Human Rights & International Politics (Taught)

The Masters in Human Rights & International Politics offers a thorough academic analysis of one of the most salient and pressing issues in the contemporary world: the place of individual human rights in a system of international relations in which states’ rights have traditionally been paramount.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• If you plan a career with non-governmental organisations, in related domestic, European and other global institutions, or in higher education, or want to learn more about human rights and international politics, this programme is designed for you.

• You will have the opportunity to participate in a five-day study trip to Geneva to visit the UN and non-governmental human rights organisations.

• The interdisciplinary degree is designed to ensure you will encounter both legal and political perspectives, unlike most other human rights programmes which are exclusively focused on law. You can choose to focus on one domain more than the other.

• The programme draws on recognised expertise in international institutions, security, gender, political philosophy, theories of rights, and ethics and normative theory, as well as a wide variety of country and regional expertise.

• You will benefit from access to a number of organisations within and beyond the University, including the Glasgow Human Rights Network; The Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network; The Glasgow Centre for International Development; and the annual International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.

• International Relations at Glasgow is ranked 5th in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2026.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
You will take three core and three optional courses. Courses will be delivered via lectures and seminars. Some courses contain an exam. You will also submit a dissertation at the end of the programme.

Core courses
Fundamentals of International Law
Introduction to Human Rights Theories and Politics: A Critical Perspective
Research Design for Politics and International Relations

Optional courses may include
Communist Regimes and their Societies
Conflict Analysis
Gender, Race and International Relations
Global Development and Human Rights
Global Social Movements
Globalisation: Challenges from the South
Humanitarian Intervention: Civilian or Sovereignty
Human Rights And Global Politics
International Human Rights Law
International Organisations
International Relations and Development
International Relations of the Middle East
Media and Conflict in Divided Societies
Propaganda and Public Diplomacy: Authoritarian States
Quantitative Data Analysis
The Ethics of War and Peace
United Nations Law

CAREER PROSPECTS
Following completion of this programme, you will be equipped to enter the global workforce through many avenues. You will gain a variety of skills including presenting, group work and writing policy briefs and a depth of cross-sector knowledge. Graduates have gone on to establish international careers working in human rights and international politics, from positions within government/foreign ministry and intergovernmental organisations to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and think tanks. Others have gone on to use their skillset in the private sector, or have gone on to complete PhD study and begin academic careers.