MA Global Citizenship, Identities and Human Rights
ObjectivesDemand for various forms of expertise on human rights, citizenship and identities is rapidly expanding as governments, international agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and private sector organisations become increasingly sensitive to and interested in questions about rights and identities. The MA in Global Citizenship, Identities and Human Rights explores what recent changes to the global cultural and political landscape mean for individuals and groups in terms of their ability to access human rights (social, economic and cultural as well as political and civil).
Entry requirementsThis MA will be particularly attractive to social science and arts graduates who wish to pursue careers in the NGO sector, academia, the civil service, or journalism, as it both provides advanced level sociological knowledge of debates on human rights, citizenship, globalisation and identities, and offers opportunities, through elective modules in other schools, to develop specialist knowledge and understanding of post-conflict cultures, human rights law and/or of media and globalisation, rights and identities.
Academic titleMA Global Citizenship, Identities and Human Rights
Course descriptionKey facts
-In addition to the contact you will have with academic staff through the various modules, you will also have the support of a specialist supervisor with whom you will meet regularly to discuss your dissertation and to receive feedback on draft chapters.
-If you have the appropriate experience and background knowledge, there are opportunities (available on a competitive basis) for you to work with NGOs to undertake your dissertation research
Course Content
During the taught component of this course, you will be required to take the following core modules addressing sociological debates on human rights, citizenship, globalisation and identities. These modules will also give you a critical understanding of their application in a range of discourses (political, legal, academic and popular):
-Globalisation, Citizenship and Identity
-Human Rights and Modern Slavery
-Civil Society: the role of NGOs
-Research Methods and the dissertation (15 credits)
The module Civil Society: the role of NGOs involves a combination of classes and seminars featuring presentations by outside speakers who undertake research and/or advocacy work around human and citizenship rights in NGOs, international agencies, or media, and is assessed by means of a project evaluating the work of an NGO of your choice.
This module builds upon and develops the School's existing links with research users and collaborators in NGOs, media and international agencies.
In addition, you will be able to choose 30 credits from an approved list of optional modules from a range of related disciplines (including Law, Politics and Critical Theory). This will allow you to further develop specialist knowledge of fields or issues that particularly concern you – for example, human rights law; post-conflict cultures; and / or media and globalisation, rights and identities. Sample optional modules will include:
-Non-Governmental Organisations
-Post-colonialisms
-International Human Rights Law
-International Protection of Refugees
-Globalisation and its Discontents
The dissertation is a key component of this degree. It affords you the opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic of your choice under the supervision of sociologists who are nationally and internationally known for their expertise on citizenship, national and ethnic identities, globalisation, human rights and children's rights.
The School’s close links with several NGOs mean that we can also arrange internships for students seeking work experience in this sector (internships are available on a competitive basis and subject to successful interview).
Course Structure
The MA in Global Citizenship, Identities and Human Rights can be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time over 2 years.
The MA consists of taught modules totalling 120 credits (which are taken during the autumn and spring semesters) and a 60-credit dissertation (undertaken over the summer period).
In addition to the core modules, you will take 30 credits from an approved list of optional modules from a range of disciplines (including Law, Politics, and Critical Theory).
The core modules are assessed by written work of between 4,000 words (for a 15-credit module) and 6,000 words (for 30-credit modules).
Optional modules may be assessed in a variety of ways, including essays and examinations.
A dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words in length must be submitted by the end of the summer period