MSc Human Rights

Human rights are not just legal entitlements – they raise fundamental questions about political philosophy, sociology, policy, practice and activism.

Our MSc Human Rights is an interdisciplinary programme that explores sociological, political, philosophical and legal perspectives on human rights.

The core curriculum introduces you to the standards and structures of human rights. You’ll engage with some of the most compelling issues and debates in human rights today. The programme critically addresses the ability of international human rights to drive global justice in today’s world. Typical themes include genocide, humanitarian intervention, labour rights, gender and sexuality, race and apartheid, and transitional justice. The programme blends theory and practice, enabling you to apply your learning to real-life scenarios.

As a student, you’ll join a vibrant community of academics and researchers and be encouraged to participate in research activities and events. LSE Human Rights, a transdisciplinary hub for cutting-edge, critical research, teaching and scholarship on human rights, is based within the Department of Sociology and runs regular masterclasses and seminars exclusively for our MSc students, as well as public events involving world-leading human rights academics and practitioners.

This programme opens the doors to many rewarding careers in human rights advocacy and policymaking in government, international organisations, NGOs and academia.

The compulsory multidisciplinary core course will provide you with an overview of the philosophical, sociological and legal approaches to this subject. Thematic issues covered by the core course have included in the past: genocide, humanitarian intervention, militarism, war and warfare, religion, culture and human rights and transitional justice.

You'll also choose further courses from a range of options, and will write a 10,000 word dissertation on an approved topic of your choice. For the dissertation, a wide range of human rights topics and approaches is welcome; from the theoretical to the practical, either an interdisciplinary approach or one that is more sociological, legal or philosophical, using original research or secondary sources.

The Department of Sociology conducts world-class research and teaching on some of the most challenging social and ethical issues facing society today.

Founded in 1904, our academics have contributed to shaping research and thinking in the field nationally and internationally.

We are committed to research and scholarship that is socially and politically relevant. The department’s research is organised into five clusters: economic sociology; politics and human rights; social inequalities; knowledge, culture and technology; and urban sociology. We engage in major debates at the intersection of economics, politics and society on issues such as migration, urban ecology and climate change.

With a thriving research community, we play an active role in several research centres and institutes, including LSE Cities, LSE Human Rights and the LSE International Inequalities Institute. Our research has a global impact, informing decision-making and policy for numerous governments, NGOs and international organisations.

Our research expertise is reflected in our teaching curriculum. The department offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with 500 students engaged in learning and research at any one time.

We’re a lively department, with a regular programme of events involving workshops, conferences and collaborations with internal and external partners. We’re also home to the British Journal of Sociology, the UK’s leading publication in the field.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Sociology

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:

• academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
• statement of academic purpose
• two academic references
• CV.

See further information on supporting documents.

You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It's designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

This programme provides an excellent foundation for a variety of academic and non-academic careers, including in: law, especially international law and advocacy (albeit usually with other qualifications); foreign policy; working for activist organisations in the humanitarian sector; international and domestic human rights; development; civil liberties; welfare; as well as in specialised agencies concerned with, for example, refugees; women's rights; torture victims or children's rights.

During the programme, you'll have opportunities to meet alumni of the MSc Human Rights who are working in a range of international, government and non-governmental organisations.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.