Human Rights Law

Snapshot

Overview

The Human Rights Law programme at Dundee aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding and appreciation of major issues in contemporary human rights law.

In the 2009 Good University Guide Dundee Law School was placed 9th in the United Kingdom law school rankings. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise Dundee Law School was one of only two law schools in the United Kingdom to achieve a 100% international standard classification, with half of our submissions being graded internationally excellent or world leading. Our commitment on is to provide high quality instruction, with a focus on matters of practical relevance, to prepare students for a successful legal career, whether at home or abroad.

Programme Content

The programme is structured around two compulsory taught modules, a Legal Research Skills module and a compulsory Dissertation. The two compulsory taught modules are International Human Rights Law, which introduces students to the law and institutions which exist at international level for the protection and promotion of human rights and examines the protection of a selection of specific rights at both global and regional level, and International & Comparative Human Rights & Civil Liberties, which considers the rule of law and associated concepts as a prelude to looking on a comparative basis at both international and national mechanisms for the protection of human rights and civil liberties.

The compulsory taught modules are supplemented by two optional taught modules. Understanding Human Rights seeks to promote students’ understanding of the concept of human rights by considering its historical development in Western thought and then reflecting on its contemporary black-letter application in the United Kingdom in the light of the work of four major legal and political theorists. Rights in Europe focuses on the two regional legal systems governing and affecting fundamental rights in Europe, namely the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights and their associated institutions. It is open to students to select in place of either or both of the optional taught modules a module from outside the Human Rights cluster (such as Individual Criminal Liability in International Law or Principles of Public International Law). The Dissertation will be of 15,000 words, in a subject directly related to one of the four taught Human Rights modules.

Methods of Assessment

Substantive modules: continuous assessment plus end of semester examinations in December and March/April. Compulsory dissertation: 15,000 words.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have, or expect to receive in the anticipated year of entry, a good honours degree in law, of at least upper second class or equivalent. Exceptionally, non-law graduates with relevant legal experience may be considered.

In order to make the application process as efficient as possible, students applying to The School of Law are asked to ensure all relevant supporting documents are included with the application. These include:

• relevant degree certificates and transcripts of academic results
• two academic references

If your first language is not English, then you need to demonstrate that you have a good command of the English language. Please check our Language Requirements page for full details, including University of Dundee English Language courses.

Sources of Funding

Applicants to this course may apply for Scrymgeour Scholarships. For more information visit the Scrymgeour Scholarships webpage.

Contact

Programme Director	School of Law Secretary
Dr Patrick Ford School of Law University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN Scotland Telephone: 01382 384455 (from the UK) Telephone: +44 1382 38445 (from outside the UK) Fax: 01382 386737 (from the UK) Fax: +44 1382 386737 (from outside the UK) Email: p.z.ford@dundee.ac.uk	Mrs Fiona Clark School of Law University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN Scotland Telephone: 01382 384764 (from the UK) Telephone: +44 1382 384764 (from outside the UK) Fax: 01382 386737 (from the UK) Fax: +44 1382 386737 (from outside the UK) Email: law-pgenq@dundee.ac.uk