Also consider: Top Masters in Human Rights
Master International Human Rights Law (MA)
This Master’s programme at the University of Oxford is largely administered online, though two summer semesters must be completed on campus over the course of two years. It’s the perfect complement to an existing knowledge base of law and an interest in human rights. The programme seeks to provide a comprehensive education on the subject of human rights laws, with the goal of preparing students to actively use and understand them. The fee for the course is £23,635, and the earliest next application date is November 2016.
The Master of Laws degree in International Human Rights Law is a flexible online degree program offered by the prestigious University of Oxford based in London, UK. To complete the program, students take courses online during fall and spring. Then, summers are spent at the London campus participating in short, intense seminars. Students have wide ranges of specializations to choose from, but all paths finish with a 12,000-word dissertation that is based on independent research.
Admission into the International Human Rights Law program requires an honors-level undergraduate degree in law or a closely related field. Students must be able to communicate fluently in English and will be asked to submit IELTS or TOEFL test scores if they are not native speakers.
Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies (MA)
The University of London boasts the world’s only online Master’s programme on this topic. The study of refugees has come to the fore recently, and experience in this field would be a valuable asset to anyone seeking to work in the area of modern human rights. Students will learn the legal perspective of forced migration, as well as the theoretical and practical sides of the issue. This is a committed full-time course of two years completed wholly online, though comprehensive support will be available when needed. The fee is £7,350 per year, and the next available start date is September 1. Applications for enrollment must be received by February 1.
International Human Rights Law (LLM)
De Montfort University in Leicester, England, offers a Master of Laws degree in International Human Rights Law that requires only the completion of online course work. All courses are completed online on a part-time basis. Students have the flexibility to work at their own pace for some classes; however, courses may involve group work and assignments. On average, students finish the program requirements in 27 months.
To qualify for admission to the International Human Rights Law master’s program at De Montfort University, students must have a bachelor’s degree with an honors rating or the equivalent. Although their degrees do not need to be in law, applicants are expected to have a thorough knowledge of international law. Fluency in English is mandatory and must be demonstrated with IELTS or TOEFL scores.
Human Rights and Global Ethic (MA)
The Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine at the University of Leicester offers a full and part-time Master of Arts in Human Rights and Global Ethics in an online format. Most students finish the coursework within 2 years; however, the program has flexible scheduling abilities that allow students to complete the requisite courses at their own pace. Coursework includes a mandatory module in the politics of human rights plus elective coursework in fields related to security, political science, governance, conflict and public policy.
To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts in Human Rights and Global Ethics, students must have an honors bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in history, international relations or politics. Fluency in English as evidence by TOEFL or IELTS scores is also required.
This Master’s programme proposes that the issues of human rights and global ethics are invariably intertwined, and that the interaction between the two issues has contributed to the global economic crisis, as well as various other social and political issues. This is a variable intensity course over two years, and students can apply to enroll at any time. The course has two start dates per year: September and March. The next two modules have a tuition of £7,470, though after these dates the tuition will rise. For the distance course, the university is willing to consider applicants without the requisite undergraduate degree if they have sufficient professional experience.
Postgraduate Certificate in Human Rights and Development Management (Postgrad. Cert.)
(Note: This is not a Masters Program) The Open University based in Milton Keynes, UK, offers a postgraduate certificate program in Human Rights and Development Management. Intended for those interested in learning more about how human rights law and social development related to private business enterprise, the program is offered entirely online over a 1-year period. Some required courses for the program include corporate social responsibility, capacities for managing development and context and practice of development.
To be considered for admission to the certificate program in Human Rights and Development Management, students must already hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Classes are taught in English, so the Open University requires students who hold baccalaureate degrees from countries that do not use English for instruction to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores.
