Why Leeds?
With great music venues, culture, shopping, and parks - we've got it all. Leeds city centre has been named one of the Best Places to Live in the UK*.
*The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, 2026
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
BOOK AN OPEN DAY
To find out more about postgraduate courses, talk to academic staff, and explore finance options, join us for our Postgraduate Online Open Day, taking place on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
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.
Course overview
-
L27 -
City Campus -
Part-Time -
12 Months -
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?
- Research-led teaching – your learning will be guided by the latest research and thinking in the field
- Guest lectures and conferences – learn from speakers’ professional experiences and insight
- Engage with charitable and public sector organisations – during our annual Politics & International Relations Festival
- Learn in a small group – share ideas and debate issues with your peers
- 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.
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.
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.
Modules, teaching and learning
What you'll learn
Investigate the practical strategies used to protect civilians from violence on a local, national and international level.
Explore key debates in international relations with a particular focus on the conceptualisation of human rights.
Study the international human rights legal framework and the concepts and application of international humanitarian law while critically evaluating the associated achievements and limitations.
What you'll learn
Consider the United States (US) as a country shaped by confinement. We'll explore different forms of confinement from enslavement, relocation and internment to incarceration, institutionalisation, and detention. This will enable us to consider how these spaces structure and define life in the US. We'll examine how they began and how they have grown and developed over time, and the ways in which they interact with and inform each other. We'll theorise both the physical and psychological forms of imprisonment that manifest in each space and the ways in which they reflect and reinforce social hierarchies and prejudices. Crucially, alongside this, this module will examine each form of confinement as a space for creativity and cultural expression. We'll explore a range of primary sources including autobiography, podcasts, art, and film, to consider how these spaces construct ideas of community and identity and how cultural tools can be used as a form of resistance. In doing so, the module will analyse the spatial, social and political confinements that have developed throughout US history and the forms of cultural expression used to challenge them in order to question the limitations and possibilities of American freedom.
Bringing together recent research in environmental history and the histories of food and eating, you will look at how food has been grown, transported and consumed in the western world since the Columbian Exchange of 1492.
Explore the possibilities and challenges of taking gender seriously within both international relations and international political economy. You'll study key theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and practice debates surrounding the role of gender in international politics and global political economy.
Gain an understanding of the social, historical and economic development of policing within national and international contexts.
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.
Study the key theories and concepts that are used to understand violence, conflict, and peace. By examining existing case studies, you'll gain an overview of various approaches that have been applied to manage or resolve conflict and to build peace. You'll gain an understanding of the key actors and processes associated with conflict resolution and peacebuilding, as well as key achievements and obstacles to building peace.
Consider how projects fit within organisations and how they can be developed, funded and managed.
Fees and funding
£3,180
UK
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2025/26 is £3180. The amount you will pay may increase each year to take into account the effects of inflation.
£5,965
International 2025
Part-time rates for international students are not automatically displayed as there are specific visa requirements which generally limit students to study in the UK on a full-time basis. Should you wish to query your visa status you can contact siac@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. If you are able to study on a part-time basis please contact fees@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for further information on course fees.
Fees and funding
£3,180
For students entering in 2025
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2025/26 is £3180. 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, if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the 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.
£5,965
For students entering in 2025
Part-time rates for international students are not automatically displayed as there are specific visa requirements which generally limit students to study in the UK on a full-time basis. Should you wish to query your visa status you can contact siac@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. If you are able to study on a part-time basis please contact fees@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for further information on course fees.
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, if there is a cost for you to pay it could include travel, accommodation and subsistence. There are no compulsory trips or visits related to the 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.
Funding support for your studies
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
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.
Career prospects
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.
Student life
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.
School of Social Sciences and Humanities
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.
Thinking of staying at home for your studies?
It’s a great option for lots of our local students
