MA Human Rights - Law/Political Science Pathway (Standard Route)
Year of entry: 2026
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Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | Y | Y | N | N |
Course overview
- Study at a UK Top 10 university for both Politics and Law (Times Higher Education / QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
- Learn from legal and political experts working on real-world human rights issues, from climate justice to mass atrocities.
- Examine human rights through a unique combination of international law, political theory and global policy.
- Build the knowledge and critical skills to pursue a career in NGOs, law, public policy, international organisations and international governance such as The United Nations, or further academic research.
- Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
- Seamlessly transition from master's to PhD study through a fully-funded 1+3 pathway with our prestigious ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).
Open days
On this day, you will find out more about the School, our resources, and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have.
For more information, see open days and visits .
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £15,800
International, including EU, students (per annum): £28,400 -
MA (part-time)
UK students (per annum): £7,900
International, including EU, students (per annum): £14,200
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
For information on available scholarships please visit: Master’s Fees and Funding
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 5500
- pgt-politics@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/politics/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.
When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:
- IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
- TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70
Further information on accepted language requirements can be found here .
Pre-Sessional English Courses
We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.
To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:
6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.
10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill
If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive, an early application is advised.
If you meet our entry requirements but we are unable to make you an offer, you may be placed on a waiting list.
Candidates on a waiting list will receive an offer only if places become available.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
This MA Human Rights course is ideal if you want to study the political, legal and ethical challenges raised by widespread human rights violations globally.
The course provides you with an advanced, critical, interdisciplinary and systematic understanding of human rights issues within a global context. It’s designed to give you insight into developments in international politics, political theory and law, so you can better understand the complex global environment in which human rights claims are made.
The central focus of the course addresses pressing human rights questions through compulsory course units and a wide range of optional choices. Mandatory units include Research Design and Skills, Human Rights in World Politics and a 60-credit dissertation.
Optional course units reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the course, covering highly debated questions from the ethics of killing, gender inequalities and security across international contexts.
This course is ideal if you are interested in a career in government, NGOs, international organisations, education, journalism or any role where advanced knowledge of human rights and the ability to communicate it effectively is essential.
Research or Standard Route?
The key difference between our MA Human Rights (Research Route) and our MA Human Rights (Standard Route) is the amount and focus of mandatory course units you will take, and how much flexibility you have in choosing options.
On the Research Route, in addition to your dissertation, you will take a larger set of mandatory, research-intensive course units (e.g., research design and methods), with fewer optional course units. This route is tailored for students intending to progress to PhD-level study.
On the Standard Route, in addition to your dissertation, you will take a smaller set of mandatory course units (covering core human rights theory, law/policy and research skills) and have more optional course units across law and political science. This route is geared toward careers in NGOs, government, policy, law, journalism, international organisations such as the United Nations, as well as providing a foundation for further academic research.
This course is eligible for the 1+3 studentship offered by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP), offering a unique, fully-funded route into postgraduate research. If your application is successful, you’ll be able to seamlessly transition from master's-level study to a PhD. Find out more on our 1+3 ESRC NWSSDTP webpage.
Special features
Highly ranked
Study at a university placed in the Top 10 in the UK for both Politics and Law (Times Higher Education/ QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025), reflecting academic excellence and global recognition.
Influential department
Join one of the UK’s largest and most respected Politics departments, home to major research initiatives like the British Election Study, shaping national and international understanding of democratic trends.
Learn from experts
Learn from legal and political scholars actively engaged in global policy and real-world legal cases, with professional links to the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and top international law schools.
Justice Hub
Get involved with the Justice Hub, a dynamic space where students, academics, and legal professionals collaborate on pressing social justice issues such as wrongful convictions, access to justice, and human rights advocacy.
Teaching and learning
The Law/Political Science Pathway of MA Human Rights is taught by an interdisciplinary team using a variety of delivery methods:
- interactive lectures;
- seminars
- student-led presentations and debate;
- group work;
- individual research.
Part-time students
Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time course.
Coursework and assessment
Course units are assessed in a variety of ways, including:
- presentations;
- tutorials;
- extended essays;
- exams.
Course unit details
A master’s degree is formed of 180 credits.
120 of these credits are made up by a mix of mandatory and optional course units, worth 15 or 30 credits each. On the MA Human Rights – Law/Political Science Pathway, there are two mandatory course units:
- Research Design and Skills
- Human Rights in World Politics
You will also choose five optional course units. These must be selected from the Law/Political Science pathway, previous units have been:
- International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law;
- Global Governance;
- Advanced Human Rights;
- Gender in Comparative Politics;
- Global Health Law and Bioethics;
- Theories of Rights;
- Ethics of Killing;
- United Nations and International Security.
The availability of individual optional course units may be subject to change. Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.
The remaining 60 credits are awarded through a compulsory research component in the form of a 8,000-10,000-word dissertation. Your dissertation must be within the area of one of the course units you have chosen.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Design and Skills | POLI60312 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Human Rights in World Politics | POLI70492 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | POLI72000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Global Health Law and Bioethics | CSEP60222 | 15 | Optional |
| International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law | LAWS61082 | 30 | Optional |
| Gender Inequality: Theory and Evidence | MGDI60202 | 15 | Optional |
| Governing in an Unjust World: Justice and International Relations | POLI60182 | 15 | Optional |
| The Ethics Of Killing | POLI60221 | 15 | Optional |
| Advanced Human Rights | POLI60992 | 15 | Optional |
| Global Governance | POLI70422 | 15 | Optional |
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Facilities
As a School of Social Sciences student, you will be supported by first-class resources.
As well as access to networked study areas and one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country, The University of Manchester Library .
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).
Our MA Human Rights course equips you with the specialist knowledge and critical skills needed for a range of roles where a deep understanding of law, politics and ethics is essential. Many of our graduates go on to careers in:
- government and international organisations;
- NGOs, advocacy groups and humanitarian agencies;
- journalism, policy and political analysis;
- human rights consultancy and legal support.
You’ll also develop valuable transferable skills that are highly relevant across sectors, including research design, analytical thinking, academic writing, and cross-cultural communication. Our graduates also succeed in areas such as:
- think tanks and policy institutes;
- social research and consultancy;
- business and project management;
- international development;
- academia and teaching.
The University has its own dedicated, award-winning Careers Service where you can benefit from tailored careers support, practice interviews, CV and application support, job listings for Manchester students, and much more. Better yet, you will have access to our Careers Service both during your course and for two years after you graduate, so we know you’re on the right path.