Hi

I don't know if anyone can answer all or some of the following question but I would be very grateful for any support/advice that could be given.

I finished my BA in Drama Applied Theatre and education 2 yrs ago and have been working in children's rights in England and abroad ever since. I am currently working in the children's rights department for a local authority. I am interested in further professional development and ultimately would like to work in a human rights field abroad, maybe for a charity.

I have done some research into the international human rights LLM and it seems very interesting but I am wondering if this is the best way to go. Would I get in with my experience/qualifications or would i need to do a conversion course? What kind of jobs do people go on to from this? Would this be of more benefit than just doing a MA in Human Rights?

Also does anyone know what the LLM international Human Rights course in Essex is like?

Sorry for all the questions but I would really appreciate any help given as I am confused as to what I should do.
Thank you

Rose

There was a previous discussion about the relative merits of Essex v. Nottingham: http://www.llm-guide.com/board/38959
Essex also has a child right centre there, but whether you would have access to that as a masters student I don't know. I also know that students are encouraged to undertake placements at Essex which can be important for subsequently findng work, but I don't know whether they provide them or just provide guidance on finding them. I think the Huamn Rights Centre web site does give examples of what you can do with the MA.

Thank you. Have you done the Human Rights LLM? I would be intrested to find out your experience of it and what you have gone on to do.

Rose

No I didn't do my LLM at Essex, though I have studied some human rights law which is useful to know as it seems to have become something you need to know a little about in most areas of law these days. That however is completely different from specialising in human rights at the international level. There may however be other discussions of Essex if you search the site.

An MA or MSc in Human Rights would be feasible in your case given your present qualifications. Normally, those who apply for a place in the LLM programme have a first degree in law, although in extraordinary cases, non-lawyers may be able to read for the LLM degree.

Thank you.

Do you think I should apply for both and see what happens? Or do the Law conversion and then do it? I am not sure I want to be a lawyer but I am really interested in the law aspect and think it would be very helpful in the work I want to do.

You may apply for both. However, the schools will assess your qualifications and the reasons why you want to study human rights. At this point, may I suggest that before you apply, you should enquire with the appropriate graduate admissions office if you meet the qualifications for the LLM programme. From what you have posted, you appear to be qualified for the MSc/MA course. There would be no need for the law conversion course since you have no intention of becoming a lawyer or engaging in the practice of law (that would be the purpose of law conversion). The postgraduate training you envisage should enable you to engage in human rights advocacy in a non-governmental organisation or other human rights institution, and an MSc/MA in Human Rights would be a suitable qualification to work in this field.

It all depends on the perspecive from which the course is intended to be taken. Your experience should suit you well in getting admission into LLM as well, though MA would look a more natural option given your background.

However, the thing has to be viewed from the career objective. If you wish to practice in law relating to International Human Rights, then LLM would be a valuable academic achievement. On the other hand, the course content in an MA would largely revolve around the theory of child rights/ human rights without involving any legal aspect in the whole exercise.

So, the question boils to individual preferences and goals. Of course, if International Human Rights Law is your ultimate goal and an LLM a route to it, it may be worth putting in a couple of years of further experience in the relevant field and to do some connected research work and make some publications before applying for LLM.

Thanks guys you have been really helpful. I will contact the admissions board and do some more hard thinking about what I want to do. Thanks for making it all a bit clearer I feel like the fog is starting to thin a little.

You may want to think about two things:-
1. what are the prerequisites for entry on to the LLM - universities vary on what they require/permit; and
2. what law courses you are allowed to do on the MA course. It could be that you would get enough law in your course that way in any event.
I am sure - assuming the information is not available in the prospectus/on the web site - that emailing the admissions team would clarify the matter.