Is the MA Global Citizenship a human rights law degree?

It includes advanced international human rights law as a core module but it is broader — peace and conflict studies, international development and global advocacy strategy sit alongside. Students wanting a pure human rights law degree should look at an LLM in International Human Rights Law; the MA Global Citizenship is interdisciplinary.

Will the MA Global Citizenship help me get UN or INGO work?

It is calibrated to the working standards of major international NGOs, UN agencies and multilateral donors. Combined with relevant experience and (often) a working second language, it is a strong support for INGO, UN-system and senior policy applications.

Does the MA Global Citizenship include fieldwork?

It can. Students whose dissertation needs fieldwork are supported with ethics review, methodological supervision and security planning where required. Several students each year complete dissertation fieldwork remotely with international partner organisations.

Can I take the MA Global Citizenship online?

Yes. The MA can be taken fully online or by distance learning with synchronous tutorials, recorded masterclasses and structured dissertation supervision. Distance learners complete on extended deadlines with named tutor support.

What is the dissertation on the MA Global Citizenship?

An independent 12,000–15,000 word piece of original research. Recent topics have included transitional-justice mechanism design in post-conflict settings, climate-justice framings in UK NGO advocacy, the role of diaspora communities in rights campaigns, and donor-coordination challenges in protracted humanitarian crises.

MA Global Citizenship in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Global Citizenship at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for working professionals and graduates moving into senior roles across human rights, peacebuilding, international development and the wider global-citizenship sector. You will engage with current international human rights law, peace and conflict studies, development theory and practice, and produce a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation on a question of international significance.

The MA Global Citizenship is taught in dialogue with Amnesty International, the International Crisis Group and the UN Association. It treats global citizenship not as an abstract aspiration but as a working professional field with disciplines, methods, ethics and outcomes — and as a credential UN-system, INGO and senior policy employers recognise.

Key Features

UK postgraduate degree — one year full-time or two years part-time, with online and distance routes.
International human rights law module at advanced level — UN treaty system, regional mechanisms, the UK Human Rights Act and judicial review.
Peace and conflict studies strand covering current scholarship on conflict prevention, post-conflict recovery and transitional justice.
International development module — current debates on aid effectiveness, decolonisation of development, climate-and-development integration.
Industry-led masterclasses from senior human rights lawyers, UN-system staff, INGO programme directors and policy advisers.
Dissertation — an independent 12,000–15,000 word piece of original research on a global-citizenship question.

What You Will Learn

The MA Global Citizenship is structured around the working competences of a senior international rights, peace or development professional — legal literacy, programme design, ethical judgment under pressure and the research discipline to contribute to the wider scholarly and practitioner conversation. You graduate able to lead a programme, advise on policy, and conduct original research the field recognises.

Advanced international human rights law — UN treaty system, regional mechanisms, emerging frameworks.
Peace and conflict studies — conflict prevention, post-conflict recovery, transitional justice, peacekeeping critiques.
International development — aid effectiveness, decolonisation debates, climate-and-development integration.
Programme design and evaluation — theory of change, logical frameworks, mixed-methods evaluation.
Advanced advocacy strategy — multi-level campaigns, coalition design, international institutional engagement.
Ethics in international work — informed consent, vulnerability, the politics of representation, do-no-harm.
Research methods — qualitative and quantitative, archival and interview-based, ethics review at international level.
Strategic communication for international work — narrative discipline, donor-facing reporting, advocacy comms.

Who This MA Is For

Working programme officers and policy professionals at human rights, peacebuilding and development organisations.
UK and international civil servants working on rights, conflict, development and equalities portfolios.
Bachelor's graduates in politics, international relations, law or related fields seeking specialist global-citizenship training.
Aspiring doctoral researchers preparing for PhD-track work on international rights, peace or development.

Career Pathways

The MA Global Citizenship opens onto senior roles across UN agencies, international NGOs, government departments, regulators and academic research. Typical post-MA destinations include:

Senior Human Rights Researcher (international NGO, think tank)
Peacebuilding Programme Officer (UN agency, international NGO)
International Development Adviser (multilateral donor, government department, INGO)
Senior Policy Advocate (UK and international campaigning organisation)
Humanitarian Programme Manager (Red Cross movement, INGO)
Doctoral Researcher (international relations, peace studies, development studies)

The MA serves as preparation for doctoral research, for senior leadership roles in international rights and development organisations, and for applied research in policy bodies.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant professional experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your motivation, relevant experience and intended specialism.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant industry experience and a written sample.

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.