The Specialism in International Human Rights Law is designed for students from all backgrounds who have an interest in the intersection between human rights and international law. It will enable students with this to develop a career in human rights law or to embark on policy-oriented careers in government and non-governmental organizations at the domestic and international level.
The Specialist LLM in International Human Rights draws from the expertise of The City Law School's team of experienced human rights scholars. It gives you an opportunity to examine intellectually the subject from various angles - minority protection, human rights at times of war, the prosecution of international criminals, to name a few.
This masters degree helps you appreciate and understand how international law intervenes to protect human rights and where the gaps are in international law.
The Specialist LLM in International Human Rights provides the opportunity to study some of the most significant issues in international human rights protection facing the world today. You will have guidance and expert academic support to examine a number of important issues in international human rights protection law, including how the law of war and armed conflict protects the civilian, how minority protection is being regulated by international law, the remedies available in international criminal law, and the extent to which the rights of indigenous people are safeguarded by international law.
Each year a small number of internships become available and you will be provided with information about such opportunities and how to apply during the year of your study.
As a City Law School student you will benefit from everything the institution has to offer including the Learning Success department and Lawbore, an online resource designed to help you find the information you need for the course modules. All course modules have online depositories through Moodle.
As part of the University of London you can also become a member of Senate House Library for free with your student ID card.
You will benefit from City, University of London’s extensive library of hard copy and electronic resources, including its comprehensive database of domestic and international caselaw, legislation, treaties and legal periodicals. There are two law-specific libraries – one at the Gray’s Inn campus and one at our Northampton square campus - with individual study spaces and dedicated rooms for group work.
Additionally, we are a short walk away from the British Library and the Law Library of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
This course is taught by leading academics as well as visiting practitioners including barristers and solicitors who work in private practice and in legal departments of major companies.
All modules are structured as ten weekly two-hour seminars which comprise both lectures as well as interactive tutorials. All modules are supported by our online learning platform - Moodle. Assessment is by way of coursework which comprises 100% of the final mark in each module. Each module carries the same weight in terms of the overall qualification.
You will be allocated a dedicated supervisor for your dissertation who will help you develop a specific topic and provide support in terms of resources, content and structure.
As with all LLM specialisms at City, University of London, you may take either five modules and a shorter dissertation (10,000 words) or four modules and a longer dissertation (20,000 words). All modules are of the same duration and are taught per term (September – December or January – April) rather than the whole academic year. If you take four modules you will take two per term in each term and if you take five modules will have three in one term and two in the other. Dissertations are written during the summer term when there are no classes.
In order to obtain this specialism, you must choose at least three modules from within this specialism and write your dissertation on a subject within the specialism.
Specialism modules
Choose from the following 30-credit modules:
For your remaining modules you can choose from more than 50 modules covering a diverse range of subjects.
As a graduate of this specialist LLM in International Human Rights, you will be well placed to pursue careers in this area of law in private practice, in-house in a law firm, policy and government, non-governmental organisations and a wide range of non-legal careers in the human rights field.
The City Law School has a vibrant Pro Bono programme including our award-winning commercial law clinic for tech start-ups Start-Ed.
The LLM in Human Rights Law and Practice engages you in a holistic examination of the law, policy, and advocacy of human rights. As such, it provides the substantive knowledge, versatile skills and valuable networks necessary for mid-career professionals and recent graduates to work in the human rights field. The LLM is offered on both a full-time and part-time basis.
The LLM in Human Rights Law and Practice provides the knowledge, skills and networks necessary for mid-career professionals and recent graduates to work in the human rights field. The LLM is offered on both a full-time and part-time basis. Our LLM is distinctive because students:
-Work on real human rights issues, which gives practical skills, hands-on experience and improved job prospects
-Get the opportunity to work alongside human rights defenders during a two-week field visit to Malaysia (student numbers permitting) or placement in York
-Learn from international human rights defenders based at the Centre
-Explore how international human rights law interacts with national public policy in various states
Our core modules enable you to acquire holistic knowledge and the necessary socio-legal skills for a successful career in human rights practice or progression to PhD study. They allow you flexibility to undertake research on those human rights topics which interest you most (e.g. by writing essays, making presentations, or developing an advocacy campaign on a topic of your choice and by undertaking a human rights placement with an organisation that works on a topic of interest).
In the second term, you will be able to choose one optional module from a large variety of courses taught by staff from the Centre of Applied Human Rights (CAHR) or other departments at the University of York. You will have the opportunity to tailor your programme to enhance its interdisciplinary and to explore areas where rights are being used in new and innovative way.
Optional modules taught at the York Law School
Placements
A key part of the LLM is exposing students to the practice of international human rights law at the domestic level. Thus students have the opportunity to pursue a placement and related project with our NGO partners in Malaysia and York. The fieldwork takes place over a two week period in the autumn term, in either Kuala Lumpur or York. Please note that the Malaysia trip/placements will only run if there are sufficient student numbers.
Students will be expected to work together in small groups in partnership with a human rights organisation. This will include:
-Extensive background research on country context, the host organisation, relevant thematic issues etc.
-Devising a project prior to the field visit, in collaboration with the host organisation
-Two weeks of intensive work in Malaysia (student numbers permitting) or York in November and December
-Ongoing discussions about project completion once students return to York
Our LLM provides career advice, networking opportunities, hands-on experience, and personalised reference letters to help our graduates find good jobs with human rights NGOs, humanitarian organisations, charities, policy think-tanks, national governments, and UN agencies.
For example, recent graduates are working with:
-Foreign and Commonwealth Office
-UK-based bar association
-Egyptian human rights NGO
-Development NGO in West Africa
-East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network
-Human Rights Watch
-Pakistan's judicial sector
-UK-based NGO working with sub-Saharan children affected by HIV/AIDS
This advanced course in human rights taught by international experts offers a unique and distinctive focus on the theories and practice of rights, producing a vibrant environment for exploring this significant area of law and policy.
This programme will give you advanced knowledge, greater understanding and critical insights into current systems of human rights legal protection and human rights debates.
You’ll explore different domestic, regional and international human rights legal systems to analyse how rights have been legalised, developed and enforced through the theory and practice of human rights.
You’ll investigate the law relating to the protection of life and human dignity, freedom from torture and other ill treatment, freedom of expression, and human rights with regard to media organisations, terrorism, health care, the family and disabled people.
You’ll benefit from the expertise of leading academics in a stimulating research environment. Our research groups include:
The compulsory modules studied will give you the opportunity to:
Compulsory modules will also enable you to hone your legal research and writing skills, which you’ll be able to demonstrate in your dissertation – an independent piece of research on your chosen topic.
If you study with us, you’ll also benefit from our academic skills programme. This 10-week programme runs alongside your taught academic programme, and is specifically designed to meet the needs of home and international students in the School of Law. It allows you to refine and develop the academic and transferable skills to excel during your taught postgraduate programmes, as well as prepare for professional roles after graduation.
The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you.
If you’re a part-time student, you’ll take three compulsory modules and choose one or two optional modules in your first year. You’ll then take the compulsory dissertation module and one or two optional modules in your second year to complete your programme.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
This programme is taught through a range of weekly lectures and seminars held on a two-weekly basis. You’re strongly advised to attend the weekly lectures on international human rights and international law, particularly if you’ve not previously studied international law.
Independent study is integral to this programme – not just to prepare for classes but to develop research and other critical skills. You’ll be expected to carry out advanced levels of legal research and participate fully in seminars.
Most modules are assessed by essays. This is usually the most effective method for you to showcase your advanced legal research.
Students who have graduated from this degree often choose careers that centre on or involve understanding and applying human rights law and developing policies at organisational level. Further training is required but many also go on to practise as lawyers or legal advisors.
Our alumni include people working at the European Commission, United Nations, non-governmental organisations and in the government sector. Others have chosen to follow academic careers.
The School of Law offers career and personal development support through the School of Law Careers Advisor. The School also arranges career development workshops, seminars and one-to-one sessions for students on all postgraduate programmes.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
The LLM International Human Rights Law is your opportunity to explore the way that international law is used to protect human rights and enables you to gain expertise in a distinct yet relatively broad specialism. You will combine core and elective modules to gain an international perspective on this highly-relevant field of law. The degree is taught by the research-active academics based in our prestigious Law School and offers you the opportunity to engage with teaching staff who are working at the forefront of International Human Rights research.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice; these influential centres underpin our postgraduate teaching, which is research-led and research-informed.
There are two pathways for the LLM, both of which enable you to pursue your own interests:
Your core modules are International Law, International Human Rights Law and the LLM Dissertation. The modules in International Law and International Human Rights Law will address key questions such as how international laws protect, govern and define your human rights and inter-state relationships. You will evaluate the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights protected through international instruments and explore the way that international law is used to shape the world in which we live.
The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will link to a key legal question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the legal and academic community with new, original research and writing. A dissertation supervisor will provide you with support and introduce you to relevant legal material and research; their personal research interests will closely align with your chosen topic wherever possible.
We pride ourselves on the choice and breadth of elective modules available, offering you access to sought-after expertise in high-demand areas and growing fields such as The Rights of Peoples, Law and Global Health, International Terrorism and the Law, Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights, and International Environmental Law.
Our teaching approach is international in scope and comparative by nature, and we actively encourage you to build a beneficial network of academics, peers and alumni during your time with us. All of this will help you to broaden your experience, deepen your understanding, and prepare for your next step.
Your postgraduate LLM degree opens doors to a huge range of careers. You will develop the skills required to critically evaluate research relating to international human rights law; skills which are highly prized by employers both here in the UK and overseas. The analytical and communications skills developed through your studies are a real boost in any sector. The LLM is also an ideal stepping stone to PhD study and academia.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Coursework and dissertation
Many believe that international human rights law is one of our greatest moral achievements. However, there remain huge gaps between the theory and the practice of human rights implementation.
On this degree course you engage critically with many of the international human rights issues that feature strongly in public debate today. You gain a deep understanding of international human rights law, as well as its interconnection with national, regional and European systems of human rights protection.
You will be encouraged to develop a critical perspective on international human rights law, with opportunities also for more practical experience through the Human Rights Law Clinic. Many of our staff engage in interdisciplinary human rights research, which is reflected in our teaching. This is an area of research strength at Sussex. The Sussex Centre for Human Rights Research was established in 2015.
You’ll learn through core modules and options in the autumn and spring terms. In the summer, you undertake supervised work on the LLM dissertation. Find out more about core modules and options here.
You will be assessed through coursework, a portfolio, essays and a 10,000-word dissertation.
When you’ve successfully completed the International Human Rights law core module, you can apply for The Human Rights Law Clinic option.
The Clinic gives you the chance to build on law and theory through the preparation of pro bono legal opinions for real clients. You’ll gain practical insights, work on research, and formulate advice and recommendations on contemporary human rights challenges.
The Sussex Centre for Human Rights Research was established to foster a vibrant research culture for human rights researchers within the Sussex Law School.
Our work has a global as well as national focus and we adopt a range of different approaches to human rights research, for example:
We hold regular research seminars, workshops and debates, which all students are welcome to attend.
The University of Sussex is proud to offer a range of postgraduate funding awards up to £5000, in order to help talented students to come and study at Sussex. Find out more about funding awards available to you by visiting our funding database.
This LLM is ideal if you wish to achieve a law-oriented postgraduate qualification in human rights and want to go on to a career in law or human rights advocacy.
The international and comparative nature of this course means that you will be well placed to seek employment in the UK and overseas in organisations such as:
Our LLM in International Human Rights will expose you to the fundamental aspects of the field, and provide you with the opportunity to critically examine the impact of the international human rights standards on national constitutions and laws, with particular focus given to the conflict between international standards and national provision.
The LLM International Human Rights also provides you with an opportunity to assess how international human rights law offers protection to different categories of vulnerable groups.
Additionally, our LLM provides an opportunity to acquire, or build upon existing skills gained from your undergraduate course - enhancing employment opportunities in the legal profession and providing a basis for progression to doctoral studies.
You will analyse and critically evaluate principle features of international human rights law, including fundamental concepts, values, principles and rules, and the main institutions and procedures. You’ll also learn to evaluate complex legal issues, communicate complex and abstract ideas, and employ strategic transferable skills.
Ethics and human rights are always hot topics, both domestically and internationally. The LLM International Human Rights Law will enable you to explore a wide range of subjects in this area, examine the latest developments and critically analyse the arguments on all sides of the debates. The two compulsory modules – International Human Rights Law and Medical Law and Ethics – will offer you a firm foundation for human rights specialisation, particularly with an ethical and medical law perspective. Practical work and case studies underpin solid theoretical teaching, equipping you with everything you need to work in this dynamic and challenging area of international law.
In the International Human Rights Law module you will gain a critical understanding of human rights law from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective. The module also includes examination of theoretical and philosophical discussions on human rights, international and regional systems of human rights protection and the effectiveness of the United Nations system, and a focus on civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights.
The Medical Law and Ethics module offers analysis of a wide range of areas within medical law and ethics, particularly from an international perspective. You will cover topics such as medical negligence and legal and ethical dilemmas, medical law and ethics from ‘birth to death’, the impact of modern technologies in areas such as gene editing, embryo testing, surrogacy and organ donation, and the law and ethics of end-of-life issues, such as assisted suicide.
You can be sure that the teaching you receive is up to date and highly relevant to twenty-first-century global human rights issues, taught as it is by specialists at the forefront of their disciplines and underpinned by the latest research and practice. Practical, innovative teaching methods combined with traditional class seminars ensure that you are equipped with the knowledge and skills that you will need for your career in the arena of human rights.
The two compulsory modules will be complemented by two from a range of optional modules on offer, enabling you to tailor your course according to your particular ambitions and aspirations.
In addition, the University’s co-curricular programme offers a wide range of options that will further enhance your skills.
Level 7
Core Modules
Optional
A range of innovative theoretical and practical teaching methods are used on this course, from class seminars to large group discussions, small group work to collaborative projects, role plays to debates. All this will enable you to develop those vital intellectual, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills, and to enhance your abilities in the areas of negotiation, presentation, debating, and so on. These skills can be boosted further by participation in our peer mentoring scheme.
The compulsory modules are assessed by way of written coursework, so independent study is, of course, essential to consolidate and broaden your learning and to demonstrate your ability to formulate arguments and seek solutions to contemporary global human rights challenges.
The knowledge, skills and critical understanding of medical law and ethics you will gain on this course will equip you to serve and support human rights efforts in a wide variety of positions and sectors. Whether you choose to work in the public sector, health, international organisations or civil society, or even to follow an academic or research career, you can be sure that your degree will be the launching pad you need for an exciting and stimulating future.
This LLM engages students in the practice and policy context of human rights law internationally.
The course offers students a wide range of human rights law courses taught by leading experts in their field. It includes interdisciplinary teaching and a unique International Human Rights clinical module which focuses on essential human rights lawyering skills, including oral and written advocacy (legal and policy), strategic litigation, fact-finding and development.
The course will be of interest to students and practitioners from a range of different fields including:
Applicants for the LLM (International Human Rights Law and Public Policy) degree also have the option of registering for a Postgraduate Diploma in International Law and Human Rights. Students take 60 credits of taught masters’ modules from those on offer for the LLM (International Human Rights Law and Public Policy). The Postgraduate Diploma can be completed over 9 months full-time or 18 months part-time. Those who wish to apply for the Diploma should contact [email protected] for application details.
This shorter programme may be attractive to legal professionals and others who may prefer not to make an initial commitment to a full master’s programme. Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma may further progress their studies by completing a 15,000 word research dissertation and graduating with a Masters in Law (LLM).
Credits
Students complete 90 credits over 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. Students take 55 credits of compulsory modules and choose 35 credits from the list of optional modules.
Please visit the School of Law website here for up to date information on the programme.
Programme regulations are available in the College Calendar
Please see the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules
Additional Teaching Mode Information
The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.
Course Practicalities
LLM classes are in seminar format. This participative and interactive format of teaching is suitable for postgraduate level.
You will receive advance reading lists and/or materials for each seminar.
Seminars take place in two-hour blocks between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. 10 credit modules run for 12 weeks and 5 credit modules run for 6 weeks.
Assessment
You will be examined by continuous assessment throughout the year and your dissertation must be submitted in September. Individual module assessments can be viewed in the Book of Modules.
Who teaches this course?
The School of Law has many expert and committed lecturers with expertise across a wide range of areas. For a full listing of academic staff, see here
This course is of relevance to legal practitioners, policy makers and civil society actors across a range of fields. You will benefit from a series of guest seminars and workshops with key actors in the human rights movement.
It will provide you with the skills and qualification necessary to pursue an international career with international organisations, governments, UN bodies, European Human Rights bodies and in legal practice. The course includes a unique International Human Rights clinic core module.
Students engage in the practice and policy context of human rights law and also focus on essential human rights lawyering skills, including: oral and written advocacy (legal and policy)strategic litigationfact-finding and development.
Placement or Study Abroad Information
You will be supported in applying for and securing internships and placements internationally and nationally in the field of human rights. The School of Law has an active summer placement course and excellent links with international organizations, public bodies and NGOs.
Skills and Careers Information
Graduates of this course have pursued careers with international organisations, in legal practice, in policy bodies and in aid and development. Testimonials from UCC law students/graduates http://www.ucc.ie/en/law-postgrad/studentprofiles/careersinhumanrightslaw/
This engaging Masters degree combines two highly-relevant and challenging areas of legal study and explores the interplay between them. It provides you with an international perspective and is taught by the research-active academics based in our prestigious Law School. It is your opportunity to engage with teaching staff who are working at the forefront of international research into these fascinating legal and socio-legal issues.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice; these influential centres underpin our postgraduate teaching, which is research-led and research-informed.
There are two pathways for the LLM, both of which enable you to pursue your own interests:
Your core modules are International Law, International Human Rights Law, International Terrorism and the Law, and the LLM Dissertation. The modules in International Law and International Human Rights Law will address key questions such as how international laws protect, govern and define your human rights and inter-state relationships. You will evaluate the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights protected through international instruments and explore the way that international law is used to shape the world in which we live.
International Terrorism and the Law explores concepts relating to civil liberties, international law, criminal justice and human rights as you consider one of the greatest global challenges to peace, stability and security.
The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will link to a key legal question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the legal and academic community with new, original research and writing. A dissertation supervisor will provide you with support and introduce you to relevant legal material and research; their personal research interests will closely align with your chosen topic wherever possible.
We pride ourselves on the choice and breadth of elective modules available, offering you access to sought-after expertise in high-demand areas and growing fields such as The Rights of Peoples, Law and Global Health, International Criminal Law, Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights, and International Environmental Law.
Our teaching approach is international in scope and comparative by nature, and we actively encourage you to build a beneficial network of academics, peers and alumni during your time with us. All of this will help you to broaden your experience, deepen your understanding, and prepare for your next step.
Your postgraduate LLM degree opens doors to a huge range of careers. You will develop the skills required to critically evaluate cutting-edge research; skills which are highly prized by employers both here in the UK and overseas. The analytical and communications skills developed through your studies are a real boost in any sector. The LLM is also an ideal stepping stone to PhD study and academia.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Coursework and dissertation
When human rights are violated by a particular state, is it more effective to use the national, regional or international human rights protection mechanisms to address the issue? And what mechanism will probably be most effective in addressing specific types of human rights violations?
Human rights are at risk in all societies. Though various national, regional and international laws and treaties have been developed to protect the human rights of all people, some laws are more effective than others in particular situations. In this programme, you will compare the functionality of different protection mechanisms that are currently in place. You will also learn how to apply them successfully in different political, social and cultural settings.
As a student of the European and International Human Rights Law Advanced Studies programme, you will benefit from:
Would you like to actively work to protect the rights of people across the globe? Are you interested in applying your knowledge of human rights law to real-world political, social and legal settings? Then this is the programme for you. You should also have a sufficient background in law.
This masters of law programme is designed to help students become experts in the areas of International Law that directly concern the human person - International Criminal Law & International Human Rights Law - whilst mastering the discipline of International Law of which they are part. In addition to the foundational courses in Legal Research Methods and Public International Law, students will be required to study International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law and write a dissertation on a topic within the International Criminal Law or International Human Rights Law. The remaining courses can be chosen from a range of relevant options.
Through carefully designed course work and varied teaching approaches, students will acquire the intellectual open-ness, technical expertise and critical thinking abilities that are necessary for effectiveness in a globalising world. The programme will equip students to respond effectively to the wide range of intellectual and professional challenges facing those working on legal issues concerning the human person in International Law. The LLM in International Law (specialising in International Criminal Law & International Human Rights Law) will equip them to deal with both case work and policy making.
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