Human Rights

The Human Rights programs offer candidates a firm foundation in human rights law and policy. A series of core units provide a practical understanding of how human rights operate in different political, economic, social and environmental contexts. Students will build knowledge and skills across a wide range of disciplinary fields including Sociology and Social Policy, Political Science, Political Economy, Philosophy, History and Human Geography.

Emphasising the practice of human rights, these programs equip students with the ability to skilfully and effectively use human rights tools and language in order to achieve specific changes in the real world. For students of the Master of Human Rights, this practical dimension includes the opportunity to undertake an internship within an Australian or international human rights organisation. The programs also offer students the opportunity to undertake independent scholarly research on current human rights issues, and the skills to put their academic understanding to use in real situations. While our degrees have a global focus, they also capitalise on Australia’s geo-political location, thus offering a unique perspective on the Asia-Pacific region.

Given the growing salience of human rights in politics, law, social movements and business, graduates can expect to find employment in dedicated human rights governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, where a human rights specialisation is required. Students with a background in journalism, education and other professions will also be strongly positioned to return to their principal fields with a high level of valuable specialist skills.

Contact
Dr Dinesh Wadiwel
Phone: + 61 2 9351 4811
Email:

Research

There are currently no research degrees offered in Human Rights, but potential applicants are referred to the Sociology and Social Policy section of the postgraduate handbook.

Awards and Requirements

Please refer to the degree resolutions in this Handbook for information on the specific admission requirements for different coursework award courses.

Graduate Certificate in Human Rights
To be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Human Rights, students complete a total of four units of study (24 credit points) comprising:

• two core units of study (12 credit points)
• two elective units of study (12 credit points) chosen from the Table of Postgraduate Coursework Units of Study

Graduate Diploma in Human Rights
To be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Human Rights, students complete a total of six units of study (36 credit points) comprising:

• two core units of study (12 credit points)
• one core elective unit of study (6 credit points)
• three elective units of study (18 credit points) chosen from the Table of Postgraduate Coursework Units of Study

Master of Human Rights
To be awarded the Master of Human Rights, students complete a total of 8 units of study (48 credit points), comprising:

• two core units of study (12 credit points)
• two core elective units of study (12 credit points)
• four elective units of study (24 credit points), chosen from the Table of Postgraduate Coursework Units of Study. With the permission of the degree coordinator a maximum of 12 credit points can be taken as elective units from units of study outside those listed in this table. These may come from other faculties.