MA Human Rights - Law/Political Science Pathway (Research Route)

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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.

The MA in Human Rights (Research Route) explores the pressing questions of human rights.

Can there be space for human rights in world affairs? Who is responsible for protecting human rights in global politics?

These theoretical and practical concerns form the central focus of the course and are examined through the core course units. This research pathway welcomes anyone planning to continue to PhD study—especially if you’re interested in the political, legal, and ethical questions that stem from human-rights violations around the world.

You will gain an advanced, critical, interdisciplinary and systematic understanding of human rights issues in their global context. Drawing on perspectives from international politics, political theory and law, the course equips you to analyse the complex international environment in which human rights claims are made and contested.

As a research route student, you will take Research Design and Skills, Human Rights in World Politics, and complete a 60-credit dissertation on a topic of your choice. This is complemented by a wide range of optional course units, covering highly debated questions from the ethics of killing, gender inequalities and security across international contexts.

This course offers the foundations needed for doctoral work and is also ideal if you’re seeking a research-focused career in policy, advocacy, law or academia.

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 choice of optional course units across law and political science. This route is geared toward careers in NGOs, government, policy, law, journalism, and international organisations such as the United Nations, as well as providing a foundation for further academic research.

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.

Strong partnerships

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.

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.

Course units are assessed in a variety of ways, including:

• presentations;
• tutorials;
• extended essays;
• exams.

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 .

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.