International Human Rights Practice | MA at Leeds Beckett University

Course Details

Engage with human rights practice by linking the legal, theoretical and technical skills and knowledge needed to work for international organisations fighting injustice, oppression and persecution.

You will study contemporary debates in human rights promotion and protection, researching the stories of violations, asylum, surveillance, peacekeeping and torture that are behind many of today's news headlines.

Working with your tutors and alongside industry professionals, you will develop the skills to be able to investigate claims of human rights abuses, gather evidence and build cases for legal proceedings.

Your course will also hone your research and project management skills and develop your ability to write compelling funding applications and formulate budgets - essential requirements for a career in this area.

Created in collaboration with tutors from the University's Leeds Law School, your course will provide you with the expertise and practical skills to help protect human rights and tackle abuses.

Course Benefits

You will learn from a highly-skilled and research-active teaching team who are experts in human rights law and practice, security, peace studies, evidence-gathering and crime investigation.

Our team of academics include Dr Steve Wright, an expert on torture technologies and surveillance employed by governments across the world, Dr Robin Redhead an expert on indigenous people and women's rights, Professor Eddie Halpin who is Chair of HURIDOCS, the Geneva-based human rights information and documentation centre and Dr Rachel Julian who was invited by the international NGO Nonviolent Peaceforce to evaluate their project in Georgia using unarmed civilian peace-keepers.

Other tutors have worked closely with organisations such as Amnesty International, CND, the UN and the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. Guest lectures will provide you with the chance to engage with professionals working in the field, ensuring your course is at the cutting-edge of human rights practice. Recent speakers include Andrew Gilligan, London Editor of The Sunday Telegraph, Tony Bunyan, Director of Statewatch and Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights.