MSc, LLM Human Rights and Diplomacy

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Study the only Human Rights and Diplomacy Masters in the UK taught with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Develop professional diplomacy skills through UN expert training and gain real-world experience in Geneva.

Human Rights and Diplomacy
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Key facts

  • Award LLM, Masters / MSc, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma
  • Start date January 2026
  • Duration MSc full-time: 12 months
  • Mode of study full time
  • Delivery on campus

Overview

Today's world faces growing human rights challenges. Issues range from terrorism and climate change to political upheaval. There is a growing need for trained experts who can protect human rights worldwide. This is also driven by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which highlights the importance of human rights (Source: United Nations).

The LLM/MSc Human Rights and Diplomacy Masters at the University of Stirling is for those with a politics, philosophy, sociology, or law background. You will have the opportunity to apply for a highly regarded degree in diplomatic practice in partnership with the leading training body UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research). 

 

Expert training  

Learn human rights law and politics from leading researchers. Study the history and foundations of UN human rights institutions. Get practical training from UN professionals in: 

  • International diplomacy 
  • Policy development 
  • Negotiation skills 
  • Document drafting 
  • Working with NGOs 

 

Real-world work experience  

This flexible course offers three choices to complete your final three months. You can apply for UN Internships, work on human rights projects or write a research dissertation. 

Our students have secured internships with: 

  • International Court of Justice 
  • UNESCO 
  • UNICEF 
  • UN Women 
  • UN Development Programme 

 

United Nations visit 

The Human Rights Council is part of the United Nations. It is made up of 47 member states and handles the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. Every student will visit the United Nations office in Geneva and engage in various activities that may include observing the United Nations Human Rights Council session and a tour of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) museum. You may also engage in expert-led talks by the WTO, WHO, UK Mission in Geneva and on Sustainable Development Goals.  

 

Local and global impact  

Work on real projects with organisations across Scotland and the UK including: 

  • Refugee support with Forth Valley Welcome 
  • Food rights at Nourish Scotland 
  • Housing rights at Positive Action on Housing 
  • Press freedom with Scottish PEN 
  • Prison reform with Howard League Scotland 

 

International partnerships  

We deliver placement opportunities for some students through our international partnerships with: 

  • UN Women 
  • International Organisation for Migration 
  • Institute for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa 
  • African Commission on Human and People's Rights 

Internships are also available in Geneva, New York and Rome. 

Top reasons to study with us

Course objectives

  • Explain, analyse and apply international human rights law in both theory and practice.
  • Engage in the theoretical framework of diplomacy, its history and the development of international relations.
  • Engage and debate critiques of human rights.
  • Draft documents and possess the skills needed to negotiate their progress in a range of human rights institutions.
  • Find your way within the United Nations Institutions working on human rights matters and local NGOs.
  • Apply a wide range of theoretical and practical methods to human rights research, activism and politics.

Work placements

In the Autumn semester, students with a strong enough profile will be supported to apply for UN internships. These have recently included internships at the International Court of Justice, IRMCT, the UN Joint Inspection Unit, UNESCO, UNICEF, UN Women, UNDP and others. These internships are generally unpaid.

Many other students pursue integrated professional projects in Scotland and the UK. Recent projects included:

  • the Forth Valley Welcome refugee organisation;
  • Nourish Scotland on the right to food;
  • Positive Action on Housing focused on rooms for refugees;
  • Scottish PEN focused on journalists' and writers' rights;
  • Howard League Scotland focused on the rights of prisoners;
  • Stirling Council working on poverty sensitivity training;
  • Leprosy Mission Scotland; Revive Campaign on the psychological effects of explosive violence;
  • the UN Special Rapporteur for Cambodia.

Our course has partnered with UN Women (UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Institute for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (IHRDA), the East African Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights) and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to deliver placement opportunities to some of our students.

Entry onto the course does not guarantee entry onto the UN internship module. There is a limited number of places on this module, so students for this module need to go through a further selective application and possible interview process during the course. Students who do not gain entry to the UN internship module are supported to pursue excellent placements in non-UN human rights organisations, or undertake a dissertation.

Study abroad

As well as the integrated trip to Geneva for all students, the UN internships include options abroad. Those who pursue an internship will have living costs of approximately £1600 per month for internships in Geneva, approximately £1600 per month for internships in New York, and £1000 per month for internships in Rome – with variable costs for alternative internships.

We recommend you consult websites for cost of living in different locations if you are planning to pursue the UN internship. Those who pursue local Scottish or UK based projects or the academic dissertation also need to think about the cost of living in those locations. Go to the Which? website to see an estimated breakdown of student costs, helping you to work out your budget.

Research overview

Course lecturers Dr Damian Etone, Professor Rowan Cruft and Dr Oche Onaziare are widely-published in the areas of human rights and diplomacy. 

Professor Cruft’s monograph, Human Rights, Ownership, and the Individual, was published in 2019 by Oxford University Press. It offers an account of the philosophical foundations of human rights, defending their conception as rights rather than mere values, goals or duties. He is also co-editor of OUP’s 2015 volume, Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. 

Dr Etone is Joint Coordinator for the UPR Academic Network and his monograph, The Human Rights Council: The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa was published in 2020 by Routledge, assessing and defending the universal periodic review process as an important addition to the international human rights monitoring framework. He also reports on international criminal law cases for OUP’s International Criminal Law Series. 

Dr Onazi’s research interests cover areas of legal philosophy, human rights, and law in development. recent work has focused on disability justice in the context of African legal philosophy and African philosophy. He is the author of An African path to Disability Justice: Community, Relationships and Obligations (Springer 2020).

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.

Students from politics, philosophy, sociology, including law and other disciplinary backgrounds can apply for either the MSc or the LLM.

Other routes of entry

If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, University of Stirling International Study Centre offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore University of Stirling International Study Centre to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.

International entry requirements

View the entry requirements for your country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

  • IELTS Indicator 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 176 overall with a minimum of 169 in each sub-skill
  • Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 169 in each sub-skill
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) 62 overall with 60 in each sub-skill
  • IBT TOEFL 80 overall with 18 in reading, 23 in writing, 19 in listening and 21 in speaking
  • Trinity ISE II Pass overall and Merit in all sub-skills, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills
  • Aptis (4 skills) CEFR B2 overall and B2 in all sub-skills

Last updated: 4 August 2022

See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Pre-sessional English language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, University of Stirling International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.

Course details

The course offers a unique combination of theory and practice. Alongside modules introducing students to human rights law and politics, the UN human rights institutions, their history and their philosophical foundations, students will be given practical training from experienced UN personnel in transferrable diplomacy skills such as negotiating, drafting documents, and learning how to make a difference.

 

Modules

Teaching

For the legal, political and philosophical parts of the course, your teachers will be top academic researchers. In pursuing their modules, you will be encouraged both to learn the latest legal, political and philosophical positions and to develop your own analyses. The optional modules allow you to explore human rights and diplomacy within broader settings. For the practical training, your teachers will be experienced UN practitioners who will use simulation exercises, role play and case studies to help you gain negotiating skills. All teaching will involve a mixture of group work, with the exception of the one-to-one discussions and training used to help students decide whether (and where) to apply for an internship, and the similar focused discussions for those who opt for the academic dissertation. 

Students taking the internship or professional project will have both a Stirling and a UNITAR mentor. Detailed preparation and guidance – including assistance applying, and preparation for interviews – will be offered in advance of the internships and projects, as part of the Preparation for Independent Work module. Students taking the dissertation will have a primary supervisor with expertise in the student’s chosen specialism.

The Approaches to Human Rights module will introduce students to a very wide range of approaches to human rights, and will also involve sessions aimed at allowing students to share their own varied human rights and/or academic experiences, including allowing students from a professional background to compare their views with those of recent graduates.

Fieldwork

The Geneva Study Trip will provide the opportunity for a first-hand professional immersion within the United Nations and Geneva’s multilateral working environments. Students will learn more about the main decision-makers and will have a unique opportunity to meet practitioners from the major institutions, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council as well as other institutions, enabling them to strengthen their knowledge of the UN System and other international organisations working on human rights matters.

The content of the study visit will be customised to meet the needs of the student and can include meetings with senior officials from the UN agencies situated in Geneva in the fields of peace, security and disarmament; trade, economic and labour affairs; environment and sustainable development; health, intellectual property, science and telecommunication; and humanitarian law, human rights and migration. Participation in the study trip is subject to the arrangements set out by the course and the visits will vary each year depending on availability.

Assessment

Assessment and assessment criteria

Academic modules will be assessed by coursework and some graded groupwork.  Modules focused on practice and skills will similarly be assessed by reflective coursework and practical assessment. A range of assessments will be used and will measure achievement of learning outcomes. The assessment criteria will be set out in advance of each assignment.  The internship and academic project will be assessed partly by means of a post-project self-reflective report written by the student, and partly by reports on the student’s performance offered by the internship/project provider.

Feedback on assessment

You will receive feedback on coursework within three weeks of completion of the assessment. Feedback is usually provided electronically on formal coursework. Feedback and guidance sessions with teaching staff are available on all modules. These provide regular opportunities to discuss feedback further. See more information about feedback on assessment.

Key staff

Dr Damian Etone

Dr Damian Etone is an expert in International Human Rights Law and focus on the participation of African states in various international human rights mechanisms. He is author of the monograph The Human Rights Council: The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa published with Routledge in 2020 and he has prior experience teaching human rights law in different places including Australia and England. His current expertise includes International Human Rights Law, International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice. He has worked for over six years as an International Criminal Law Case Reporter for OUP and published over 12 reports in the OUP international criminal law series. Damian previously worked as an Assistant Human Rights officer at the Cameroon National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms between 2011 and 2012 and has previously received a Chevening Award (2012-2013) and a Beacon of Enlightenment Award (2014-2017).

Mr Philippe Aubert

Philippe Aubert is Programme Specialist at UNITAR’s Division for Multilateral Diplomacy, where he started in 2013 working on online projects, and progressively transitioned into developing and implementing a wide variety of customized and face-to-face activities in Geneva, New York City, Vienna, Rome, Moscow, as well as throughout the world, for a total of more than 50 face-to-face activities implemented each year by the Programme. Prior to UNITAR, Philippe worked as an assistant for the economic and political affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia, as well as a teacher in Switzerland.

Dr Oche Onazi

Dr Onazi’s research interests cover areas of legal philosophy, human rights, and law in development. recent work has focused on disability justice in the context of African legal philosophy and African philosophy. He is the author of An African path to Disability Justice: Community, Relationships and Obligations (Springer 2020).

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our  Stirling Alumni Scholarship.

Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship

If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees. 

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry. 

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.

If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees. 

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry. 

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Postgraduate tuition fee loans

This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the section, below, for more details.

Additional costs

There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.

The University provides all students with the opportunity to take part in a 5-day study visit to Geneva. There is no extra cost for this study visit, but if you require a visa to travel to Geneva then you would need to fund this yourself.

Scholarships and funding

Funding 

If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.

Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.

Postgraduate tuition fee loans

Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.

English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.

Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.

Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 from Student Finance NI.

International students may be able to gain additional funding from loan providers.

Cost of living

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling

Payment options

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay

After you graduate

A Human Rights and Diplomacy Masters opens career paths across many sectors including: 

  • Charitable organisations and NGOs 
  • Legal firms and finance 
  • Local, national and international government 
  • Film and television industry 
  • Media and news companies 
  • Environmental agencies 
  • Global embassies 
  • House of Commons 

 

Salary expectations 

Human rights professionals in the UK earn an average of £38,853 per year (Glassdoor, 2025). 

 

Where our graduates work  

Recent graduates from our human rights Masters course now work at:

  • UN Institute for Training and Research
  • European Court of Human Rights
  • Westminster Foundation for Democracy
  • Scottish Government
  • Gambian Government 
  • UN Habitat 
  • U.S. DOJ Office of the Inspector General 
  • UNDP 
  • European Union Agency For Asylum 

Employability skills

Intellectual, practical and transferable skills and other graduate attributes you will possess by the end of the course

  • An open-minded, critical outlook that is both morally and legally well-informed.
  • Negotiating and drafting skills useable in an international context with multiple committed stakeholders.
  • Networking and communication skills necessary to developing robust academic and practical contributions.

Values and attitudes:

  • Critically reflective commitment to addressing the problems that human rights attempt to tackle, and the problems human rights themselves generate.
  • Self-starting ability to find a role within human rights institutions and organisations.
  • Strong team player embedded in a human rights based approach to working with others.
  • Integrity in tackling the challenges of human rights diplomacy.
  • An ethical approach to study and research.

What our students said

Ntami Eborty
Ntami Eborty
Nigeria
MSc Human Rights and Diplomacy
My decision to move to Scotland to study for my MSc Human Rights and Diplomacy degree was one of the best things that ever happened to me. The course has set me up with confidence for my career and opened a window of opportunities for my career path.
Read Ntami's story
Rebecca Tivendale
Rebecca Tivendale
Scotland
MSc Human Rights and Diplomacy
This programme offers amazing opportunities to volunteer in the field, to apply the knowledge gained from classes, in a practical setting.
Read Rebecca's story

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