 544 Methods in Forensic Anthropology
- ANTH 572R Epidemiology
The courses listed above are illustrative of courses that will fulfill the requirements. Additional classes, including GMAP 550 and 597, may be counted with approval of one of the co-directors of the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP). All certificate students must declare the intent to complete the certificate at least one semester before graduating, must be advised by one of the I-GMAP co-directors and must pay the Graduate School fee when registering for degree completion. For more information, contact the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention.
Undergraduate
Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP) Minor
The Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention offers a minor in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP). The GMAP minor allows students to combine and supplement their major curricular requirements with a closely integrated set of undergraduate courses exploring the historical, conceptual, and practical issues and challenges surrounding the prediction and prevention of mass atrocities globally. This interdisciplinary minor encourages students to: 1) study historical and contemporary instances of genocides and mass atrocities from a variety of disciplinary and methodological approaches; 2) gain familiarity with the basic political, moral, and legal concepts and theories by which we understand the origins, characteristics and context of real and threatened atrocities; and 3) explore deeply and critically current approaches for identifying risk factors for impending atrocities, deploying a spectrum of mechanisms designed to mitigate such risks and assessing the degree of success of those mechanisms. Declared GMAP minors who have completed at least three courses, including the required course, are eligible to apply for a of up to $7,000 for a GMAP-focused placement.
The GMAP minor requires six courses (no less than 24 credits), including a core course and courses drawn from three distribution categories.
- The core course is GMAP 200, Intro to Genocide Prevention (offered annually).
- At least one course from each of the three categories:
- GMAP 281, 381 or 481 Historical and Contemporary Studies
- GMAP 282, 382 or 482 Concepts and Theories
- GMAP 283, 383 or 483 Practices and Methodologies
- The remaining two courses can be drawn from any of the three categories. or may be fulfilled by GMAP 395, 397, 495, 497, or GMAP 480, Essentials of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention.
The following additional conditions apply:
- No more than two 200-level courses (8 credits) may count toward the minor.
- No more than two courses from the GMAP minor may count toward a student's major.
- Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses applied to the GMAP minor.
- Students interested in the minor must be advised by one of the institute's co-directors for the purposes of course selection and declaring the minor.
- A GMAP-focused internship (GMAP 395 or approved internships offered with another prefix) or education-abroad experience, including one supported by the , can count for 1-4 credits.
- No more than four credits of GMAP 397, Independent Study in GMAP, or GMAP 497, Advanced Independent Study in GMAP, may count toward the minor
As of 2020, the following classes are recognized as meeting the requirements of the three GMAP categories. Additional courses will be added as appropriate. In consultation with one of the GMAP co-directors, students may receive permission to substitute alternative courses in any of the three areas.
- Historical and Contemporary Genocide and Mass Atrocity Case Studies Courses (GMAP
281, 381 or 481)
- AAAS 282Q Migration and Human Rights in Korea and Japan
- AAAS 454 Unresolved Issues: Wars in Asia
- AAAS 480S Contemporary Facism
- COLI 380B Holocaust Literature
- COLI 483C Specters of War and Colonialism
- GERM 380P War Stories
- GMAP 281A The Nazi State
- GMAP 481A/AAAS 454 Unresolved Issues: Wars in Asia
- HIST 285H Anti-Semitism in History
- HIST 381 Borderland - East Central Europe
- HIST 484K Gandhi and Violence
- JUST 345/HIST 345A The Holocaust
- PLSC 380A Political Violence in Latin America
- SOC 300 Genocide: Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia-Herzegovina
- SOC 302 Sociology of Latin America
- WGSS 382D Human Trafficking in History
- Concepts and Theories Courses (GMAP 282, 382 or 482)
- ANTH 480G Global Social Movements
- ARAB 480C War Crimes and Global War
- GMAP 382B/HDEV 379 Migration, Citizenship, and Human Rights
- GMAP 482B/GMAP 482C/HDEV 400 Social Justice
- HDEV 351/LACS 380G/WGSS 382C Forms of Global Violence
- HDEV 342 Intro to Human Rights Theory and Practice
- HIST 333 Human Rights Since 1945
- PHIL 456 Refugees
- PHIL 456B Violence, Non-Violence, and War
- PHIL 458 Foundations of International Law
- PHIL 486 War and Terrorism
- PLSC 380D International Organizations
- PLSC 380N Introduction to Human Rights
- PLSC 380S Causes of Civil War
- PLSC 380T Dynamics of Civil Wars
- PLSC 380Y Why Foreign Policies Fail
- PLSC 485O Human Rights and Oppression
- PLSC 486C Terrorism
- PLSC 486L Crisis, Development, and Human Rights
- PLSC 486W Repression, Regime Type and International Relations
- PLSC 486Z Security, Peace and Conflict
- SOC 326 Global Criminal and Social Justice
- UNIV 280D.Global Entrepreneurship
- Practices and Methodologies Courses (GMAP 283, 383 or 483)
- AAAS 380M/HIST 380M/HDEV 361 Global Migration Flows and Processes
- AFST 450 Global Health
- CS 447 High Performance Computing
- ECON 314 Economy of Developing Countries
- GEOG 465 Remote Sensing and GIS
- GEOG 482 Race, Ethnicity, and Location
- GMAP 383B/HDEV 365 Psychology of Racism
- GMAP 483A Building Public Memory
- HDEV 387A Immigrant and Refugee Health
- HIST 286 Gender, Genocide, and Humanitarian Aid
- HIST 480U/AFST 480M History and Memory
- MATH 247/CS 207 Introduction to Data Science
- NURS 335B Forensic Health of Victims
- PHIL 457 Transitional Justice
- PLSC 380C Conflict Resolution
- PLSC 389Z Human Rights: Issues for Debate
- PLSC 486Y Foreign Intervention Problems
- SOC 305 Social Research Methods
Students interested in declaring the minor should complete the "" online. Once the form is received, I-GMAP will contact them about setting up an advising appointment with either co-director.