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MSc Human Rights

MSc (NFQ Level 9)
Internships Available

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.

UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.

Visit Our Website for Further Information such as Entry Requirement and Application Documents. 

The MSc in Human Rights is a one-year intensive course that prepares you for a career in human rights research, policy or advocacy in international organisations, governmental and non-governmental bodies, or academia. There is also a two-year part time option.

  • You will explore the theory, politics and law of human rights and examine the mechanisms and limitations of national and international action to protect human rights.
  • You will either complete a research dissertation or undertake a monitored internship.

About This Course

  • To thoroughly familiarise students with cutting edge issues in the broad area of human rights
  • allow students participate constructively in topical debates on human rights
  • develop methodological research expertise
  • develop oral presentation skills
  • develop student's research/writing skills
  • enhance group work skills
  • facilitate students' professional development to work in HR policy

Graduates work with international private-sector employers, government agencies and NGOs as:

  • Human Rights Specialist
  • Field Officer
  • Human Rights Consultant
  • Child Protection Adviser
  • Public Information Officer
  • Journalist 


Recent graduates of MSc in Human Rights now work in:

  • Front Line Defenders
  • United Nations, New York and Geneva
  • Amnesty International
  • Médecins sans Frontières
  • PLAN Ireland
  • Irish Aid
  • Oxfam
 

The UCD School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe) has established an internship programme for graduate students undertaking MA programmes in Politics, International Relations, International Political Economy, International Development, Peace and Conflict, MEconSc European Public Affairs and Law, MSc Human Rights and MSc Politics and Data Science. You can either opt for a Masters thesis, or an internship of at least 480 hours, typically undertaken from June to August. 



See this page for more information 


Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL42330 Research Design Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 EQUL40070 Human Rights Law and Equality Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module
 POL42300 SPIRe Internship Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module
 POL42310 Thesis Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 DEV40020 Gender and Development Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 LAW40780 Law of the ECHR Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 LAW42280 International Refugee Law Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40050 Theories of International Relations Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42530 Politics of International Trade and Investment Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42550 Feminist Theory Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42570 Connected_Politics 1 Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 LAW42130 United Nations Human Rights Practice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 LAW42270 International Migration Law Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 LAW42290 Gender, Conflict-related Harm & Transitional Justice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40100 Politics of Development Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40370 International Political Economy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40540 Comparative European Politics Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL41910 Political Violence Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42060 International Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42430 IR Theory: Conflict and Identity Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B)20CR:
Select 20 credits
 POL42560 AI and Large Language Models Spring  10

Ellen Ince

As someone with a passion and interest in learning about different cultures, it was important that my Masters featured an international outlook. This course appealed to me because Human Rights is such a broad field and I was able make the course my own by choosing the areas I wanted to focus on - combining law, political theory, sociology and social justice studies. I had the opportunity to study a range of topics including asylum and refugee law, the origins of human rights, how human rights norms spread and what effects they have on state behaviour, the procedures of United Nations human rights bodies, as well as the functions and limitations of human rights law in achieving equality. 

The course was fast-paced and interactive; consisting of class debates on challenging political issues with students from all around the world, as well as group projects and presentations. I greatly appreciated their expertise, kindness and dedication to making the learning experience as enjoyable as possible. Having the option to join classes remotely supported me hugely in balancing college work with my other commitments. Thanks to the MSc Human Rights course, I now have the confidence, skills and motivation to succeed with a strong educational foundation behind me. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in working cross-culturally and looking to pursue a global career in a diverse field. 

MSc Human Rights (W035) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 10350
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MSc Human Rights (W110) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 6580
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme, which normally opens in late Spring. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship.

  • A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

  • Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
  • English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.
  • Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the  English language requirements, may enter the programme upon  successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/ 
  • These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No



  • You will explore the theory, politics and law of human rights and examine the mechanisms and limitations of national and international action to protect human rights.

  • You will either complete a research dissertation or undertake a monitored internship.


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to MSc Human Rights:

ROWCLASS Apply to
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
W035
MSc Human Rights
Master of Science

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
W110
MSc Human Rights
Master of Science

Part-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
* you can change options at the top of the page
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