Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,310 for the course
International/EU: £17,205 for the course -
How long will I study?
32 Months
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
January 2025
Where will I study?
Course summary
- Develop a multidisciplinary understanding of contemporary issues in human rights and social justice.
- Understand how human rights organisations work in practice.
- Apply your skills by working alongside human rights practitioners throughout the course.
- Take part in the work of the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice.
- Enhance your employability and make the transition into a rewarding career.
This postgraduate degree provides the grounding you need to begin a fulfilling career advocating for and protecting others. You'll cover wide-ranging subjects and issues in human rights and graduate as a skilled, knowledgeable and employable practitioner.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
The course provides a supportive learning experience that employs wide-ranging means to impart understanding of contemporary issues from gender violence and radicalisation to asylum and global security. Your skills will be applied through working with academics and practitioners and you are offered an opportunity to work with the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice.
You learn through
- lectures and seminars
- a dissertation on specialist areas
- teaching input from human rights organisations
- human rights case studies from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, British Council, United Nations, Amnesty and Clarion Global
- engagement with live projects, events and simulated cases
- workshops
- student presentations
Applied learning
Work placements
This course offers you the opportunity to take part in the work of the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice on a range of practical human rights projects, public events, case reviews, seminars and workshops.
Live projects
Throughout the course, you will engage with live projects that allow you knowledge and understanding of contemporary human rights cases and issues. You can also opt to take part in a project on human rights, rather than a dissertation.
Networking opportunities
As well as engaging regularly with human rights practitioners, specialists and organisations (past speakers include Shami Chakrabarti and Trevor Phillips) there will be ample opportunity for workplace networking, internships and involvement in planning events. You will also interact regularly with the research work of staff in the Human Rights and Social Justice and Social-Legal Research Clusters, as well as the Department of Law and Criminology.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in
- human rights law
- policy or development work
- human rights advocacy
- academia or teaching
- non-government organisations (NGOs)
- local and central government services
- research and development organisations
Entry requirements
All students
Typically a 2.2 honours degree or above in human rights, law, social science, politics, international development or a related humanities disciplines.
We also welcome those who have relevant professional experience and those who wish to apply the practical realisation of human rights within their professional field.
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS 6.5 score with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other skill areas or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
If you do not have such academic qualifications we may consider your application individually, based on your personal, professional and work experience, and other formal qualifications. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Foundations Of Human Rights
Elective modules
Contemporary Forced Migration And Refugee Rights
Human Rights Advocacy
Rights In Action
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Human Rights In Times Of Global Crises: Protecting The Most Vulnerable
Researching Human Rights
Final year
Compulsory modules
Dissertation
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2024/25 is £10,310 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2024/25 are: Year 1: £3,440 Year 2: £6,875.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
This course is not eligible for full-time Student visa sponsorship. International/EU students may apply for part-time Student visa sponsorship on an individual basis. Please contact Admissions for further advice. Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting part-time study in 2024/25 is £17,205 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting part-time study in 2024/25 are: Year 1: £5,735 Year 2: £11.470
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £11,222 available for Home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Law courses (PDF, 261KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
Student success story
‘I loved the way my course was structured. We were allowed to write freely on topics of our choice, while at the same time applying the basic principles and theories of human rights.’
Matthew Morgan, MA Applied Human Rights, graduate 2016
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Take a tour around the School of Law facilities with student Ellie.