Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
International human rights law governs how states exercise power, protect civilians, and uphold fundamental freedoms. It sits at the intersection of law, politics, and global governance, shaping responses to conflict, migration, inequality, and accountability.
On this LLM, you’ll critically examine the legal frameworks, institutions, and treaties that underpin human rights protection. You’ll explore how these mechanisms operate in practice and assess their effectiveness in addressing contemporary global challenges.
Balancing legal theory with real-world application, this course interrogates the tension between safeguarding human rights and preserving sovereignty, security, and democratic freedoms.
As part of this LLM, you’ll:
Shape your specialism
Tailor your LLM around your professional ambitions. Through a range of optional modules, you can deepen your expertise in areas such as democracy and the rule of law, war, peace and conflict, global crime and risk, global economic security, and theoretical approaches to human rights.
Whether you aspire to work in international litigation, policy, advocacy, or research, you’ll build a specialist profile that reflects your career goals.
Teaching expertise
You’ll be taught by a research-active team with expertise spanning human rights law, security, peace and conflict, evidence-gathering, and criminal investigation. Their experience ensures your learning is informed by contemporary research, policy engagement, and real-world practice.
Members of your teaching team have worked with and alongside organisations including:
Connect with industry
As part of both Leeds Law School and the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, you’ll study law within a broader political and global context. We have strong links across the legal and public sectors, including commercial law firms in Leeds and national governmental departments such as the Government Legal Department, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Work and Pensions, and HM Treasury.
These connections give you insight into professional practice and potential career routes beyond the classroom.
Get involved
Alongside your studies, you can strengthen your employability through practical experience. Opportunities include volunteering with Support Through Court, delivering public legal education through Street Law, and attending guest lectures from practicing legal professionals.
These activities develop the legal skills, ethical judgement, and professional confidence valued in competitive legal, policy, and international environments.
Discover all there is to know about the course, from entry requirements and fees to exploring the school you’ll be joining - we’ve got it covered.
Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; you can download our reference template for completion.
All applicants should satisfy our English Language requirements. Please note the IELTS requirement for this course are IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5. Further details about acceptable equivalent qualifications can be found on our International Student information pages.
Applicants should either have at least a second class honours degree or have equivalent experience or training, normally from within the work environment.
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; you can download our reference template for completion.
All applicants should satisfy our English Language requirements. Please note the IELTS requirement for this course are IELTS 6.0 with no skill below 5.5. Further details about acceptable equivalent qualifications can be found on our International Student information pages.
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through a number of modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to the specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.
Fees for this course are not yet confirmed.
Fees for this course are not yet confirmed.
Fees for this course are not yet confirmed.
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Fees for this course are not yet confirmed.
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Discover more about our range of postgraduate funding options including a Master's Loan of up to £13,206, and our 20% alumni discount*
*Terms apply
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a course. Take a look at the team you’ll be working with, employability statistics and career prospects to help make up your mind.
This LLM equips you with the specialist expertise and advanced analytical skills required to address some of the most complex global challenges. You’ll cover everything from democracy, rule of law and armed conflict to global policymaking and theorising human rights.
You could pursue a career in international legal practice, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities, government and public sector, international institutions, policy and advocacy, academic research and doctoral study, and more.
With additional legal training, roles you could apply for include:
This course prepares you to fully understand international human rights law, then apply it, critique it, and shape its future.
In a world plagued with conflict and injustice, human rights compliance remains the last bastion of hope. LLM International Human Rights Law is a unique course combining traditional core human rights law modules with social science options, offering students legal and humanitarian theoretical and practical grounding.”
Our careers service is not just there for undergraduates, we support our postgraduate taught and research students too.
Your postgraduate degree will boost your CV and help you stand out from the crowd. Whether you're just starting out on your chosen career path, changing careers or moving to the next level, we can provide you with expert advice and resources to help you take the next steps to achieving your goals.
At Leeds Beckett your experience is important to us, find out more about what to expect from your time on this course and life at uni.
Our state-of-the-art facilities and learning environments give you everything you need to succeed – whether that’s completing your current studies or joining our cutting-edge research teams.
With great music venues, culture, shopping and parks – we’ve got it all. Voted no.1 student city in the UK* and the Best Place to Live in the North and Northeast**.
*StudentCrowd, Best Student Cities UK, 2024
**The Sunday Times Best Place to Live guide, 2024.
