LLM Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Each LLM allows you to study from home - whether in the UK or overseas - and keep in contact with tutors by email, telephone, fax and/or post. You can also maintain contact with one another, both during and after your studies, offering invaluable peer support and networking opportunities.

There are two start dates for the distance learning LLM courses in each academic year - 1 April and 1 October. Although students are allowed up to a maximum of five years to complete the course, it is possible to complete six modules per academic year. However, the flexible nature of the programmes means that you can work at your own pace through the modules. Each of the twelve modules is worth 10 credits and the dissertation is worth 60 credits. To gain the LLM qualification in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law you will be required to complete 180 credits worth of study - 120 from taught modules and 60 from the dissertation. It will be possible to complete 60 credits (six modules) to gain a certificate recognising your achievement. On completion of all the modules but in the absence of the dissertation, you will be eligible for a diploma in law. You can also choose to study individual modules to enhance your knowledge in a particular area. All the modules are assessed by an assignment of up to 5000 words.

The dissertation provides you with an excellent opportunity to study an aspect of the law in your chosen area of study which is of particular interest to you. Students often, but not exclusively, select project topics which have a direct bearing on their professional lives. The standard of the work produced is very high indeed and several of our students have graduated with distinction.

Attendance at the biennial residential weekends is highly recommended. The programme of lectures, seminars and workshops at the residential school both stimulates and encourages, as well as providing an invaluable opportunity for debate and discussion with staff, visiting lecturers and fellow students.

Modules

• LAM8010 Migration and asylum law
• LAM8110 Foundations of public international law
• LAM8210 Introduction to international human rights law
• LAM8310 International humanitarian law
• LAM8410 The sociology of human rights violations
• LAM8510 The philosophy of human rights protection
• LAM8610 Mental health and human rights
• LAM8710 Sources of international criminal law
• LAM8810 Institutions of international criminal law
• LAM8910 General principles of international criminal liability and defences
• LAM9010 Definitional elements of substantive international crimes
• LAM9110 Human rights in the information age
• LAM9210 Subsistence and welfare rights
• LAM9310 Environment and human rights
• LAM9410 Environmental aspects of global energy law and policy
• LAM9510 International business, environment and human rights

You are guided through the LLM in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law by a module handbook containing notes, reading lists and self-assessment questions. All the documents on the reading lists are provided either electronically through the University's electronic resources, by direct links to the worldwide web, as digitised documents on Blackboard (the University's on-line learning/teaching facility) or, exceptionally, as hard copy. Core text books are issued on loan with the module handbook and returned with the module assignment. Staff-student interchange is facilitated by coursework materials, telephone contact, email and written responses to coursework submissions.

The weekend residential schools provide the opportunity to meet with tutors, guest lecturers and fellow students and to reinforce students' understanding of the subjects during lectures, discussion sessions and tutorials.