"My MA in Human Rights gave me newfound confidence to speak up and contribute"

The MA Human Rights is designed and led by scholars at the world-renowned Human Rights Consortium of the Institute for Commonwealth Studies, part of the School of Advanced Study. 

The practice-based degree develops the vocational skills that are vital for human rights practitioners, and it can also be studied as a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate. Philippa was able to study alongside her career in a human rights organisation, giving her the solid academic footing she needed to succeed.

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Choosing a master’s 

I initially chose this degree because I was living in America at the time. The fact that I was able to study this remotely was a huge bonus to me, and I really wanted to understand more about the industry that I had found myself working in via a pretty unusual route. 

I was working for a human rights international organisation, but I didn't really have the same foundational knowledge as everybody else. I knew a lot more than I thought I knew, but I didn't have that vocabulary and the academic grounding to be able to express it.

It really gave me a newfound confidence to speak up during meetings and contribute to research and strategy conversations. 

Career aspirations 

I'm currently working for OHCHR, which is UN Human Rights. I'm also hoping to set up an individual consultancy where I can help smaller NGOs with their media and human rights advocacy. 

I would like to combine my skills as a journalist and my skills that I've learned throughout this MA in order to help people get the airspace that their work deserves.

Advice to prospective students 

Don't be afraid to reach out to the professors. I think the fact that a lot of people do things online means they can feel quite isolated from the academic staff. They are just at the other end of the email or in the instant messaging. 

And also – really, really engage with your fellow students. One of the things I found was that there were students from all over the world who had all different kinds of expertise. So don't let the fact that it's largely remote stand in the way of those communications and those relationships. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone working full time or trying to balance advanced studies with other responsibilities. The flexibility meant that it was perfect for me throughout every stage of the degree.

I moved continents, I moved jobs, I moved house, and I was able to fit studying in with all of that, which I don't think other universities really offer in the same way. 

It's kind of surreal to graduate, to be honest. I had a big break between my undergraduate degree and this degree, and so I didn't think I'd ever go to another graduation ceremony.

It does show that you can do it whenever, and so that's a really great thing to reflect on today.

Find out more about MA Human Rights at the University of London.