SMU’s Human Rights Education Programs is directed by Dr. Rick Halperin, who has served several times as President of Amnesty International. The Mission of the Program is to educate and train future human rights advocates and citizens of the world. In addition to offering one of the only Human Rights minor concentrations in the country, the Program supports research, conferences, internships, and travel relating to human rights.

“Enrollment in the Human Rights minor requires a commitment of students' efforts, time and talent in defense of, or in advocacy for, human rights. This can be accomplished by a service-learning placement with a human rights community-based agency or by participating in an SMU Human Rights Program group tour to a location where recent human rights violations have occurred (e.g., Cambodia, Rwanda, Poland) and completing a research paper on a human rights topic related to the site."

During 2006-2007, students enrolled in in the Human Rights Education Program engaged in 7048 service hours relating to defense of, or advocacy of, human rights. Participating faculty and staff engaged in 1800 hours in this effort as well.