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Law with Human Rights at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Our LLM Law with Human Rights pathway is unique in its passionate engagement with the highly contested and, at best, scandalous nature of human rights law and discourse. Why choose this course?

  • You will be taught by staff who are part of a proud tradition of critical scholarship in law who address issues of law through power and inequality and are led by principles of social, economic, political, environmental and racial justice.
  • This course is designed for students who need to balance study with work, family or other commitments, but wish to study in an environment led by academic staff with extensive research expertise and publications in their field.
  • Our students come from all over the world and include current and future legal practitioners, as well as practitioners from other fields, so you can look forward to a stimulating learning environment, alongside others with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences.
What you will learn Human rights are at the interface of law, politics, sociology, philosophy and anthropology, as well as art, film and literature. During this course you will:
  • gain an understanding of the intersection between law and other societal challenges, as well as the interaction between multiple areas of law
  • learn how to transfer your understanding of complex problems and regulatory responses to different contexts
  • critically evaluate legal, regulatory and policy proposals concerning your pathway-specific challenges.
How you will learn You will be taught via a combination of pre-recorded lectures and seminars. In lectures we offer you an outline or overview of the topic, to engage you with the material and direct you to other resources. In seminars we work together as a group engaging in discussion around the topic. You will be able to choose between full- and part-time study on this course. It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening. Highlights
  • At Birkbeck we understand that law is about more than legal doctrine and legal technique, so we have designed a truly interdisciplinary course where you are able to take options from within the Law School and from other schools at Birkbeck.
  • The academics involved in teaching on the programme are world leaders in their various fields and the Law School is internationally renowned for its pathbreaking theoretical, political and humanities-based scholarship.
  • You will be able to attend our Law School Annual Lecture and specialist research seminars which feature international scholars speaking on current issues and their interdisciplinary research.
  • We are home to the Birkbeck Law Press which publishes Law and Critique: The International Journal of Critical Legal Thought. You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.
Careers and employability On successfully graduating from this LLM Law with Human Rights, you will have gained an array of valuable transferable skills, including:
  • the ability to work as part of a team
  • high-level oral and written communication skills
  • research skills
  • skills in evaluating and assessing types of information.
Graduates can pursue career paths in advocacy, legal services, policy analysis, the civil service, journalism and academia and research. Possible professions include:
  • human rights lawyer
  • barrister
  • solicitor
  • researcher
  • journalist
  • chartered legal executive
  • licensed conveyancer
  • human resources officer
  • patent attorney.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

Assessment varies depending on the modules you take but may include short written exercises, essays, quizzes and multiple-choice questionnaires, practical assessments and case studies.

How to apply

International applicants

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this course is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in law, the humanities or social sciences; other honours degrees will be considered. Equivalent international qualifications will also be considered. Other relevant qualifications and appropriate professional training and experience are welcome and will be taken into account. Excellent English language skills are essential. Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £12840 Year 1
Northern Ireland £12840 Year 1
Scotland £12840 Year 1
Wales £12840 Year 1
International £22410 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Law with Human Rights at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS