MA Human Rights and Global Ethics

The gap between the promise and reality of universal human rights is worrying. Strides are being taken, but there’s still much to do. This Masters in human rights and global ethics addresses this challenge on both a conceptual and practical level. In today’s world, human rights continue to go un-respected and un-protected, with situations of protracted conflict and displacement only the most visible example of a gap between the promise and reality of universal human rights. Even the idea of universal human rights continues to be hotly contested. This degree addresses challenges at both the practical and conceptual level. It also encourages you to appraise all aspects of international politics from the perspective of global ethics, which means considering the rights and wrongs of issues related to institutions, foreign policy and trade. By taking this course you will gain a thorough grounding in key concepts and theories of human rights and global ethics. You will develop your knowledge of the different theoretical and policy perspective on a range of ethical issues. You will also study in depth the global political context of pressing ethical issues, which includes considerations of state behaviour and relations between states and non-state actors. You also have the option of taking specialist modules in International Human Rights Law as part of this course. You will develop their research skills and pursue in-depth dissertation length studies in human rights and global ethics, benefitting from academic expertise in areas including intelligence, slavery, citizenship, refugees, animal rights, security, and war. The degree will equip you with the competencies and skills to understand and participate in contemporary debates in human rights and global ethics and to analyse politics and international relations using a mixture of normative, theoretical and empirical tools. You will gain knowledge and skills relevant to employment and career development in government, media, business, non-governmental organisations and any professional context in which cross-cultural sensitivity and ethical awareness are requirements.

Assessment method

You will be taught by seminars. Throughout the programme, you will have access to a comprehensively resourced library and an established student support system. Each module lasts for one semester (11 weeks) and normally involves two hours of teaching per week. If you are studying full-time, you will complete four modules by the end of the second semester and, if you are progressing to the MA, you will submit your dissertation by the end of September. You will be assessed through a combination of essays, seminar papers and (if you are completing the MA) your dissertation of 12,000 to 15,000 words.