The Doctor of Human Rights (PhD) and Research Methods programme provides supervision in a variety of specialisms within the teaching team. These include national protection of international human rights standards; freedom of expression and law; health and human rights; international law on armed conflict; peacekeeping; international humanitarian law; and the functioning of the United Nations and its international organisations.

      The course explores human rights concepts in relation to public international law and is structured around three main approaches: human rights doctrine; the historical and political development of human rights; and key areas for future implementation. The course aims to develop analytical skills and the ability to identify relevant practices in an evolving context by considering the history of human rights and the institutions responsible for overseeing them. Additionally, it examines fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture, addressing their intersection with contemporary issues such as migration, armed conflict, and climate change. The course also assesses the role of international human rights law in combatting global inequality and its relevance to future legal development.

      Many of our graduates have pursued careers in legal practice, commerce and industry, non-governmental organisations and academia, making notable contributions to the academic environment of our Law School.

      Programme modules/courses

      • Bioethics and applied ethics

      Training and research in bioethics issues and applied ethics problems.

      • Human rights

      Training and research on issues related to human rights, their doctrinal analysis, implementation, and guarantees.

      • Ethics and policy of respect for cultural differences

      Training and research on issues related to coexistence in pluralistic and culturally diverse societies, recognition and respect between individuals and groups.

      • 20th-century philosophies: contributions to philosophical and political thought

      Training and research in the main contributions of 20th-century philosophical and political thought.

      • Political philosophy

      Training and research in political philosophy.

      • Philosophy of the subject and culture

      Training and research on topics related to the philosophies of the subject and culture.

      • Gender, difference, and otherness

      Training and research on issues related to gender, differences, and otherness in the history of philosophical, political, and social thought.

      • Civil society and political institutions

      Training and research on topics related to civil society and political institutions, democratic theory, and the challenges of globalization.

      • The Dissertation Manuscript and Defense

      Dissertation projects are presented by each student in a formal seminar, which is often (although not necessarily) open to the public, followed by a closed question and answer session in which the student defends their thesis to the thesis committee. These two components together comprise the thesis defense.

      Credits | duration

      120 ECTS | 3 years