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Course Title:
LLM International Human Rights Law

Entry Criteria:
A good upper second class honours degree or its equivalent in Law, or in a related discipline (eg. International Relations), or an honours degree and substantial human rights field experience. IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 250/600
[If an applicant does not meet the specified criteria, he or she may discuss the application with the Head of Postgraduate Admissions.]

Admissions:
Please see the postgraduate prospectus for further information. Any queries can be directed to pgadmit@essex.ac.uk or by telephone: 01206 872719.

English Language Requirements:
Non-UK students are generally required to produce evidence of proficiency in the English Language. We are able to take into account some school or other English Language grades as well as IELTS or similar. Please contact us if you have queries.

Information for Prospective Postgraduates:

LLM International Human Rights Law

StudentsFinal Award: LLM, Master
Mode of study: Full time or part time
Location: Colchester Campus
Taught by: School of Law and Human Rights Centre

Aims and Objectives

The LLM in International Human Rights is the oldest such LLM in the world. It was established in 1983 and has run continuously every year since then, bringing together experienced and superbly qualified students from all over the world. Its professors form the strongest international human rights law team, combining academic excellence with international practice in the United Nations, regional systems and before international courts and tribunals. The team is also part of the Human Rights Centre.

The Course aims:

  • To enable students to form an advanced conceptual understanding of international law with respect to the promotion and protection of human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels that is informed by insight based on scholarship at the forefront of the discipline.
     
  • To set international human rights law in its geopolitical, philosophical and historical contexts.
     
  • To enable students to understand international human rights law as it applies in situations of acute crisis.
     
  • To produce graduates capable of working in the field of international human rights law as advocates, as field officers, legal advisers or researchers with governments and international and non-governmental organizations, and as academics.
     
  • To produce graduates who can conduct independent research and construct coherent, well written papers.

The Human Rights Centre

Over the past decade the Human Rights Centre has headed up the Democratic Audit of the United Kingdom; it has established the Right to Health Unit to support the work of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Professor Paul Hunt, on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office it has researched, produced and published four Manuals for Combating Torture and Unlawful Killings that have been translated into more than eight languages and has been distributed and used worldwide: members of the Human Rights Centre provide training to various organisations and governments, such as Amnesty International, the United Nations and parts of the British Government. It is the home of the International Journal of Refugee Law.

The Human Rights Team

Teaching on the LLM is carried out by the Human Rights Team and experts affiliated to the School of Law and the Human Rights Centre. The Human Rights Team includes:

Course Structure

The LLM in International Human Rights Law has three elements: modules, essays/take home exams/other forms of exams and a dissertation. The first six months are spent doing the modules, writing the Foundation essay, Research essay and the exams. The dissertation is written during the period from the end of May to September.

Students are required to take the equivalent of six half courses. Generally speaking, a module lasting one term is a half module and one lasting two terms is a full module ; a non-law module that lasts three terms, however, is worth one full module.

Students are required to take the compulsory 'core' module The General Seminar.

Compulsory Module:

The General Seminar (LW901)

Optional Modules:

Introduction to the Law of Armed Conflicts (LW903)
Topics in the International Law of Armed Conflict (LW904)
International Criminal Law (LW905)
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (LW906)
The Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons in International Law (LW907)
Comparative Public and Human Rights (LW908) (sorry not running this year)
Law of International Peacekeeping (LW909)
International Child Law (LW910)
European Convention on Human Rights I (LW911)
European Convention of Human Rights II (LW912) (sorry not running this year)
Protection Minorities In International Law (LW914)
Human Rights and Development (LW915)
International Trade and Human Rights (LW917)
Human Rights for Women (LW918)
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Africa (LW919)
The Inter-American System of Human Rights (LW920)
Human Rights Across Nations and Cultures (LW921)(sorry not running this year)
Business and Human Rights (LW922)
Human Rights and the Environment (LW925) (sorry not running this year)
Transitional Justice (LW927)
 

Further information is available from the University's Module Directory.

Research and Writing

Foundation Essay:
The Foundation essay is intended to provide an early opportunity to engage in legal analysis and writing. The essay, of nor more that 2,500 words, is written in the answers applying international law to a number of hypothetical fact situations.

Research Essay:
By the beginning of the second term candidates are required to have agreed with one of the law seminar – teaching staff the subject pf a research paper to be 6,000 – 8,000 words in length.

Dissertation:
A major component of the course is in the LLM dissertation, the topic is chosen by the candidate in agreement with a member of the teaching staff by the end of the second term. The dissertation, of between 15,000 and 20,000 words must be handed in by 15th September.

Assessment

Each module is assessed in a manner appropriate to the course. The modules/take home exams together (averaged) count for 30% of the total mark, the research paper counts for 10% of the total mark and the dissertation paper counts for 40% of the total mark.

Internship

It is strongly recommended that students of the LLM International Human Rights without previous experience undertake at least a one-month internship with an intergovernmental or non-governmental organisation in London, Geneva or elsewhere.

Organisations with which internships have been arranged in the past include:

  • The United Nations Centre for Human Rights (Geneva)
  • Anti-Slavery International (London)
  • JUSTICE (the British section of the International Commission of Jurists (London)
  • Article 19 (London)
  • Council of Europe (Strasbourg)
  • Interights (London)
  • International Service for Human Rights (Geneva)

Giulia Mereu Scholarship

The Giulia Mereu Scholarship is awarded annually to a student on the LLM in International Human Rights Law.

This scholarship has been established by the family and friends of Giulia Mereu who lost her life at age 26, in 1996, while monitoring human rights violations in the former Yugoslavia. She had been an Intern with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and was serving as a Civil Affairs Officer with the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium when the tragedy occurred. The aim of the scholarship is to enable those who might otherwise not be able to study the discipline of human rights to do so and to ensure that Giulia Mereu's ideals live on.

This scholarship, instituted in 1997, covers the equivalent of home/EU tuition fees for the academic year as well as a modest allowance to enable the recipient to undertake a one-month internship with a human rights organisation.

Eligibility and Criteria

The candidate should have relevant field experience in human rights, working in a country in a situation of acute crisis as Giulia did, and should not have the means to pay for postgraduate studies at Essex.

You must hold an offer of a place on the LLM in International Human Rights.

Details of how to apply will be sent out with offer letters.

Academic year 2010/11:   The deadline date for applications is Friday 11 June 2010. The successful applicants will be contacted by Friday 2 July 2010.

It is expected that all applicants for the Giulia Mereu Scholarship will have sought funding elsewhere.

If you have any queries please contact Hayley Milburn.

 

More Information: taught postgraduate degrees - frequently asked questions.