Is the Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies a law degree?

No. The Advanced Diploma teaches working international human rights law as a research and advocacy practitioner needs it, not the full content of a qualifying law degree. Students wanting to qualify as a solicitor or barrister should follow the SQE or Bar Training Course routes.

Does the Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies include fieldwork?

It includes structured field-research practice — interviewing, documentation, ethics. Where students are already working in the sector, fieldwork can be built around live cases (subject to ethics and security review). Pure-academic students complete simulated fieldwork.

Will the Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies prepare me for UN or INGO work?

It is calibrated to the working standards major international NGOs and UN agencies use, with explicit modules on case documentation, advocacy and programme evaluation. Combined with relevant experience, it is a strong support for INGO and UN-system applications.

Can I take the Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus curriculum with synchronous tutorials, recorded masterclasses and a structured peer-review process. Distance-learning students work to extended deadlines with named tutor support.

Does the Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies cover UK-specific rights work?

Yes. The Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, judicial review and the UK's reporting obligations under the UN treaty body system are all covered alongside the international framework. Many students go on to work in UK-domestic equalities and rights organisations.

Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for advocates, researchers and programme staff who want to ground their day-to-day work in international human rights law and disciplined evidence practice. You will analyse the core UN treaty framework, learn to document a case to the standard a tribunal expects, and design an advocacy strategy aimed at a defined target — a parliament, a regulator, a multilateral body.

The course is taught in dialogue with the working standards of Amnesty International, the International Crisis Group and the UN Association, and assumes that human rights work is a craft as much as a moral position. By the end, you can hold your own in a room with a barrister, a civil servant and a campaign director.

Key Features

International human rights law module — UDHR, ICCPR, ICESCR, the European Convention, the African and Inter-American systems.
Case-documentation laboratory covering witness interviewing, evidence chain-of-custody, exhibit indexing and statement drafting to tribunal standards.
Advocacy strategy workshop — target mapping, theory of change, coalition design, message-testing.
Field-research ethics clinic — informed consent, trauma-aware interviewing, security planning, contributor care.
Industry-led masterclasses from lawyers, researchers and campaigners at major UK and international human rights organisations.
Final case-file portfolio — a documented case study, an advocacy plan, and a public-facing campaign brief.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies is structured around the working practice of a human rights professional — law, evidence, advocacy, evaluation. You graduate able to read a treaty, document a case, build a campaign and explain to a sceptical funder why your theory of change is credible.

International human rights law — the UN system, regional mechanisms, ratification and reporting cycles.
UK domestic incorporation — the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, judicial review basics.
Case documentation — witness interviewing, statement drafting, exhibit handling, chain-of-custody.
Investigation methodology — open-source intelligence, satellite imagery, forensic verification.
Advocacy strategy — target analysis, message development, coalition mapping, parliamentary engagement.
Trauma-aware practice — interview design, secondary trauma management, contributor wellbeing.
Communications and campaign work — public-facing storytelling without compromising case integrity.
Monitoring and evaluation — outcome measurement, theory of change, donor-facing reporting.

Who This Advanced Diploma Is For

Programme officers and case workers at human rights NGOs ready for a structured analytical credential.
Lawyers and paralegals moving into human rights work from general practice.
Journalists and researchers covering rights-related beats who need disciplined documentation skills.
Civil servants and parliamentary staff working on rights legislation, equalities or international development.

Career Pathways

Human rights work spans NGOs, multilateral bodies, the legal profession, government and journalism. The Advanced Diploma in Human Rights Studies supports a step up into specialist research and advocacy roles, or a credible move from an adjacent field. Typical roles include:

Human Rights Researcher (international NGO, think tank)
Peacebuilding Programme Officer (UN agency, international NGO)
International Development Adviser (DFID-successor body, multilateral donor)
Policy Advocate (UK and international campaigning organisation)
Humanitarian Programme Manager (Red Cross movement, INGO)
Parliamentary Researcher (Westminster, devolved legislature)

Graduates progress to a BA top-up in a related field or to an MA in Global Citizenship, International Development or Human Rights Law at LSJHML or a partner university.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in a related subject, OR completion of secondary school plus one year of relevant work experience.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.