An unusual new degree program at the Transitional Justice Institute is worth a mention.  The Master’s degree in Gender, Conflict and Human Rights  is taught in the post-conflict setting of Northern Ireland, by a specialized faculty at the Transitional Justice Institute, many of whom are deeply involved in advancing women’s rights issues in post-conflict societies around the world.

The program will be delivered at the Jordanstown campus on a full-time (one year) or part-time (two+ years) basis.  The programme will enable you to develop skills highly relevant to legal practice, and to gender policy, research and advocacy roles. Successful completion may also open up a range of further study and research options. Modules include: Gender and Human Rights; Gender and Transition; Dissertation Research Methods; Foundations in International Human Rights Law or Foundations of Transitional Justice; Policing and Human Rights; Memory, Transition and Conflict; Political Violence, ‘Wars on Terror’ and the Law; International Criminal Justice; Critical Perspectives on Human Rights. Entry Conditions: Applications are invited from graduates in Law (or a related discipline with relevant experience) who have attained or are about to attain a second class honours classification. Further information on acceptable equivalent qualifications is available at www.ulster.ac.uk/prospectus

The Programme 

This programme has been developed to enable students to:

• Gain a systematic understanding, in-depth knowledge and critical awareness of the differential experiences of women and men of human rights norms and institutions, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations;

• Understand foundational concepts in gender theory and their application to human rights, international law and transitional justice;

• Gain knowledge and skills in carrying out research projects from design to write-up;

• Enhance skills in critically appraising published and commissioned research;

• Develop skills highly relevant to legal practice, and to gender policy, research and advocacy roles in the voluntary, public and private sectors in the UK, Ireland and beyond;

Successful completion may also open up a range of further study and research options.

Unique Selling Points

The Transitional Justice Institute in Northern Ireland is uniquely placed to deliver an effective and stimulating programme of study in this area. Key highlights include:

• Opportunity to undertake an LLM programme with a specific focus on gender and transitional justice – the only LLM programme of its type in the UK or Ireland;

• Teaching is delivered by active researchers in the TJI, many of whom have received international recognition for their work;

• Gain unique insights into the differential legal protection of human rights of women and men in transitional contexts, while studying in a society currently in a process of transition;

• Take advantage of the opportunities to specialise in identified areas e.g. human rights, transitional justice, peace and conflict research in divided societies;

• Enhance the skills you need for working with gender and human rights in a range of sectors;

• Internship opportunities with a range of organizations including UNISON, Disability Action (Centre on Human Rights), Human Rights Consortium, Law Centre (NI) and Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM), all based in Belfast;

• LLM Best Dissertation Prize sponsored by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission;

• Extensive events programme (TJI Seminar Series, International Conferences) and distinguished Visiting Scholars programme.

• Excellent library facilities on campus. Students also have sole access to a dedicated LLM computer suite;

• Fully equipped LLM teaching rooms with integrated audio visual and video conferencing facilities;

• Membership of the LLM Alumni Network on completion of the course.