Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,620 for the course
International/EU: £17,725 for the course -
How long will I study?
2 Years
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2025
Where will I study?
Course summary
- Acquire specialist expertise in the field of international or domestic human rights.
- Apply your skills by working alongside human rights practitioners throughout the course.
- Gain a deep understanding of human rights law, principles and policy while building on your existing qualifications.
- Enhance your employability and make the transition into a rewarding career.
- Study full or part-time and benefit from wide-ranging teaching methods.
This postgraduate degree provides the grounding you need to enter human rights law and advances your existing degree. You'll cover the breadth of human rights theory and practice and graduate as a skilled, knowledgeable and employable practitioner.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
The course provides a supportive, intensive learning experience; one that employs wide-ranging means to impart deep understanding, intellectual advancement and employment preparation. Your legal skills will be applied through working with academics, volunteers and practitioners, allowing you active engagement and real-world experiences alongside theoretical grounding.
You learn through:
- lectures and seminars on campus
- teaching input from human rights organisations
- monitoring and review of human rights case studies
- active engagement with live projects and simulated cases
- guided reading
- workshops
- student presentations
- peer support
- individual student reflection on learning
- virtual lectures
Applied learning
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
Live projects
Throughout the course you will engage with live projects that allow you knowledge and understanding of contemporary human rights cases and issues.
Networking opportunities
As well as engaging regularly with human rights practitioners, specialists and organisations - past speakers include Shami Chakrobarti and Trevor Phillips - there will be ample opportunity for workplace networking, internships and involvement in planning events. You will also interact regularly with the research work of staff in the Human Rights and Social Justice and Social-Legal Research Clusters, and the Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in
- human rights law
- policy or development work
- human rights advocacy
- academia or teaching
- non-government organisations (NGOs)
- local and central government services
- research and development organisations
Equipment and facilities
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
360 tour - Moot Court
Entry requirements
All students
Typically a 2.2 honours degree or above in human rights, law, social science, politics, international development or a related humanities disciplines.
We also welcome those who have relevant professional experience and those who wish to apply the practical realisation of human rights within their professional field.
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS 6.5 score with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in all other skill areas or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
If you do not have such academic qualifications we may consider your application individually, based on your personal, professional and work experience, and other formal qualifications. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Foundations Of Human Rights
Elective modules
Environmental Rights, Sustainability And Climate Justice
Gender, Equality And Discrimination
Global Health And Human Rights
Refugee Rights
Final year
Compulsory modules
Human Rights And Emerging Issues
Elective modules
Applied Project
Dissertation
Environmental Rights, Sustainability And Climate Justice
Gender, Equality And Discrimination
Global Health And Human Rights
Refugee Rights
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2025/26 is £10,620 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2025/26 are: Year 1: £3,540 Year 2: £7,080.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
This course is not eligible for full-time Student visa sponsorship. International/EU students may apply for part-time Student visa sponsorship on an individual basis. Please contact Admissions for further advice. Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting part-time study in 2025/26 is £17,725 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting part-time study in 2025/26 are: Year 1: £5,910 Year 2: £11,820
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £12,471 is available in 2024/25 for home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice (PDF, 141.3KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
Student success story
‘I loved the way my course was structured. We were allowed to write freely on topics of our choice, while at the same time applying the basic principles and theories of human rights.’
Matthew Morgan, MA Applied Human Rights, graduate 2016
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Take a tour around the School of Law facilities with student Ellie.
