Human Rights

Political, social and economic challenges are frequently articulated through the language of human rights. Is the rise of human rights discourse an emblem of hope and a political horizon, mobilising resistance to human need and suffering? Or do human rights claims deflect more radical political demands and block real transformation? Can the manifold crises of contemporary life be made more intelligible through the frame of human rights? These are just some of the questions taken up in this degree.

We take pride in offering you this exciting and innovative Master’s degree, which leads to the award of an LLM or MA Human Rights. On completing this programme, you will be able to choose which award you receive (the content is the same for each). The distinctive focus of the programme is on theoretically informed and multidisciplinary approaches to human rights. It aims to expose you to a critical and contextual engagement with the subject. You will study human rights in their legal, political, sociological, anthropological and philosophical contexts.

You will be introduced to a wide variety of approaches to research across a range of disciplines, and to the theoretical frameworks for advanced legal scholarship. You will also take option modules, choosing from a wide range of subjects in the area of human rights.

This programme is particularly attractive to legal professionals, and to non-lawyers who work, or would like to work, in the field of human rights, allowing them to reflect critically on their role as human rights activists and practitioners.

• In the latest Research Excellence Framework we were ranked in the top 10 for research intensity in the UK and top three in London, while our research environment was judged conducive to producing research of the highest quality.
• This programme has close ties to a number of leading human rights NGOs and is informed by critical engagement with, and analysis of, human rights practice. The award of an LLM or an MA allows you to choose a qualification that best suits your existing and future career. The final award will be determined following completion of the programme.
• The School is the home of Birkbeck Law Press and publishes Law and Critique: The International Journal of Critical Legal Thought and the Birkbeck Law Review. You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.
• Candidates with an outstanding academic record who demonstrate high potential for strong performance on one of our Master's degrees can apply for School of Law Postgraduate Fee Awards.