Law - Human Rights Law & Transitional Justice

The LLM course based at the Transitional Justice Institute and School of Law, with staff expertise across a range of areas offers an LLM degree which is designed to give students a unique lens on the study of human rights in the contemporary international moment. The programme has been structured to ensure that students obtain a strong academic grounding in both international and domestic human rights law and the issues pertaining to transitional justice. The theme of the programme is 'from local to global and back', exploring the symbiotic relationship between international and municipal human rights law. The programme addresses the various mechanisms by which the rights agenda can be, and has been, advanced at international, regional and municipal levels, and the manner in which knowledge, expertise and experience between these levels has been and continues to be transferred. The programme addresses global challenges like migration and climate change in different modules while overall the programme embodies research and study essential to several Sustainable Development Goals including SDG16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions), SDG10 (reduced inequalities), SDG5 (Gender equality).



Attendance is compulsory for successful completion of the LLM. Modules are delivered through weekly classes. Each module on average involves 3 hours of contact time per week with total effort hours over the semester of 200 per module (36 hours contact, 164 hours independent study).

Year 1

Semester 1 - Compulsory modules

LAW821 Foundations of International Human Rights Law

LAW805 Foundations of Transitional Justice



Semester 1 - Optional modules

LAW810 Economic Social and Cultural Rights

LAW838 Gender and Human Rights



Year 1

Semester 2 - Compulsory modules

LAW817 Research and Advocacy Methods

LAW778Public International Law and Contemporary Global Challenges





Semester 2 - Optional modules

LAW777 International Migration Law

LAW811 Equality Law



Year 1

Semester 3 - Compulsory modules

LAW827 Dissertation

A second class Honours degree or above or equivalent recognised qualification in Law, Social Sciences, Humanities or a cognate discipline. Allowance may be made for special qualifications, experience and background, and students with other academic backgrounds will be considered, where applicants can demonstrate their ability to undertake the programme through the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) or accreditation of prior learning (APL).



English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.



Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

The LLM Human Rights Law is offered on a full-time and part-time basis.

The LLM is 3 semesters full-time or 6 semesters part-time.

Start dates:

September 2025

January 2026

Career options

Previous graduates have gone onto positions in the local human rights sector and public sector in Northern Ireland, research and policy officer positions, to legal practice in areas related to the LLM and to PhD research. Further, previous graduates have secured work in the United Nations and in international non-governmental organisations.