Increasingly, a Masters degree in a relevant area is becoming an essential to work in the human rights sector. Many jobs in intergovernmental organisations like the UN or the Council of Europe and the not-for-profit sector will ask for a Masters degree. Job descriptions will vary from role to role but will generally ask for a Master’s degree in human rights, political science, law or other social sciences preferred
Masters degrees are generally for one or two years of academic study. If you choose to pursue a Masters degree then you will need to think carefully about the cost involved. Masters programmes can be very expensive and will vary between institutions; tuition fees at some institutions (such as in the United States or the United Kingdom) can be very expensive. In other countries, it may be free to study for a Masters. Some universities in Europe, for example, offer affordable study options for international students. It is worth looking into funding and scholarship opportunities early on. You can find out more about tuition free Human Rights Masters programs here.
Please also refer to our Resources pages for more details of global Human Rights Masters programmes.
Which Masters degree?
There are different types of Masters degree on offer and different institutions will offer different types of Masters degree including:
Masters in Law (LLM): allows you to study an area of law in more detail than at undergraduate level;
Masters in Science (MS or MSc): Masters of Science
Master of Arts (MA): usually awarded in areas of the arts and social sciences
A Masters degree in human rights or law may be wide and overarching such as:
An LLM in International Human Rights Law;
A Masters in Public International Law (with an Human Rights option);
MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights;
Human Rights Studies – Masters Programme
Or it may be more focused on a particular area of human rights practice allowing you to specialise, for example:
LLM Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
MA Human Rights and Cultural Diversity;
MA Conflict and Human Rights Studies;
LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
It is worth spending time exploring the different options available to you in terms of Masters progammes. Do your due diligence! If possible, talk to Alumni of the programme and ask them about the quality of teaching, the pastoral care, the pro-bono and volunteering opportunities available along side formal study. You are investing time and money in further study and you want to be sure that this is the right course for you and meets your needs.
See the Resources section for a selection of Masters Programmes; these are well regarded in the human rights community.