Human Rights LLM Postgraduate Programme By Ulster University |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Degree

LLM

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The programme has been structured to ensure that students obtain a strong academic grounding in both international and domestic human rights law. The theme of the programme is 'from local to global and back', exploring the symbiotic relationship between international and municipal human rights law. The programme addresses the various mechanisms by which the rights agenda can be, and has been, advanced at international, regional and municipal levels, and the manner in which knowledge, expertise and experience between these levels has been and continues to be transferred. The programme addresses global challenges like migration and climate change in different modules while overall the programme embodies research and study essential to several Sustainable Development Goals including SDG16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions), SDG10 (reduced inequalities), SDG5 (Gender equality). Modules All modules are 20 credits, except for the dissertation which is worth 60 credits. Full-time students take 60 credits per semester. Semester 1 refers to the Autumn semester and semester 2 to the Spring Semester so students starting in January start off with ‘Semester 2’ modules. Year 1 Semester 1 LAW821 Foundations of International Human Rights Law Compulsory Module description This module seeks to give students a solid overview of the philosophical and doctrinal foundations of international human rights law and related enforcement mechanisms. Students will examine the institutional actors associated with the international human rights movement (legislative, judicial, non-juridical and the role of national human rights institutions. The module seeks to provide students with: (a) knowledge of the basic theoretical concepts of international human rights law; (b) The ability to analyse and become familiar with international treaty documents and bodies pertaining to human rights; (c) Understanding of human rights law in the broader context of public international law including its relationship to other branches of international law; and (d) Critical exploration of a number of contemporary problems and issues facing the international human rights community. LAW838 Gender and Human Rights Optional Module description This module sets out the core elements of national, regional and international human rights law with regard to the protection of women's rights and gender rights. It aims to acquaint students with societal issues affecting women and gender minorities, and to how the law may respond to and regulate those issues. The module also aims to introduce students to feminist legal theory and its application to human rights laws and policies, to enable students to interrogate contemporary debates on gender through a critical lens. LAW805 Foundations of Transitional Justice Optional Module description The module aims to give students a detailed grasp of contemporary transitional justice debates. It is built around ensuring student familiarity with the historical and theoretical underpinnings of current transitional justice discourse and practice. It also develops knowledge and understanding of both the normative and institutional aspects of the complementary legal regimes of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Students will also tackle pressing and very real contemporary dilemmas in transitional societies. The module will also encourage critical reflection on the core theoretical concepts underpinning the field of transitional justice. This will require consideration of the different forms of political transitions - transition from what, transition to what? - and questioning the assumptions of exceptionalism that arise from these contexts. Students will also discuss and critically reflect on the macro goals that some have attributed to transitional justice - including peace, democracy, development, and the rule of law - as well as objectives set for particular forms of transitional justice. LAW810 Economic Social and Cultural Rights Optional Module description This module aims to enable participants to deepen their understanding of the specific policy and legal challenges faced in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights arising, inter alia, from questions related to foundations of ESCRs, measurement of the progressive realization of ESCRs and the justiciability of these rights, and to develop suggestions how to face these challenges and to strengthen students' analytical skills. Please note students enrolled in the LLM Human Rights are also offered the following (optional) modules in semester 1: LAW767 Intellectual Property and Data Protection Law (20 credits) LAW829Social Security Law and Policy (20 credits) LAW830Employment Law (20 credits) Year 1 Semester 2 LAW817 Research and Advocacy Methods Compulsory Module description The module aims to: 1. Provide students with an overview of relevant research skills and methodology such that they understand the range of available sources and methodologies which they can use and apply to a human rights law and/ transitional justice, gender, conflict and human rights problem. 2. Provide students with guidance on how to identify and find relevant sources and materials. 3. Enable students to extract the essential points from those sources and materials 4. Enable the students to acquire confidence in exploring their research ideas and the skill to formulate a research proposal. 5. Introduce students to the research guidance. 6. Introduce students to key issues in advocacy such as navigating parliamentary resources and writing consultation responses. 7. Provide students with the skills to research and to write up a dissertation following guidance regarding presentation, word limit, time-management; and relations with their supervisor/s. LAW811 Equality Law Optional Module description This module sets out the core elements of the Northern Irish equality law regime in its British, European and international context. It aims to acquaint students with the evolution of equality law policy across a spectrum of non-discrimination and equality concepts and in relation to a complementary range of enforcement mechanisms, including comparative constitutional mechanisms, culminating in the prospects of the future development of a coherent equality law model, nationally, regionally, and internationally. LAW778 Public International Law and Contemporary Global Challenges Optional Module description The aims are to ensure that students have an understanding of the various applicable sources and regimes of public international law. This will assist students consolidate their knowledge and understanding across other modules in the programme, and will provide a helpful basis for those who wish to engage with public international law in dissertations, or further research and work. The module

Programme overview

Degree

LLM

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

The programme has been structured to ensure that students obtain a strong academic grounding in both international and domestic human rights law. The theme of the programme is 'from local to global and back', exploring the symbiotic relationship between international and municipal human rights law. The programme addresses the various mechanisms by which the rights agenda can be, and has been, advanced at international, regional and municipal levels, and the manner in which knowledge, expertise and experience between these levels has been and continues to be transferred. The programme addresses global challenges like migration and climate change in different modules while overall the programme embodies research and study essential to several Sustainable Development Goals including SDG16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions), SDG10 (reduced inequalities), SDG5 (Gender equality). Modules All modules are 20 credits, except for the dissertation which is worth 60 credits. Full-time students take 60 credits per semester. Semester 1 refers to the Autumn semester and semester 2 to the Spring Semester so students starting in January start off with ‘Semester 2’ modules. Year 1 Semester 1 LAW821 Foundations of International Human Rights Law Compulsory Module description This module seeks to give students a solid overview of the philosophical and doctrinal foundations of international human rights law and related enforcement mechanisms. Students will examine the institutional actors associated with the international human rights movement (legislative, judicial, non-juridical and the role of national human rights institutions. The module seeks to provide students with: (a) knowledge of the basic theoretical concepts of international human rights law; (b) The ability to analyse and become familiar with international treaty documents and bodies pertaining to human rights; (c) Understanding of human rights law in the broader context of public international law including its relationship to other branches of international law; and (d) Critical exploration of a number of contemporary problems and issues facing the international human rights community. LAW838 Gender and Human Rights Optional Module description This module sets out the core elements of national, regional and international human rights law with regard to the protection of women's rights and gender rights. It aims to acquaint students with societal issues affecting women and gender minorities, and to how the law may respond to and regulate those issues. The module also aims to introduce students to feminist legal theory and its application to human rights laws and policies, to enable students to interrogate contemporary debates on gender through a critical lens. LAW805 Foundations of Transitional Justice Optional Module description The module aims to give students a detailed grasp of contemporary transitional justice debates. It is built around ensuring student familiarity with the historical and theoretical underpinnings of current transitional justice discourse and practice. It also develops knowledge and understanding of both the normative and institutional aspects of the complementary legal regimes of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Students will also tackle pressing and very real contemporary dilemmas in transitional societies. The module will also encourage critical reflection on the core theoretical concepts underpinning the field of transitional justice. This will require consideration of the different forms of political transitions - transition from what, transition to what? - and questioning the assumptions of exceptionalism that arise from these contexts. Students will also discuss and critically reflect on the macro goals that some have attributed to transitional justice - including peace, democracy, development, and the rule of law - as well as objectives set for particular forms of transitional justice. LAW810 Economic Social and Cultural Rights Optional Module description This module aims to enable participants to deepen their understanding of the specific policy and legal challenges faced in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights arising, inter alia, from questions related to foundations of ESCRs, measurement of the progressive realization of ESCRs and the justiciability of these rights, and to develop suggestions how to face these challenges and to strengthen students' analytical skills. Please note students enrolled in the LLM Human Rights are also offered the following (optional) modules in semester 1: LAW767 Intellectual Property and Data Protection Law (20 credits) LAW829Social Security Law and Policy (20 credits) LAW830Employment Law (20 credits) Year 1 Semester 2 LAW817 Research and Advocacy Methods Compulsory Module description The module aims to: 1. Provide students with an overview of relevant research skills and methodology such that they understand the range of available sources and methodologies which they can use and apply to a human rights law and/ transitional justice, gender, conflict and human rights problem. 2. Provide students with guidance on how to identify and find relevant sources and materials. 3. Enable students to extract the essential points from those sources and materials 4. Enable the students to acquire confidence in exploring their research ideas and the skill to formulate a research proposal. 5. Introduce students to the research guidance. 6. Introduce students to key issues in advocacy such as navigating parliamentary resources and writing consultation responses. 7. Provide students with the skills to research and to write up a dissertation following guidance regarding presentation, word limit, time-management; and relations with their supervisor/s. LAW811 Equality Law Optional Module description This module sets out the core elements of the Northern Irish equality law regime in its British, European and international context. It aims to acquaint students with the evolution of equality law policy across a spectrum of non-discrimination and equality concepts and in relation to a complementary range of enforcement mechanisms, including comparative constitutional mechanisms, culminating in the prospects of the future development of a coherent equality law model, nationally, regionally, and internationally. LAW778 Public International Law and Contemporary Global Challenges Optional Module description The aims are to ensure that students have an understanding of the various applicable sources and regimes of public international law. This will assist students consolidate their knowledge and understanding across other modules in the programme, and will provide a helpful basis for those who wish to engage with public international law in dissertations, or further research and work. The module

Admission Requirements

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements. Entry Requirements A second class Honours degree or above or equivalent recognised qualification in Law, Social Sciences, Humanities or a cognate discipline. Allowance may be made for special qualifications, experience and background, and students with other academic backgrounds will be considered, where applicants can demonstrate their ability to undertake the programme through the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) or accreditation of prior learning (APL). English Language Requirements English language requirements for international applicants The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes. Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores. English language requirements Your country

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