International Human Rights Law MSt

<strong>The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.</strong> <br/><br/>The part-time, two-year MSc in International Human Rights Law is aimed at mid-career lawyers and other human rights advocates who wish to pursue advanced studies in international human rights law but seek to do so alongside work responsibilities.<br/><br/>A central objective of the course is to ensure that you not only know about but can also effectively and expertly apply human rights law. The curriculum places equal emphasis on the substance of human rights law, its implementation and research. <br/><br/>Students come from all over the world and from a variety of advocacy settings; from various international and non-governmental organisations, governments, universities, foundations, the media, the armed forces, medicine and other fields and from private and corporate practice. The faculty is also diverse and includes internationally recognised human rights scholars and advocates. The programme seeks the widest possible diversity among both students and tutors.<br/><br/>The course is undertaken part-time over a period of 24 months. It includes two periods of online distance learning as well as two summer residences held at New College, Oxford.<br/><br/>During the summer residences, past students have found it beneficial to immerse themselves within the MSc in International Human Rights Law community. If your personal circumstances permit therefore, we strongly encourage you to consider booking your accommodation during the residential sessions with New College, which will be facilitated by the course organisers. This may help you to benefit from what the course offers in terms of additional opportunities for discursive engagement and networking. Lunches and dinners are already included in the course fee and will also be provided at New College. If you have any concerns around this, for example regarding dietary restrictions, please get in touch with the Course Administrator to discuss them.<br/><br/>Course structure<br/><strong>Year one</strong><br/>The first period of distance learning is the compulsory Fundamentals of Human Rights Law online course. This comprises guided online study over two terms, with each of its units including reading periods followed by tutor-guided asynchronous seminars supplemented by some live encounters. You will require consistent, ready and reliable internet access.<br/><br/>The first summer residence in Oxford will comprise three weeks of tutor-led small group seminars plus a week for independent revision and two exams. During the first in-person residence you will take two electives, which will be selected from a list of options. In addition, the first summer session will include one week of dissertation-related exercises to prepare you for the independent dissertation work you will undertake in your second year. In total, the first summer residence is just over five weeks in length. <br/><br/><strong>Year two</strong><br/>For the second period of distance learning you will work independently on researching and writing your dissertation with one-to-one online support from your supervisor. The dissertation will be on a topic of your choice related to international human rights law, however the topic must be approved by the course examiners. You will require consistent, ready and reliable internet access.<br/><br/>The second summer residence in Oxford will comprise three weeks of tutor-led small group seminars plus a week for independent revision and two exams. During the residence you will take two more electives, which will be selected from a list of options. Not all are offered every year. In total, the second summer residence is four weeks in length.