Hello, I am due to apply for a LLM on Human Rights in Essex. I have read about it, but I still have some doubts.

I am thinking three programs, the MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights, LLM International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the LLM International Human Rights Law.

What is your opinion about these three programs? Which is the best one?

Thank you!

The reality is no one can answer this question without knowing what you want to do when you're done and what your background is. These programmes are not interchangeable. They each have a particular focus and each one has both benefits and drawbacks. The MA in TPHR is inter-disciplinary, but you are limited in your course selection to only a few disciplines. You'll get a broader knowledge from the core courses, but you also be limited in how deep you can go into a particular discipline until you're closer to your dissertation.

The two LLMs have different requirements. Both take the same core course, which provides an overview of human rights law issues, actors, and systems, with sessions that cover IHL issues, but the LLM in IHRL / IHL has specific requirements that can make it difficult if you want to take all your classes in issues like business & human rights or economic, social and cultural rights. All of them can be involved in the clinic and most other student activities.

The Essex reputation and the Essex teaching staff are the same quality regardless of the degree you do. The postgraduate programmes are treated like a collective family from a student perspective (not an admin perspective as they fall in different departments).

So, you need to consider what actually interests you. Why are you doing this degree? What do you want to gain from it? What do you feel you're lacking so far? Answer those questions and I think you'll have a better idea.

THANK YOU!