Our PhD Human Rights was established to meet the demands of our students who have an established interest in human rights and wish to pursue doctoral research which goes beyond a single academic discipline but includes a distinct multi and interdisciplinary perspective.
Supervision is available across a broad range of academic interests in human rights and our research is wide-ranging and in-depth. You can search for a supervisor in an area of your choice by using our research finder tool, simply enter your research interests and browse the results for supervision opportunities. Topics include the prohibition against torture, business, freedom of religion, children in armed conflict, methods of democratic assessment, and the relationship between human rights and foreign direct investment. While our primary focus is international and comparative human rights, our research-active staff also encompass human rights and democracy in the UK.
We also offer an MPhil in this subject.
Please note, part-time research study is also available.
- Our senior staff have held – and continue to occupy – key positions in the United Nations human rights and development fields.
- We have conducted numerous cases in Strasbourg, establishing far-reaching precedents that have shaped the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights.
- We were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2009 in recognition of our work in advancing global human rights.
Our expert staff
You will be allocated a supervisor whose role it is to guide you through the different stages of your research degree. In some cases, you may have joint supervision by two members of our staff.
The support provided by your supervisor is a key feature of your research student experience and you will have regular one-to-one meetings to discuss progress on your research. Initially, your supervisor will help you develop your research topic and plan.
Twice a year, you will have a supervisory board meeting, which provides a more formal opportunity to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months.
Specialist facilities
Our Human Rights Centre has almost 50 academic staff members and 30 external fellows, we bring together some 250 scholars and practitioners across disciplines and courses, representing 50 nationalities. We organise and support a range of activities throughout the year and manage research projects on human rights, conflict prevention and promotion of democratic governance. In April 2000, along with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we launched the Torture Reporting Handbook, which has been translated into numerous languages and is used throughout the world.
We are home to the UK member of the UN Human Rights Committee, and a member of the Government’s new Advisory Group on Human Rights. A number of our staff have also held senior positions in intergovernmental organisations and are actively involved in international practice.
Students can join the Human Rights Centre Affiliated Network, there are opportunities to network with like-minded people and it helps facilitate research collaboration. The network also runs events throughout the year.
Your future
Graduates of our Human Rights Centre go on to a variety of careers in the governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental sectors, and undertake further research.
Our graduates now work for the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Save the Children, Shelter, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists.
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
You will need a good honours degree and a Masters degree, or equivalent, in a related subject. A well-developed research proposal is also essential.
You will normally be required to attend an interview/Skype interview for acceptance, and acceptance is subject to research expertise in the department.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
ALBANIA
ALGERIA
ANDORRA
ANGOLA
ANTIGUA AND BARBUADA
ARGENTINA
ARMENIA
ARUBA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
AZERBAIJAN
BAHAMAS
BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH
BARBADOS
BELARUS (BYELORUSSIA)
BELGIUM
BELIZE
BENIN
BERMUDA
BHUTAN
BOLIVIA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
BOTSWANA
BRAZIL
BRUNEI
BULGARIA
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CAMBODIA (KAMPUCHEA, KHMER R)
CAMEROON
CANADA
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP
CHAD
CHILE
CHINA
COLOMBIA
COMOROS
CONGO
CONGO (DEM REB, ZAIRE)
COSTA RICA
CROATIA
CUBA
CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
DJIBOUTI
DOMINICA
DOMINICAN REP
EAST TIMOR
ECUADOR
EGYPT
EL SALVADOR
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
ERITREA
ESTONIA
ETHIOPIA (ABYSSINIA)
FIJI
FINLAND
FRANCE
GABON
GAMBIA
GEORGIA
GERMANY
GHANA
GIBRALTAR
GILBERT ISLANDS (KIRIBATI)
GREECE
GRENADA
GUATEMALA
GUIANA, FRENCH
GUINEA
GUINEA BISSAU
GUYANA
HAITI
HONDURAS
HONG KONG
HUNGARY
ICELAND
INDIA
INDONESIA
IRAN (ISLAMIC REP)
IRAQ
IRELAND, REP
ISRAEL
ITALY
IVORY COAST
JAMAICA
JAPAN
JORDAN
KAZAKHSTAN
KENYA
KOREA SOUTH
KOSOVO
KUWAIT
KYRGYZSTAN (KIRGIZIA)
LAOS
LATVIA
LEBANON
LESOTHO
LIBERIA
LIBYA
LIECHTENSTEIN
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
MACEDONIA. ALSO SKOPJE
MADAGASCAR (MALAGASY REP)
MALAWI
MALAYSIA
MALDIVE ISLANDS
MALI
MALTA
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MAURITANIA
MAURITIUS
MEXICO
MOLDOVA
MONACO
MONGOLIA, OUTER
MONTENEGRO
MONTSERRAT
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
MYANMAR (formerly Burma)
NAMIBIA
NAURU
NEPAL
NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)
NEW ZEALAND
NICARAGUA
NIGER
NIGERIA
NORWAY
OMAN (MUSCAT AND OMAN)
PAKISTAN
PALESTINE
PANAMA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PARAGUAY
PERU
PHILIPPINES
POLAND
PORTUGAL (MADEIRA, AZORES)
QATAR
ROMANIA
RUSSIA
RWANDA
SAMOA (WESTERN)
SAN MARINO
SAUDI ARABIA
SENEGAL
SERBIA
SEYCHELLES
SIERRA LEONE
SINGAPORE
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
SOMALI REPUBLIC
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH GEORGE & STH SANDWICH IS
SOUTH SUDAN
SPAIN
SRI LANKA (CEYLON)
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
ST. LUCIA
ST. VINCENT
SUDAN
SURINAM
SWAZILAND
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
SYRIA
TAIWAN
TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA
THAILAND
TOGO
TONGA
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
TUNISIA
TURKEY
TURKMENISTAN
TUVALU, ALSO ELLICE ISLANDS
UGANDA
UKRAINE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UNITED STATES
URUGUAY
UZBEKISTAN
VANUATU
VENEZUELA
VIETNAM, SOC REP
YEMEN (PDR,ADEN,SOCOTRA)
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 (6.5 in writing, with a minimum of 5.5 remaining components)
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Structure
Course structure
A research degree doesn’t have a taught structure, giving you the chance to investigate your chosen topic in real depth and reach a profound understanding. In communicating that understanding, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY
Assessment
Our PhD includes a number of formal study requirements and, if you have not previously studied human rights at Masters’ level, you will be required to attend the principal core module provided by our Human Rights Centre in order to develop a knowledge and understanding of multi and interdisciplinary perspectives upon the theory and application of human rights.
In addition, you will be expected to participate in our fortnightly meetings of our HRC Doctoral Affiliates’ Network, which comprises research student presentations and career development workshops. Finally, you have to demonstrate that you are progressing satisfactorily through your participation in regular progress meetings. During your second and third years, you continue your work towards your PhD.
Dissertation
Within our Human Rights Centre, your PhD thesis must normally be submitted for examination within four years of first registration. The maximum length for a PhD thesis by research is 80,000 words.
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
£4,786 per year
International fee
£18,750 per year
Fees will increase for each academic year of study.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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