MA in Understanding & Securing Human Rights
Why Choose Us | MA Staff & Student Articles| Course Overview 2009-2010
Course Structure & Content 2009-2010 | Course Requirements 2009-2010
Placements with Human Rights Organisations in London | Geneva Study Tour
Human Rights Speaker Series and Conferences | Human Rights Film Series
Where Our Alumni Work | What Our Students and Alumni Say About Our MA
Admission Criteria | Fees | Closing Dates & Further Information | Study Online
MA Alumni and News | Human Rights WebLinks| Centre for International Human Rights (CIHR)
MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights
Our MA is the longest-running multi-disciplinary and practice-oriented human rights MA program in the UK. We have been training human rights advocates and defenders around the world since 1995.
• We are at the forefront of practice-oriented human rights education in the UK and Europe. Our students learn practical skills in human rights advocacy, research, and fundraising.
• Our academic staff combine human rights research with ongoing advocacy so the course stays current with new developments in the field.
• We bring theory, practice, and law together into a truly integrated and multi-disciplinary program, whereas many other human rights MA programs emphasize law.
• We give students access to a wide range of human rights organisations in London through guest lectures, evening seminars, and voluntary placements.
• Students gain hands-on experience and improved job prospects through voluntary placements with some 30 human rights organisations in the London area.
• Students go on a one-week Geneva study tour where they learn from a wide range of human rights advocates inside and outside the UN.
• We offer an intimate and friendly learning environment where our 50 students really get to know their lecturers.
• We are housed in the heart of Bloomsbury, the intellectual centre of London.
MA Staff & Student Articles
A number of our staff and students have contributed to articles in the Insitute of Commonwealth Studies Newsletter (Commonwealth Matters) and the School of Advanced Study Newsletter (SAS News).
Back to the future: an unusual journey with(in) human rights, by Angela Melchiorre
The tricks of the trade: what you need to know if you want to teach and learn human rights, by Angela Melchiorre
The Australian Northern Territory Intervention: Misguided paternalism or Energy Security?, by Damien Short
Learning Lessons from Post-Genocide Rwanda, by Lars Waldorf
My UN experience as a Human Rights Officer, by Cristina Michels
Life as an Ambassador, by James Kember
Working on the Thai-Burma Border, by Dominic Riley
This, too, is Liberia, by Esther Lieu
Our MA is aimed at individuals who are, or want to be, human rights professionals in the NGO, governmental, and inter-governmental sectors. The course also provides the knowledge and skills to further careers in journalism, international law, and academia. The MA taught modules are interdisciplinary and practice-oriented.
In accordance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights equates to 120 ECTS credits. This comprises of MA units 1, 2 and 3 which are split over two terms, each as 10 + 10 credit modules. The autumn term of each is compulsory. Students then select four out of a possible five options in the spring term. As well as the second half of units 1, 2 and 3, two new 10 credit optional modules are offered. The internship is valued at 20 credits, and the dissertation at 30 credits. The combination of compulsory and optional modules and their ECTS credit bearing is defined in the table beneath.
Module |
ECTS Credits |
Compulsory [C] or Optional [O] |
Term |
Unit 1: Understanding Human Rights I |
10 |
C |
Autumn |
Unit 1: Understanding Human Rights II |
10 |
O |
Spring |
Unit 2: Securing Human Rights I |
10 |
C |
Autumn |
Unit 2: Securing Human Rights II |
10 |
O |
Spring |
Unit 3: The Foundations of International Human Rights Law |
10 |
C |
Autumn |
Unit 3: Topics in International Human Rights Law |
10 |
O |
Spring |
Optional Module: The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America |
10 |
O |
Spring |
Optional Module: Researching Human Rights: Social Research Methods Researching Human |
10 |
O |
Spring |
Human Rights Internship |
20 |
C* |
Flexible |
Dissertation |
30 |
C |
Summer |
* If students decide not to pursue an internship placement, they are required in lieu to prepare an NGO report to fulfill this component of the MA. The NGO report is 8,000 words in length and provides students with the opportunity to critically examine the practice of a single NGO or specific NGO project.
Part-time Study
Students have the option to study the MA full time over one year, or part time over two years. In the first year, part time students must start in the autumn term with Unit 1, Module 1: Understanding Human Rights I, and Unit 3, Module 1: The Foundations of International Human Rights Law. In the spring term of the first year, part-time students can choose from the options in the table above, with the exception of Unit 2, Securing Human Rights Module 2. In the second year, part time students must start in the autumn term with Unit 2, Securing Human Rights Module 1 – this is a prerequisite for taking Unit 2, module 2 in the spring term. Part time students may choose whether to take two optional modules in the spring term of year 1 or 2. Part time students may undertake more than one internship, e.g. in both years and/or during the summer between years 1 and 2.
Course Structure & Content 2009-2010
The three taught units are:
Unit 1: Understanding Human Rights (10 + 10 ECTS credits)
Modules 1 and 2 of Unit 1 look at ideas of human rights, their moral underpinnings and the basis of claims. We also address cultural critiques of universal rights and political challenges to human rights practice. We place rights in specific contexts from the global to the local level to illustrate topical challenges. We also explore certain types of human rights violations, seeking to understand the violations and the motivations of the perpetrators, before moving on to consider the concept of reconciliation as a peacemaking paradigm and the role of rights therein. Finally, we look at the workUnit 2: Securing Human Rights (10 + 10 ECTS credits)
The modules in Unit 2 bring together the concepts explored in Unit 1 and the legal mechanisms examined in Unit 3, and explore strategies employed by inter- and non-governmental organisations, civil society groups and governmental agencies to secure human rights. We expose students to the practical work of various human rights actors, the context in which they work, the techniques they use and the challenges they face. These modules provide the practical skills and broader context necessary for effective human rights advocacy. Lectures aim to provide insights into the necessary skills and broader contexts of effective human rights activism.
Unit 3: Translating Human Rights into International Law (10 + 10 ECTS credits)
The two Translating Human Rights into International Law modules engage students in a critical and nuanced examination of the successes and failings of international law in protecting human rights. Throughout the course, we look at how human rights discourse and practice have shaped international and domestic laws, and how those laws, in turn, have shaped discourse, practice, and the realization of human rights. Most weeks, we dissect a contemporary case study that illuminates the legal and political issues under consideration. Module I: the Foundations of International Human Rights Law is compulsory for all students and takes place during the autumn term. We explore the legal sources of human rights and assess the effectiveness of different enforcement mechanisms. Module II: Topics in International Human Rights Law is an option during the spring term. We focus upon human rights in the context of mass violence and closely examine various mechanisms for prevention and punishment of human rights abuses.
The Politics of Human Rights in Latin America
This optional module, run in conjunction with the Institute for the Study of the Americas , provides a comprehensive introduction to human rights issues in Latin America . The course is run over two terms and is divided into four sections. In the spring term, sections III and IV only are available to MA Understanding and Securing Human Rights students as an optional module. This module will address the nature of contemporary human rights issues in the region, including the institutional dimensions of the rule of law and debates relating to citizenship, democracy and rights. A two-hour weekly combined lecture and seminar will employ both a thematic, comparative approach and more specific case studies to examine the principal analytical debates.
Researching Human Rights: Social Science Research Methods
This optional module will provide students with an essential grounding in social science research methodology and its relevance to human rights research and practice. It will be taught by a variety of staff with extensive experience of research methods and the practicalities of researching human rights in the field.
TBC
TBC
Translating Human Rights into Law
TBC
TBC
Placements with Human Rights organisations in London
As part of the MA, students undertake placements with human rights organisations based in London during the academic year. The usual commitment is one day per week for at least six months. Although this work is unpaid, it adds considerably to the understanding of human rights gained in lectures and may help you settle on a career path after graduation. (If you are a part-time student, there is an element of flexibility as to whether you do a placement in your 1st or 2nd year, or both.)
The kind of work undertaken on these placements varies depending on the type of organisation: it may be research, fundraising, lobbying or some other challenging task, but it is likely to include some routine office work as well.
In order to make this experience as beneficial as possible for both sides, we will try to accommodate your preferences and/or match them with each organisation's requirements and needs. Upon registration you will receive a list of organisations that are willing to place our students.
You are encouraged to go through the list as soon as possible as it gives essential information about options, activities and areas of interest.
Some of the organisations listed in the placement handbook have taken MA students for several years. They include, but are not limited to, Article 19, Anti-Slavery International, Save the Children, Landmine Action, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Immigration Advisory Service, Minority Rights Group, Index on Censorship, British-Irish Rights Watch, Childhope and Peace Brigades International.
In past years, we have been fortunate enough to place all those students who wanted placements, but you should be aware that this is not always possible and that we are not in a position to guarantee a placement for everyone on the course. We are, however, more than happy to act as facilitators in your search for placements and will assist you as much as possible. For this reason, a short informal interview with the placement co-ordinator, Corinne Lennox , will take place during the first three weeks of the autumn term. Alternatively, students can arrange their own placement at any point before, during or (for part-timers) after the academic year, as long as the placement co-ordinator is kept informed and approves the arrangements. The Institute of Commonwealth Studies also receives regular notifications of paid and unpaid NGO job opportunities throughout the year and these advertisements are circulated to our MA students.
If students decide not to pursue an internship placement, they are required in lieu to prepare an NGO report to fulfill this component of the MA. The NGO report provides students with the opportunity to critically examine the practice of a single NGO or specific NGO project.
Students can choose the NGO/project subject to approval by Corinne. If you are planning to do an NGO report instead of an internship placement, please inform the placement coordinator by the start of Term.
In order to achieve a successful outcome for the internship placement for both interns and the organisation, students are encouraged to complete a self-assessment prior to commencing the placement. The results can be shared with your supervisor at the placement organisation with the aim of establishing shared expectations and goals for the internship period. Students can also consult this self-assessment periodically during their internship to ensure that the experience is helping them to achieve the goals set for their own professional development. Guidelines for preparing a self-assessment are included in the Student Placements Handbook.
Once students have concluded an internship placement, they are required as part of the MA course components, to complete a short assessment of their placement experience. Guidelines for the assessment are included in the Student Placements Handbook.
I chose the course partly because of the placement component. After discussing with the placement coordinator my interests, we decided I should apply for an internship with ChildHope UK . … Fortunately, a position did come up as a Programmes Assistant. Although it was a very competitive process, I had already built a relationship with the staff and they knew I was able to fulfill the requirements of the position, so they decided to offer it to me.
I have now been working at ChildHope for 6 months, and am so happy, finally doing what I've always wanted to do. If I had not taken part on the placement scheme I probably would not be working at ChildHope right now, and so am very grateful for the fantastic opportunity that the placement offered.
Catherine Klirodotakou Luscombe
ChildHope, Programmes Officer
*************
As part of this placement initiative I undertook part-time voluntary work within the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), a pan-European network of refugee-assisting Non-Governmental Organisations.
Whilst volunteering at ECRE I worked within the integration programme and I represented ECRE at an international NGO conference in Vienna that explored issues surrounding the integration of refugees and immigrants. The London Secretariat of ECRE was an extremely inclusive environment: volunteers were given responsibility, encouraged to participate fully and treated as active and valuable staff members. This initial voluntary experience provided first-hand knowledge of the organisation, and was critical in gaining paid employment at ECRE following graduation.
Laura Stock
Information Officer, Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Forum
(formerly Assistant to the Secretary General, ECRE)
Each year, the MA staff lead students on a one-week study tour to Geneva , in order to get a feel for human rights advocacy before inter-governmental organisations. We attend sessions of the UN Human Rights Council and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and meet representatives of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and governmental delegates. We also meet officers from a wide range of international organisations (including the International Committee for the Red Cross, the World Health Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and the World Trade Organisation) and NGOs and think-tanks (like the Association for the Prevention of Torture, the International Council on Human Rights Policy, and the International Service for Human Rights).
Although not compulsory, the study tour is strongly recommended as a complementary element of the course. Given the practice-oriented focus of the MA, this is an opportunity to see for yourself how governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental representatives work with (and within) the UN, thus complementing what you have learnt in lectures and from your reading.
The cost of the Geneva Study Tour (including expenses) is estimated at around £300 - £350 and is not included in the course tuition fees.
It's invaluable for us to get an insight into how human rights bodies function on ground level, through mechanisms such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child. It also gave me a sense of what working life in Geneva might be like should I decide to pursue that road.
Deborah Bonello, MA student (2006-2007)
Human Rights Speaker Series and Conferences
The Institute's Centre for International Human Rights (CIHR) sponsors a public speaker series and occasional conferences, which bring together academics, practitioners and the public to discuss and debate important human rights developments. Our students are strongly encouraged to attend these seminars and conferences.
A new monthly seminar series on Human Rights in the Commonwealth will also commence in 09/10. Details will follow.
During the year, MA staff will arrange regular screenings of human rights related films and sponsor post-film discussions. Students are encouraged to contribute films of their choosing.
Where Our Alumni Work
The MA has more than 300 alumni around the world working for human rights NGOs, humanitarian organisations, charities, national governments, and UN agencies.
Here is a small sample of the posts some of our alumni hold, or have held:
ActionAid (Afghanistan), Policy and Partnership Manager
Amnesty International, Research and Campaign Assistant for the India Team
Article 19, Asia Programme Officer
British Red Cross, Assistant Desk Officer for East Africa and Great Lakes Region
CARE International (Sri Lanka), Community Consultation Project Officer
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Campaigns Parliamentary Officer
Centre for the Defense of Human Rights (Brazil), Public Defender
Christian Aid, Communication Officer for East, Horn and Central Africa
Comic Relief, PA to Chief Executive
Disability Rights Promotion International, Project Coordinator
Evelyn Hone College (Lusaka, Zambia), Lecturer in Human Rights
European Parliament, Media Officer
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Human Rights Project Fund Manager
Forum for the Future, Business Assistant
HelpAge International, Policy Officer
Human Rights Documentation Unit (Thai-Burma border), Research Officer
Human Rights Watch (London), Associate for the Africa Division
International Committee of the Red Cross (Islamabad), Delegate
International PEN, Africa/Americas Researcher & Campaigner for Writers in Prison
International Service for Human Rights (Geneva), Human Rights Trainer
Jesuit Refugee Services (Thai-Burma border), Project Coordinator
Medical Aid for Palestinians, Fundraising Officer
Nepal National Human Rights Commission, Deputy Director
Panos Institute, AIDS Programme Manager
The Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health, Publications Coordinator
Refugee Legal Centre, Appeals Caseworker
Save the Children (Yemen), CRC Program Officer
Sigrid Rausing Trust, Manager for the Human Rights Portfolio
UK Immigration Advisory Service (UK), Senior Research and Information Officer
UN Development Programme (Bangladesh), Programme Officer in Gender
UN Development Programme (Yemen), Project Assistant
UN High Commission for Refugees (Uganda), Protection Officer
UNICEF (Mozambique), Social Policy, Information and Monitoring Unit
UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Assistant
UN Mission in Congo, Human Rights Officer
UN Mission in Sudan, Human Rights Officer
UN Mission of Support for East Timor, Human Rights Officer
UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, Human Rights Officer for Policy
VSO (Pakistan), Country Director
WaterAid, Campaigns Officer
World Vision Canada, Director of the Program Effectiveness Division
One of our former students, Esther Lieu, discusses her current role and work with Save the Children (UK in Liberia) in
the first issue of SAS News, the new online newsletter of the School of Advanced Study, University of London.
A Careers Development Evening is held each year giving current students the chance to discuss opportunities and career experiences with alumni and academic staff.
The Careers Group, University of London is the largest graduate careers service in Europe. It offers advice, seminars, and resources to all current students and graduates of the University of London. Click on www.careers.lon.ac.uk for more information.
What Our Students and Alumni Say About Our MA
"I strongly recommend to anyone who is … looking for future paid employment in the [human rights] sector to choose the Institute of Commonwealth Studies as it offers a much more holistic and hands-on approach to every aspect of human rights."
Catherine Klirodotakou Luscombe
ChildHope, Programmes Officer
"In September 1995 I started my first steps in human rights work with Amnesty International. Initially I thought I would gain enough at Amnesty by way of knowledge of human rights, but later on I felt that I needed further insights to be a more effective practitioner. I was advised by my Amnesty colleagues to study at the ICS. I took the advice and applied.
The first thing I have to say is that the ICS helped me to understand the full map of human rights. The content of the course is planned well and covers all aspects of human rights. The most important thing is that you are not only studying theories but you will have the opportunity to reflect on practice. For me it was a very useful course. In terms of my career, the course opened the door to many opportunities with the Palestinian Central Election Commission, Care International, Arkan project (one of the USAID funded projects strengthening the rule of law) and now I'm with the United Nation Mission in Darfur, working as a Human Rights Officer. I'm very proud to be one of the ICS graduates."
Farid Hamdan
Human Rights Officer, United Nation Mission in Sudan (Darfur), 2007
MA in Human Rights featured in Evening Standard
An article in the 'Education 2007' supplement of the Evening Standard on 28 August 2007 featured the MA in Understanding & Securing Human Rights. One of our recent alumni, Lizzy Openshaw, was interviewed for the piece, which looked at how postgraduate courses are responding to world events. Lizzy has just landed a new role as human rights training specialist with the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva and describes the MA as being crucial to this career move. During her studies, Lizzy took advantage of the placement support offered by the course and completed an internship with the Consortium for Street Children.
Evening Standard article 28 August 2007 (pdf)
Admission Criteria
The normal entrance requirement is a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree from a university in the United Kingdom or an equivalent standard from a recognised overseas institution in any discipline. Applications may be considered from candidates who do not meet the formal academic requirements but who offer alternative qualifications or have relevant work experience.
UK applicants are normally interviewed in person, while non-UK applicants are interviewed by phone. All applicants invited to interview will be asked to submit a short writing sample in English on a related topic.
Students whose first language is not English must be able to demonstrate competence in English, both written and spoken, to an appropriate level. Click here for further infomation on recognised English Language qualifications and minimum requirements. Certificates or formal evidence of competence must be submitted.
The standard yearly fees for 2008-2009 will be:
Home/EU students (full-time) |
£4,526 |
Home/EU students (part-time) |
£2,263 |
Overseas students (full-time) |
£9,933 |
Fees for the year are payable in full at the time of registration or in three equal installments on the first day of each term.
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £75 to hold their place on the MA program (this is subtracted from the fee bill).
For the purposes of fees assessment, students are classified as 'Home' or 'Overseas'. As a general guide, Home students qualify under one of the following headings:
a) students of any nationality who have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for at least three years up to 1 September preceding the beginning of the course (students who have been resident in the UK only for the purpose of receiving full-time education do not qualify as 'ordinarily resident'; temporary absences from the UK for employment or education do not count against 'ordinary residence').
b) nationals of any member state of the European Union (EU), or the children of such nationals, who have been 'ordinarily resident' in one or more EU countries for at least three years up to 1 September preceding the beginning of the course; exemptions for temporary absences apply as in the previous paragraph.
c) refugees and recently arrived immigrants - special rules apply to these categories of persons.
Closing Dates & Further Information
Master's degree applicants who wish to apply for scholarships are advised to apply before the end of March for entry in September. All other applicants are welcome to apply up until the end of July.
Entry is competitive and early application is recommended, especially for those who intend to apply for external funding.
Research degree applications may be made at any time during the year for entry in September or January.
