MA in Human Rights Law

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The MA in Human Rights Law allows students to study human rights law, its application and relevance to a broad range of areas and legal issues, including Islamic law, Chinese law, gender, international law, conflict and labour law. All SOAS modules are designed not only to introduce students to the general fields of law, but also to provide an understanding of how generic legal structures and processes may operate in non-Western social and cultural settings. All teachers on modules offered at SOAS are experts in their designated field. Many have years of experience advising governments, international organisations or non-governmental organisation, and many also have been or continue to be legal practitioners.

To facilitate the study of law, all MA students are required to attend a two-week Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods in the September before beginning the MA programme.

Students must take modules to a total value of 180, consisting of a dissertation (60 credits) and 120 credits of taught modules.  Taught modules are worth either 15 or 30 credits.

Students who wish to graduate with a specialised MA are required to take at least 60 credits associated with his or her specialised MA, a further 30 credits within the School of Law (General Law Postgraduate Taught Module List), and a final 30 unit which can either be taken within the School of Law or from the Language Open Options or Non-Language Open Options pages with the MA Programme Convenor’s permission. The dissertation topic will be undertaken within the MA specialisation.

Please note: Not all modules listed will be available every year. Please see the individual module page for information.

Specialism Module List (at least 60 credits to be taken)

General Law Postgraduate Module List

An additional 30 credits must be taken from this list or the Specialism Module List above

Language Open Options or Non-Language Open Options

A final 30 credits must be taken from these lists or from the General Law Postgraduate Module List above or from the Specialism Module List.

Dissertation

Dissertation (12,000 words), on a topic related to the specialism of the degree

This is the structure for 2017/18 applicants

Disclaimer

Teaching & Learning

Knowledge & Understanding

• Students will acquire specialist knowledge of human rights law internationally.
• This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, knowledge and understanding of the following:
  1. the theoretical and practical underpinnings of human rights law internationally;
  2. the context in which law is made, interpreted, adjudicated, and amended;
  3. the role played bylaw,particularly human rights law indifferent situations at the national, regional and international level;
  4. the role and function of legal institutions in dealing with human rights;
  5. the weight and significance of different sources and methodologies.
• Students will develop knowledge of how to locate relevant materials and assess their relevance and/or importance.

 Intellectual (thinking) Skills

• Students should develop rigor in analysis and assessment of legal arguments.
• Students should develop the ability to understand, summarise and critically assess differing perspectives on theoretical debates.
• Students should develop independence of thought and the confidence to challenge the accepted wisdom.
• Students should learn to identify issues and formulate questions for further research through independent work.
• Students will be encouraged to bring to bear their own previous experience and knowledge in addressing legal issues in an interdisciplinary manner.

 Subject-based Practical Skills

The programme will help students develop the ability to:

• Write clear research essays and dissertations.
• Research in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes and online,and retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
• Present seminar papers and defend the arguments therein.
• Discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
• Develop essay and dissertation research questions.
• Read legal source materials rapidly and critically.

• Present legal arguments in moots and debates.

Transferable Skills

The programme will enable students to:

• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Structure and communicate ideas and arguments effectively both orally and in writing.
• Read and comprehend significant quantities of reading rapidly and effectively and develop critical faculties.
• Find and use a variety of written and digital materials, especially legal materials, in libraries and research institutes.
• Present (non – assessed)material orally.
• Develop teamwork skills.

Tuition Fees

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.

This is a Band 5 tuition fee.

Fees for 2017/18 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts