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Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Course Overview
-
L27 -
City Campus -
Full-Time -
12 Months -
16 Sep 2024
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.
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 includes Dr Olayinka Ajala who has conducted ground-breaking research into why climate change is causing conflict in Africa, and Professor 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. Past speakers include:
- Andrew Gilligan, London Editor of The Sunday Telegraph
- Tony Bunyan, Director of Statewatch
- Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights
Why study International Human Rights at Leeds Beckett University...
- Research-led teaching
- Access to guest lectures, speakers and conferences
- Engage with charitable and public sector organisations
- Small group teaching
- Flexible part-time study
Why climate change is causing conflict in Africa Dr Olayinka Ajala, a lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett University, shares his ground-breaking research into why climate change is causing conflict in Africa and explains how this feeds into his teaching so that students can relate what they are learning to current world issues.
Everything you need to know
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.
Entry requirements
Applicants should either have 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 University English language requirements.
Entry requirements
Applicants should either have 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 University English language requirements.
IELTS
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.
Selection Criteria
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.
Teaching & Learning
What you'll learn
Critically explore what is meant by international human rights law and critically evaluate its purpose and application. You will assess the role and function of the United Nations, studying the law as embodied by UN international human rights treaties and legal principles as defined by customary international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
You will gain insight, debate and practical strategies in the field of the protection of civilians from violence on a local, national and international level. This is increasingly becoming a central concern for international interventions, but on the local level innovative projects are being supported. From understanding the roles of international agencies, NGOs and local organisations, to investigating strategies and tactics of those affected, this module will enable you to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and the way in which it fits with peace and conflict theory and human rights.
Explore the theorisation of Human Rights within International Relations debates. You will explore the contested conceptualisation of Human Rights, via universalist/relativist and cosmopolitan/communitarian debates, and locate the theorisation of rights within the broad schools of International Relations thought. You will also explore the tensions that emerge through the institutionalisation of rights at an international level, the operation of sovereignty and the politics of rights at a group and individual level.
Consider how projects fit within organisations, and how they are developed, funded and managed. You will study the essential components of project management, including planning, evaluation, ethics and governance issues, and stakeholder engagement. You will develop key skills in project management, funding applications and communication using authentic sources and case studies.
Develop a critical understanding of research as a practice and a product. The module will develop your critical understanding of the nature of knowledge offer general training on research approaches, including key theoretical, ethical and practical considerations.
Engage in critical depth with a research-based project aligned to your personal interests and professional aspirations. You will gain general training on research methods leading to workshops that will support you to develop a proposal appropriate for masters level, grounded in theory and with appropriate methodological and ethical considerations.
What you'll learn
Explore the possibilities and challenges of taking gender seriously within both international relations and international political economy. You will study key theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and practice debates surrounding the role of gender in international politics and global political economy.
This research-led module will develop your practical ability to make good public policy, with a particular focus on contemporary issues and long-term challenges. Working closely with a range of stakeholders from local and national government, the private and third sectors, and academia, you'll devise responses to a range of actual public policy challenges. You'll also deploy knowledge of theories of the policy process and of the reality of policy complexity to better understand the nature of contemporary public administration.
Gain an understanding of the social, historical and economic development of policing within national and international contexts.
Critically explore acts of war, political violence and 'crimes of aggression' through the lens of criminological discourse. You will gain an in-depth critical understanding of war and its relationship with 'crime'; by critically evaluating the role of individual states, international communities, as well as victims, bystanders and known perpetrators or combatants.
This module interrogates the concept of insecurity and draws on a range of theories and understandings of security, and how this has evolved from a focus on the state to incorporate human security. You will explore the relationship between conflict, security and development, including the roles of key actors, agencies, policies and interventions, and key intersections of gender, ethnicity, poverty and exclusion. You will also examine responses to traditional and new security threats from a human rights perspective via a range of local and global case studies.
Gain a better understanding of the environmental dilemmas that confront us in the contemporary world, by moving beyond the limitations of mainstream economic analysis in coming to terms with the threats of environmental degradation and climate change. This module tries to reawaken a broader type of ethical, natural and social theorisation which has been present in political economy at least since the 18th century.
Fees & Funding hellooo
£9,350
UK
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2024/25 is £9350. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.
£17,500
International 2024
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2024/25 is £17500. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
Fees & Funding
£9,350
For students entering in 2024
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2024/25 is £9350. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
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:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
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.
Essential Costs
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that does not have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner)
Optional Costs
- Educational visits; the details and location will vary, sometimes trips are free, but the costs you will need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence
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.
£17,500
For students entering in 2024
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2024/25 is £17500. The amount you will pay is fixed at this level for each year of your course.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
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:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
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.
Essential Costs
- Travel, accommodation and sustenance associated with your dissertation, research projects or data collection (the cost will vary depending on your topic and individual project and you could choose to undertake a project that does not have any associated costs or conduct it in a cost-effective manner)
Optional Costs
- Educational visits; the details and location will vary, sometimes trips are free, but the costs you will need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence
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.
I love working with students from across the globe - seeing them learning from each other and sharing experiences is a big part of our course. Our involvement in international research, consultancy and advocacy, and links to key organisations means we know the kinds of knowledge and skills graduates need to develop their careers and make a difference.
Dr John Willott
Principal Lecturer
Moving on up
Leeds Beckett climbs 40 places in the Complete University Guide 2024
Your future in our hands
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.
Dr John Willott
Principal Lecturer / School Of Humanities And Social Sciences
John is the Postgraduate Course Director for Politics & International Relations, and current research expertise is refugee integration, employment and education.
Career Prospects
Careers options include working for Non-Governmental Organisations, legal and security services and international organisations. Employers will value your critical and analytical skills and personal effectiveness. Our expert staff engage with many major organisations, which will benefit you when looking for a career in this field.
- Research & Project Manager
- Grant writer & Fundraiser
- Campaigner
- Human Rights Practitioner
Beckett Careers Team
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.
Your Beckett experience
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.
Experience Leeds Beckett
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.
