LLM in Human Rights

Course Overview

The LLM in Human Rights will give you the knowledge and skills to deal with some of the biggest challenges facing society today, opening up exciting career opportunities in the field of human rights.

You will gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges for human rights around the world and possible responses through legislation, policy and practice.

This LLM programme is taught by human rights experts and designed around outstanding research – our impact case study on children’s human rights achieved the highest possible rating in the latest independent assessment of research quality (REF 2014).

Why Human Rights at Swansea?

As a postgraduate student at the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, you will be part of a globally recognised law school, with a thriving academic environment committed to excellence in teaching and research, and offering an exceptional student experience.

Swansea University is ranked 26th in the UK for research quality and 22nd for research impact (REF 2014)

Our impact case study on children’s human rights achieved the highest possible rating of 4* (REF 2014)

Your Human Rights Experience

You will gain the knowledge and experience to develop into a 21st-century lawyer or legal service practitioner with specialist and in-depth understanding of human rights issues.

The course offers:

• A programme designed around high calibre research
• Academics who have strong relationships with external partners in the field of human rights
• An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach
• A focus on diverse challenges in human rights
• Opportunities to address a range of human rights topics across various thematic areas

You will also learn through:

• Guest lectures by expert practitioners
• Workplace learning through voluntary work and/or placements
• Involvement in collaborative research projects with research partners
• Engagement with the School’s projects, such as the Cyberterrorism Project, Observatory on Human Rights of Children, Centre for Environment and the Sex Work Consortium

Human Rights Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the LLM in Human Rights are well-positioned for stimulating and rewarding career opportunities. Your future could lie in a traditional or specialist role in an area such as:

• Specialist human rights law
• Human rights institutions
• International human rights bodies
• Public sector – government, civil service, political and policy advice
• Private sector – global, national or local business
• The non-governmental sector, such as UNICEF, Amnesty and Save the Children
• Research and academia

Entry Requirements

If you’re passionate about Human Rights we want to hear from you! We welcome applications from students around the world.

Ideally, you’ll hold a 2:1 undergraduate degree, or equivalent, in a relative area (such as law, criminology, politics or sociology – other disciplines may also be relevant).

We also consider candidates with a 2:2 degree based on overall performance.

Candidates with relevant experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

If English is not your first language you will need an acceptable pass in an approved English Language qualification such as the IELTS test (with an overall score of at least 6.5 and a minimum of 6.0 in each component).

Careers and Employability

Careers and Employability Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Employability at the School of Law

The School of Law takes a proactive approach to enhance graduate employability, with a dedicated Employability and Placements Officer. The School offers a range of local, national and international work placements, professional courses, advice and support to help you develop the skills required to achieve your ambitions.

Our graduates go on to a wide variety of careers in areas such as:

Specialist Human Rights Legal Work, Human Rights Institutions, International Human Rights Bodies, Government, Civil Service, Politics, Global Business Sector, Research, Academia, and in Non-Governmental Organisations such as UNICEF, Amnesty and Save the Children.