Postgraduate PG Cert

International Human Rights Practice

Gain the expertise to champion international human rights practices in the face of mounting political, economic, social, legal and environmental challenges.

International Human Rights Practice

Course overview

  • Institution code


    L27
  • Main location


    City Campus
  • Attendance


    Part-Time
  • Duration


    12 Months
  • Start date


    19 Jan 2026

As part of this international human rights practice course, you’ll:

  • Understand the origins, evolution and contemporary dynamics of human rights within the international system and the challenges to it
  • Explore the tensions that emerge through the institutionalisation of rights at an international level, the operation of sovereignty and the politics of rights
  • Apply concepts, theories and methods used in the study of human rights to analyse practices and issues in the international system
  • Formulate your own principled and reflective positions on international human rights issues
  • Develop confidence as you give presentations and engage with your course peers in discussions
  • Enhance your organisational and problem-solving skills through planning, conducting interviews, developing project funding bids and managing budgets
  • Undertake hands-on experience that is highly sought after by third-sector organisations and charities

Enhance your expertise
This course will complement an undergraduate degree in a related discipline such as politics or law, adding a specialism to your existing education. If your degree is in an unrelated subject, it could also act as a conversion course, helping you to forge a new career in this highly rewarding and dynamic area.

Teaching expertise
You’ll learn from a highly skilled and research-active teaching team who are experts in:

  • Human rights law and practice
  • Security
  • Peace studies
  • Evidence-gathering
  • Crime investigation

Our team of academics include staff with expertise in the political activism of minority groups. You’ll also be taught by professors who have conducted international research into unarmed civilian peacekeeping and protection.

Other tutors have worked closely with organisations such as:

Industry links
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 the International Human Rights Practice course at Leeds Beckett University?

  1. Research-led teaching – your learning will be guided by the latest research and thinking in the field
  2. Guest lectures and conferences – learn from speakers’ professional experiences and insight
  3. Engage with charitable and public sector organisations – during our annual Politics & International Relations Festival
  4. Learn in a small group – share ideas and debate issues with your peers
  5. Part-time option – fit your studies around your existing commitments

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.

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