Masters Degrees in Jurisprudence, Ireland

On this programme you will acquire specialised and in-depth knowledge and understanding of international human rights law, political theory of rights and international relations relating to human rights. The programme is interdisciplinary thus building on the strengths in this area of the Sutherland School of Law and the School of Politics and International Relations. Members of staff in the Sutherland School of Law have engaged in major research in this area spanning the full range of international human rights law from asylum law and practice, the EU and fundamental rights to the law of privacy in Ireland.

The LLM in International Human rights differs from existing degrees in Ireland by having a distinct interdisciplinary nature flowing from the co-ordination between the School of Law and the School of politics and International relations (SpIre).

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmininternationalhumanrights/

Your studies

On this programme you will acquire a specialised and in-depth knowledge and understanding of international human rights law, political theory of rights and international relations relating to human rights in a single course.
Your core modules will include International Human Rights Law and the Politics of Human Rights. You will also choose from modules such as: International Security; Politics of Development; Discrimination Law; and, Media and Regulation. You will complete a supervised dissertation and will also have international exchange opportunities during the programme. On completion of your studies, you will:
- be able to understand and think critically about the intersections between law, politics and international relations in the study of human rights;
- be able to apply this knowledge and understanding to real and hypothetical situations;
- be able to conduct independent research and write coherent, well-structured papers;
- have identified doctrinal and practical trends in legal practise and their impact; and,
- have an increased ability to identify and analyse problems from a legal perspective.

Studying abroad

The School affords its students the opportunity to spend a semester abroad as part of the Comparative, International and European Law (CIEL) Graduate exchange programme with our partner Universities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Students participating in the programme will have their dissertations jointly supervised by staff in UCD and in the institution which
they are visiting. Successful completion of the semester abroad will lead to the award of a Certificate in Comparative, International and European Law.

Your future

The programme qualifies you to work in the field of human rights, either domestically or internationally, as a practising lawyer, legal-adviser, policymaker, advocate, researcher, or academic. Career opportunities exist in intergovernmental organisations (United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union, Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe), government departments, international and domestic non-governmental organisations, law firms, and Universities.

Features

The Sutherland School of Law offers a wide range of modules for the Masters programmes. Reflecting its interdisciplinary nature, there are core modules that must be taken in both Law and Politics. The core law modules are

- International Human Rights considers the theoretical underpinnings and development of contemporary international human rights law, critically examines the institutional architecture developed by the UN system and regional systems to implement human rights norms as well as national methods of implementation of human rights law.

- Law of the ECHR offers a critical examination of key aspects of the operation and substantive law of the ECHR focussing on its incorporation into domestic law and an in-depth analysis and evaluation of the Court's jurisprudence for a number of substantive rights.

- Other Law modules of especial interest to those undertaking this programme include:

- Comparative Constitutional Law discusses a number of constitutional issues from a comparative perspective including the influence of the ECHR and its jurisprudence on constitutional structures and systems.

- Media Regulation discusses the regulatory environment in which the media operates, and encourages a critical analysis of the implications which the current system has for media freedom, journalistic ethics and practices, democracy and governance

CIEL

Any student admitted to an LLM programme in the Law School also can apply on a competitive basis to spend their second semester at one of our sister Law Schools:
- University of Antwerp
- Maastricht University
- The University of Mannhein
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
- Universite de Toulouse 1 – Capitole

Students must score 6.5 in IELTS or 90 in the internet TOEFL exams in the relevant language of instruction (English, French or German). Spaces are allocated on a competitive basis. Students who are accepted onto this programme graduate with an LLM and are awarded a certificate in International and Comparative Law (CIEL).

Careers

This programme will equip graduates with the knowledge, skills and capacity to work in the field of human rights, either domestically or internationally, as practising lawyers, legal-advisers, policy-makers, advocates, researchers or academics. Career opportunities in the field of human rights can arise in a variety of different contexts. These include, but are not limited to, intergovernmental organisations (United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union, Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe), government departments, international and domestic non-governmental organisations, law firms and Universities.

We have an excellent Careers Development Centre here at UCD, designed to help you with information regarding future employment or studies. UCD hold a number of graduate events throughout the year including a dedicated law fair at which at which many of the big Law firms will be in attendance. The School of Law has a dedicated careers advisor on it’s Academic staff, Dr. Oonagh Breen, and a staff member from the careers office will be in attendance at the School of law on a number of occasions throughout the academic year. To see the full range of services offered by the careers office go to http://www.ucd.ie/careers/

Find out how to apply here http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmininternationalhumanrights/apply,80081,en.html

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmininternationalhumanrights/

Scholarships

The University and UCD Sutherland School of Law have a list of scholarships that are open to Irish, EU and International applicants.
For further information please see http://www.ucd.ie/scholarships
International students may wish to visit: http://www.ucd.ie/international

Why you should choose UCD

In the state-of-the-art UCD Sutherland School of Law, graduate students engage in advanced study with internationally renowned
specialists to develop the transformative potential of law.

The School is ranked by the authoritative QS World University Rankings as Ireland's number one law school and amongst the world's 100 leading law schools. Students benefit from the School’s strong links with university partners; businesses; NGOs; and, domestic, EU and international governments.
We place particular emphasis on the quality and breadth of our graduate programmes across Diploma, Masters and Doctoral levels. Our graduate degrees are available on a full-time or part-time basis, beginning in either January or September.
We also offer part-time Diploma programmes and single subject certificates with the possibility of securing CPD points and building study up to achieve diploma or masters awards.

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Crime and punishment are issues of central importance to society and by bringing academic rigour to their examination the UCD Institute of Criminology contributes to the achievement of national priorities. The Institute brings together leading academics from across UCD and is the only centre of its kind in Ireland. Its members have conducted major research projects on a wide range of topics in the field of criminology and criminal justice, including work on coercive confinement, prison violence and desistance from crime. The work of the Institute has been the focus of debates in parliament, legislative and policy initiatives and numerous reports in the media.

On completion of this programme, students will be able:
- To understand and think critically about the intersections between law, politics and social policy that come to the fore in the study of Criminology and Criminal Justice;
- To apply their knowledge and understanding of Criminology and Criminal Justice to real and hypothetical factual situations;
- To conduct independent research and write coherent, well-structured papers.

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/msccriminologyandcriminaljustice/

Studying abroad

The School affords its students the opportunity to spend a semester abroad as part of the Comparative, International and European Law (CIEL) Graduate exchange programme with our partner Universities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Students participating in the programme will have their dissertations jointly supervised by staff in UCD and in the institution which
they are visiting. Successful completion of the semester abroad will lead to the award of a Certificate in Comparative, International and European Law.

Your future

A specialisation in criminology and criminal justice will be of interest to graduates who want to work in one of the criminal justice
agencies and to those working in prisons, probation, policing and the courts. This specialisation will equip you with a head start for a career in criminal law and the criminal justice system.

Features

The Institute of Criminology offers a wide range of modules for the Masters programmes. Modules of especial interest to those undertaking this programme include:

- Criminal Justice History considers the history of specific offences in a broad socio-political context. Offences examined will include the history of unlawful killing and the evolution of sexual offences alongside aspects of the criminal justice process.

- Advanced Criminological Theory explores key theories of crime both classic and recent, including biological, psychological and sociological explanations of criminal behaviour and their potential application in the Irish context.

- Crime and Punishment explores a number of central issues in criminal jurisprudence such as responsibility, culpability, harm and moral wrongdoing to deepen an understanding of the basis on which conduct is criminalised and criminal liability imposed.

- International and Transnational Crime focuses on the emergence of international criminal law has emerged as a distinct body of law responding to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, before considering the impact of globalisation on crime.

Careers

This programme provides opportunities for those who wish to work or are already working in relevant areas, such as policing, youth justice, prisons, probation and voluntary organisations to enhance their knowledge of the field. It also provides a good platform for doctoral studies and a possible academic career in what has become an area of substantial growth in universities around the world.

We have an excellent Careers Development Centre here at UCD, designed to help you with information regarding future employment or studies. UCD hold a number of graduate events throughout the year including a dedicated law fair at which at which many of the big Law firms will be in attendance. The School of Law has a dedicated careers advisor on it’s Academic staff, Dr. Oonagh Breen, and a staff member from the careers office will be in attendance at the School of law on a number of occasions throughout the academic year. To see the full range of services offered by the careers office go to http://www.ucd.ie/careers/

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/msccriminologyandcriminaljustice/

Find out how to apply here http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/msccriminologyandcriminaljustice/apply,80113,en.html

Scholarships

The University and UCD Sutherland School of Law have a list of scholarships that are open to Irish, EU and International applicants.
For further information please see http://www.ucd.ie/scholarships
International students may wish to visit: http://www.ucd.ie/international

Why you should choose UCD

In the state-of-the-art UCD Sutherland School of Law, graduate students engage in advanced study with internationally renowned
specialists to develop the transformative potential of law.

The School is ranked by the authoritative QS World University Rankings as Ireland's number one law school and amongst the
world's 100 leading law schools. Students benefit from the School’s strong links with university partners; businesses; NGOs; and, domestic, EU and international governments.
We place particular emphasis on the quality and breadth of our graduate programmes across Diploma, Masters and Doctoral levels. Our graduate degrees are available on a full-time or part-time basis, beginning in either January or September.
We also offer part- time Diploma programmes and single subject certificates with the possibility of securing CPD points and building study up to achieve diploma or masters awards.

Read less

Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in International Justice and Law provides students with critical insights into the international legal system and how it operates to promote and secure justice. It analyses how the international legal order works and how it seeks to protect vulnerable groups, including minorities, migrants, and peoples with disabilities. The programme draws on law and other disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, and politics, to provide students with a comprehensive examination of the challenges facing international justice mechanisms today.

Work placement opportunities are available as part the programme with partner civil society organisations including the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Transparency International, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Trócaire and Oxfam.

Teaching is delivered by means of small class lectures, in-class simulations and workshops. Students will also benefit from guest lectures delivered by international speakers.The programme is very attractive to law graduates who wish to specialise in the fields of international law and human rights, and to non-law graduates who are interested in questions of social justice and in acquiring legal tools and skills for future career options.

Commences

September

Course Structure

Students complete a total of 60 ECTS over the course of this programme. Students must complete 30 taught credits in each year.

Not all modules offered will run every year; offerings are dependent upon demand and other potential constraints. Students may choose any combination of modules they wish, however, they cannot take more than 30 taught credits per semester.

Duration: 2 years Part-time

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