School of Law

MA Human Rights Law (2022 entry)

Select year of entry: 2022 2021

Overview

Overview and entry requirements

The MA in Human Rights Law provides a specialisation in a constantly evolving area of law that covers a range of issues at the heart of major contemporary developments and debates.

This programme offers a wide range of distinctive modules that combine a focus on core subjects in the field alongside a critical inquiry into the theory and practice of human rights law and related fields, particularly as they relate to the global South.

Options include core international modules on international human rights law, international criminal law, international refugee and migration law, international humanitarian law, and justice, reconciliation and reconstruction in post conflict societies.

The degree also offers singular modules on specific legal approaches, settings, and cross-cutting themes such as Human Rights and Islamic Law; Law, Rights & Social Change; Law, Human Rights and Peace-building: the Israeli-Palestinian case; Darfur: Anatomy of a Human Rights Emergency; and Human Rights of Women.

Why study MA in Human Rights Law at SOAS

we are UK Top 20 and World Top 200 for Law (QS World University Rankings 2021)
our research publications have been rated first in the UK - and our School of Law rated sixth in the UK - in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
SOAS provides a unique environment and opportunity to engage with relevant issues taught by our expert staff who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience of working and teaching in the field. This includes posts such as United Nations Independent Expert on human rights in the Sudan, acting as advisors to national, regional and international bodies, and in multiple roles and affiliations with civil society organisations and actors
The MA in Human Rights Law uses a range of teaching methods and approaches, which draw on the wider, global community of academics, legal practitioners and NGOs, to foster an engaged, critical learning environment

SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law

The area of human rights, conflict and justice occupies an important place in the SOAS School of Law, which is home to the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law. The Centre provides a focal point for research activities and regular events, and an opportunity for postgraduate students to become involved and engage with the SOAS research community and actors in the field.

Why you

The programme is ideal for legal professionals as well as students without a law degree, with an interest in the theory and practice of human rights law and related fields, particularly as they relate to the global south.

You will join an international alumni of graduates from SOAS, many of whom are now working at the UN, in NGOs, in government, private practice, policy work or academia.

Explore

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a relevant subject. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

Please see our 'postgraduate entry requirements' page for Overseas and EU qualifications and equivalencies.

Featured events

duration:: One calendar year (full-time); Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Fees 2022/23

UK fees:

£17,000

Overseas fees:: £24,650

Fees for 2022/23 entrants. This is a Band 3 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found on the Postgraduate tuition fees page

Convenors

Professor Lutz Oette Convenor

Structure

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 credits, 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 their specialised MA, and 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.

Dissertation

Students must complete a Dissertation (12,000 words) in Law, which should be on a topic relating to their chosen MA specialism.

Module	Code	Credits	Term
MA Dissertation in Law	15PLAC999	60	Full Year

Taught Component

Students take the following compulsory modules

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods	15PLAC162	0	Term 1
International Protection of Human Rights (15Cr)	15PLAH086	15	Term 1

AND

Choose modules from List A to the value of 60 credits
Choose modules from List A or List B OR from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 45 credits

List A (subject to availability)

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Law, Rights & Social Change	15PLAH064	15	Term 1
Human Rights of Women	15PLAC112	30	Full Year
International Migration Law	15PLAH068	15	Term 2
International Refugee Law	15PLAH069	15	Term 1
The Prohibition of Torture in International Law	15PLAH075	15	Term 2
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy	15PLAH079	15	Term 1

List B (subject to availability)

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Gender, Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa	15PLAH056	15	Term 2
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Selected Topics	15PLAH061	15	Term 2
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies	15PLAH062	15	Term 1
Human Rights and Islamic Law	15PLAC150	30	Full Year
International Commercial Arbitration	15PLAC153	30	Full Year
International Investment Law	15PLAH063	15	Term 1
Law and Development in Africa	15PLAC160	30	Full Year
Law and Society in Southeast Asia	15PLAH049	15	Term 2
Law, Rights & Social Change	15PLAH064	15	Term 1
Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods	15PLAC162	0	Term 1
International Migration Law	15PLAH068	15	Term 2
International Refugee Law	15PLAH069	15	Term 1
Law, Religion, and the State in South Asia	15PLAC129	30	Full Year
Law, Environment and Social Justice	15PLAH067	15	Term 1
Colonialism, Empire and International Law	15PLAH025	15	Term 2
Foundations of International Law	15PLAH021	15	Term 1
Human Rights of Women	15PLAC112	30	Full Year
International Criminal Law	15PLAH055	15	Term 1
Law and Natural Resources	15PLAC126	30	Full Year
Law and Postcolonial Theory	15PLAH050	15	Term 2
The Law of Armed Conflict	15PLAH022	15	Term 2
Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Law)	15PLAH044	15	Term 1
Law and Global Commons	15PLAH070	15	Term 2
International Environmental Law: Principles, Institutions & Enforcement	15PLAH073	15	Term 1
Biodiversity, Nature and Wildlife Law and Policy	15PLAH074	15	Term 2
Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Law)	15PLAH076	15	Term 2
Multinational Enterprises and the Law I	15PLAH077	15	Term 1
Multinational Enterprises and the Law II	15PLAH078	15	Term 2
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy	15PLAH079	15	Term 1
Comparative Company Law	15PLAH080	15	Term 2
Israel, Palestine, and International Law (15Cr)	15PLAH081	15	Term 2
Palestine, Resistance, and the Law	15PLAH082	15	Term 2
Alternative Dispute Resolution I	15PLAH083	15	Term 1
Alternative Dispute Resolution II	15PLAH084	15	Term 2
International laws on the use of force	15PLAH020	15	Term 2
Gender and the Law of War	15PGNH005	15	Term 1
The Prohibition of Torture in International Law	15PLAH075	15	Term 2
Climate Change Law and Policy	15PLAH085	15	Term 2
International Protection of Human Rights (15Cr)	15PLAH086	15	Term 1
International Law: Contemporary Problems of World Order	15PFFH009	15	Term 2
Gender and the Law of Peace	15PGNH013	15	Term 2
Islamic Family Law	15PLAH087	15	Term 2
Islamic Legal Theory	15PLAH088	15	Term 1
Transnational Law, Finance and Technology	15PLAH089	15	Term 2
Colonial Geographies of International Law	15PLAH090	15	Term 2
Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa	15PLAH091	15	Term 1
Research Methods in Law	15PLAC181	30	Full Year
Justice, Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Post-Conflict Societies	15PLAH040	15	Term 1
Artificial Intelligence: Power, law and resistance	15PMSH042	15	Term 2

Open Options Note

Open options from cross-Faculty list will need approval of deputy PG programme convenor (LLM or MA)

Programme Specification

MA Human Rights Law Programme Specification (pdf; 361kb)

Important notice

The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching & Learning

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

Contact hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

Knowledge and 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.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for 2022/23 entrants, per academic year (Band 3 tuition fee)

Full-time		Part-time 2 Years		Part-time 3 Years
Home Students	Overseas Students	Home Students	Overseas Students	Home Students	Overseas Students
£17,000	£24,650	£8,500	£12,325	£5,610	£8,135

Fees go up each year, therefore your tuition fee in your second and subsequent years of study will be higher.

Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Postgraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

Felix Non- Indian Scholarship

Application Deadline: 2022-01-28 15:00