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Human Rights Law LLM

Part of: Law

Law and human rights have a complex relationship. On the one hand, law can help promote and protect human rights. On the other hand, law can facilitate the denial of human rights. In fact, legal norms of human rights are far from perfect: they can be a force for good, for bad, or both. This LLM will provide you with an advanced theoretical and empirical understanding of human rights at the international, regional, and domestic legal levels.

  • Modules covering a broad range of areas at the forefront of human rights law, utilising both doctrinal and critical academic knowledge to examine both the benefits and the difficulties of enforcing this body of law.
  • Be taught by world-leading experts with extensive knowledge of human rights law.
  • Gain invaluable skills for research and practice in law and human rights.
  • Tailor this course to align with your career trajectory, benefitting from our wide range of elective modules.
  • Study alongside students with interest and experience in human rights and law from more than 80 countries, providing a uniquely expansive and diverse professional network.

Study options

Starting in
September 2025
Location
Mile End
Fees
Home: £19,800
Overseas: £31,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Apply nowRegister your interest

What you'll study

The Human Rights Law LLM programme provides you with advanced academic and practical knowledge about human rights law, at the international, regional, and domestic levels. Modules for this programme cover a wide range of issues, such as humanitarian law, children's rights, migrant rights, women's rights, socio-economic rights, and the crimes of the powerful. You will be introduced to relevant legal institutions, norms, and case law, as well as to cutting-edge theories and critical debates.

As part of this programme, you will attend a range of activities including the evening and lunchtime guest lectures, while benefiting from the proximity to many major human rights organisations and research institutes based in London.

Our Human Rights Law Centre is the first association between a university and a non-governmental organisation, established to provide scholarly expertise, research, and teaching on national and international human rights law.

Please note you can request to change programme at offer stage via your admissions portal and also request this after enrolment via the School of Law Taught Programme office.

Join the Queen Mary Network and speak to our community about this programme.

Structure

You will need to complete 180 credits in total:

Full year programme:

  • 150 credits of taught modules
  • 30 credits by dissertation of 10,000 words

Please see the academic year plan for an idea of the structure of the programme and key periods of assessment.

You can also choose to complete your SQE Preparation alongside this LLM which is available for both full-time and part-time study. Find out more

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Modules

View the full list of modules available on this programme.

Assessment

  • You will be assessed by a range of methods combining examinations and coursework which will be fully explained in your student pack available during induction.
  • For your dissertation, you will undertake more self-directed research and writing work with the support of an allocated supervisor.

FAQs

Read our FAQs for more information about applying to us.

Teaching

You will be taught by a mixture of formal lectures and small group seminars. The seminars are designed to generate informed discussion around set topics, and may involve student presentations and group exercises as well as open discussion.

You will have a team of advisers to support you, including the LLM and Research Directors, your dissertation supervisor and your module convenors.

 

Nina Prusac, Human Rights Law LLM (2022)

The key... was the thought-provoking lectures by accomplished academics and guest speakers. The teaching is outstanding, and the professors motivated me to think critically and widen my perspectives about the subjects.

—

Nina Prusac, Human Rights Law LLM (2022)

Where you'll learn

Facilities

  • Free access to online databases and collections including: LexisNexis, Westlaw, Justis, Eur-lex, Hein-Online and many more
  • The Postgraduate School of Law Centre in Lincoln's Inn Fields and the Graduate Centre at Mile End
  • Queen Mary’s excellent Law Library and European Documentation Centre
  • Access to the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) and the Library at Senate House

Campus

Teaching is primarily based at the School of Law's Mile End campus. Being one of the largest self-contained residential campuses in London, the Mile End campus houses the University's library and is located on the doorstep of London’s legal district. Our academics and students interact with leading legal professionals, many of whom regularly teach and take part in our seminars and conferences.

Depending on the modules you choose, you may also have classes at Lincoln's Inn Fields or at one of the Queen Mary central campus locations (Charterhouse Square or West Smithfield).

Administration for this programme is based at Lincoln's Inn fields.

About the School

The School of Law

The School of Law is part of Queen Mary University of London, a member of both the University of London and the Russell Group. The School was ranked 7th in the UK and 32nd in the world by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, and 10th in the UK and 50th in world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 by subject.

The School of Law has consistently been ranked in the top 10 law schools in the UK for the quality of our research and teaching, and many of our internationally recognised staff act as advisers to governments, industry and NGOs, both nationally and internationally.

The School's central focus is on the role of law and its institutions in contemporary international society. The School of Law is divided into two organisational units: the Department of Law and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS). The School of Law hosts the largest and most diverse LLM programme in the UK.

 

Contact us

School of Law

Career paths

There is a very high rate of employment of our students within six months of graduation. We have specialist career advisers who organise events and assist with finding internship opportunities at UK and international law firms and other employers.

Graduates of this programme have gone to work as:

  • lawyers in supreme courts of countries including Pakistan.
  • advocates in human rights organisations such as the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.

After graduating from Queen Mary, you join our network of alumni from over 100 countries, and get access to exclusive benefits and networking opportunities.

  • 96% of our graduates are in full time employment/further study 15 months after graduation - Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21
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I began a 12-week internship which has enabled me to gain experience in another area of law as well as develop my skills. I worked on cases that dealt with protecting individual rights under EU Law. I gained a sound knowledge of immigration rules under the Appendix EU which was outside of my area of expertise.

—

Lisa Kachina Poku, Human Rights Law LLM (2022)

Fees and funding

Full-time study

September 2025 | 1 year

Conditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Part-time study

September 2025 | 2 years

The course fee is charged per annum for 2 years. Note that fees may be subject to an increase on an annual basis - see details on our tuition fees page.

Conditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Full-time study

September 2025 | 1 year

Conditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Part-time study

September 2025 | 2 years

The course fee is charged per annum for 2 years. Note that fees may be subject to an increase on an annual basis - see details on our tuition fees page.

Conditional deposit

Home: Not applicable

Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits

Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award

Funding

There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.

School of Law scholarships

The School of Law offers a range of scholarships for Law Masters programmes each year. Full details are made available on the law funding page from October – November each year.

Other sources of funding

Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:

Entry requirements

UK

Degree requirements

A 2:1 or above at undergraduate level in Law or a degree with substantial law content.

Law graduates with a 2:2 honours degree who also have other legal qualifications and/or substantial professional legal experience may also qualify.

Other routes

Non-law graduates with a minimum second class honours degree, that have also obtained a Merit (or 60 per cent) in the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) recognised by the UK professional bodies, may also qualify. Non-law graduates may also be considered on the basis of exceptional professional experience (of at least five years) in a legal area or an area directly related to their programme of study.

Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.

International

English language requirements

All postgraduate programmes in this school have non-standard English language requirements.

For the English language requirements for this course, see programmes with non-standard English language requirements .

Visas and immigration

Find out how to apply for a student visa.

Contact

School of Law

Postgraduate Admissions

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