Where to do Masters in Human Rights

[brownpride]

I'm graduating this coming year from a Canadian public university with a BA in International Relations & Political Science. I'd like to study for a Masters in the field of human rights, as ultimately I'd like to work in that area.

I'm currently looking at 3 schools:

1. Columbia - MA in Human Rights Studies

2. London School of Economics - MSc in Human Rights

3. Cambridge - MPhil in International Relations (where I would focus my study in human rights)

As some background, I'm applying to law schools this coming year as well and my goal is to complete a Masters program for one year to give me some strong background in the field before entering law, as I'd ultimately like to work in human rights law. Down the road I'd like to earn a PhD, so I do want a program that's helpful in that regard as well. I have few questions that I'm really confused about though:

1. Does the degree designation (MA, MSc, MPhil) matter in the long run (both when applying for PhD programs and for employment in this field)?

2.. Is there a difference/advantage/disadvantage between earning a Masters in International Relations and just taking courses/doing my thesis on human rights within that program and doing a program specifically focused on human rights?

3. Columbia's program about $36,000; LSE's is about $25,000, Cambridge's is about $16,000. Is the extra money I'd pay for Columbia worth it, for the excellent reputation it has in human rights?

4. Is it even worth going to one of these top schools for my Masters degree? After my bachelors I promised myself that the next time I would choose a program that's top in my field as my current school was quite deficient, but the money is a huge thing, especially as law school will put an immense debt burden on me. As an alternative I'm looking at an MA (Political Science) at my undergrad institution or a Masters of Strategic Studies (focusing on human rights), both of which are two year programs which I'd work hard to finish in a year but would leave me with no debt.

I want to work internationally, and have high ambitions, so I do want to get the best education in the field that I can. My GPA is 4.0, so I'm not worries about admissions for any of these programs. But alas, money....

Thoughts?

Edited June 30, 2011 by brownpride

[Zahar Berkut]

Just the name "master's in human rights" raises an eyebrow for me. Even if it comes from a prestigious university, it's not clear who would view this as a qualification-- I can only hope a law school would look favorably on it. A degree in international relations with a focus on human rights will be a lot more flexible and earn respect from a much wider community.

But please, if other forum-goer's have first-hand knowledge of such a degree, do correct me.

[kaykaykay]

I hope someone will answer the substantive questions. But as I see it you narrowed down your choices to 3 or 4 , why not apply to all and see how it goes? While getting into a master's program is easier than a PhD partly because it is expensive, you may want to apply more than one place. You could evaluate your options when you get your offers.

[Helix]

I'm graduating this coming year from a Canadian public university with a BA in International Relations & Political Science. I'd like to study for a Masters in the field of human rights, as ultimately I'd like to work in that area.

I'm currently looking at 3 schools:

1. Columbia - MA in Human Rights Studies

2. London School of Economics - MSc in Human Rights

3. Cambridge - MPhil in International Relations (where I would focus my study in human rights)

As some background, I'm applying to law schools this coming year as well and my goal is to complete a Masters program for one year to give me some strong background in the field before entering law, as I'd ultimately like to work in human rights law. Down the road I'd like to earn a PhD, so I do want a program that's helpful in that regard as well. I have few questions that I'm really confused about though:

1. Does the degree designation (MA, MSc, MPhil) matter in the long run (both when applying for PhD programs and for employment in this field)?

2.. Is there a difference/advantage/disadvantage between earning a Masters in International Relations and just taking courses/doing my thesis on human rights within that program and doing a program specifically focused on human rights?

3. Columbia's program about $36,000; LSE's is about $25,000, Cambridge's is about $16,000. Is the extra money I'd pay for Columbia worth it, for the excellent reputation it has in human rights?

4. Is it even worth going to one of these top schools for my Masters degree? After my bachelors I promised myself that the next time I would choose a program that's top in my field as my current school was quite deficient, but the money is a huge thing, especially as law school will put an immense debt burden on me. As an alternative I'm looking at an MA (Political Science) at my undergrad institution or a Masters of Strategic Studies (focusing on human rights), both of which are two year programs which I'd work hard to finish in a year but would leave me with no debt.

I want to work internationally, and have high ambitions, so I do want to get the best education in the field that I can. My GPA is 4.0, so I'm not worries about admissions for any of these programs. But alas, money....

Thoughts?

Ok so to tackle the substantive questions here:

(1) The degree designation *might* matter, depending on what you want to get your PhD in and how you sell your master's. If you want to do a PhD in public policy, for example, you would be significantly better off pursuing an MIA or MPA at SIPA than you would getting the Master's in Human Rights Studies in the general studies program at Columbia. One reason is that some PhD programs in policy fields (e.g. SAIS) want you to have the equivalent of their professional master's in order to apply. A second reason, which applies to really any PhD program you might want to apply for, is the possibility to make contacts that would be great recommenders to catapult you into a great program. I'm not familiar with your undergrad situation so I can't comment on how it would be viewed, but let's just say that your situation could only be improved by getting a stellar letter of rec from a well-known prof at a great school like Columbia or possibly even at LSE, in a reputable field. The last part is the kicker as the above posters noted--"human rights" is not generally considered reputable as a field academically (although if you want to work for UNDP or in a professional/policy setting you should be a-ok), but political science or sociology or history professors who teach on human rights related topics are another matter. Another point, though smaller, is that you degree should be something that you can market in a variety of contexts. For example, what would happen if you didn't get into law school or decided you didn't want to go? Would the MA in Human Rights Studies propel you down a path you want to go regardless? If not, I would say don't do it. As someone with a professional master's, I promise that you'll only feel it's worth it if there's added value to the degree above and beyond what you could be doing by getting a year of work experience or getting a certificate.

(2) Largely, see #1. A couple other points on this matter specifically though:

--It depends, like I said, on what you want to do. If you want to work for a think tank instead of Big Law, there's value to having a degree from a known entity (SAIS, Gtown, HKS, SIPA) beyond just your academics--employers will recognize the degree, recruit at the school, etc etc. And you can always market your specialty in human rights and concrete interests, and parlay those into a career you're happy with.

--Related to the other point I was making about your degree needing to apply in a variety of contexts: think about your long game in addition to the short one. What might you want to be doing when you're 50 years old? Is it absolutely human rights? Or could it be something a little more nuanced that intersects with human rights, but for which there would be value in knowing other things and having concrete skills? Not to beat up on the MPhil or MA options, but a professional master's at least certifies that you have any understanding of metrics and evaluation techniques, etc., that are really indispensable in a human rights career and go above and beyond knowing what the UDHR says and how to interpret it legally.

(3) This depends on your endgame. If you want to be doing a PhD/working in the nonprofit field/doing other things that aren't well known for their compensation packages, you should really think hard about your strategy for affording this and strongly consider the cost/benefit. Not just because debt is scary but because it can very literally limit your options and ability to do what you want in the immediate term (a friend of mine finished an MPP and a JD with aspirations of pursuing a nonprofit work but was so heavily in debt she had to take a big law job to pay the bills--it's not uncommon). I assume it's this concern that leads you to the 1-year programs in some part. Another option you should strongly consider if you want to go the law route for sure is targeting law schools with strong human rights programs and clinics (some even offer certificates and designated emphases that fulfill the kind of professional role I think you want the MA to). Law school is expensive anyway, but 3 years is plenty of time to invest in some great complementary education in human rights.

I respect your desire to get the best education you can with the best name you can--and it's definitely not a bad idea, particularly if you're setting your sights on working in an international context where name recognition can be particularly helpful. But the most helpful thing I think would be to lay out exactly what your ideal game plan is: if everything went your way, what kind of career would you want? Where do you want to be 10, 20, 30, 50 years down the road? Once you think through these in vague terms, I'd suggest going through to google the kinds of organizations you want to work for, find the people you want to be, and see what they did. Do they have a law degree or a master's? Check out the hiring guidelines at the organization--is a PhD necessary? Do they recruit at particular schools? Are 99% of their employees alums of the University of Kansas? LinkedIn is super helpful with this actually. The point is, when you have a lay of the land you'll be able to better evaluate how worth it $40k for a one-year master's is vs. 3 years in law school vs. a PhD for your career.

[vavalooey]

Ok so to tackle the substantive questions here:

(1) The degree designation *might* matter, depending on what you want to get your PhD in and how you sell your master's. If you want to do a PhD in public policy, for example, you would be significantly better off pursuing an MIA or MPA at SIPA than you would getting the Master's in Human Rights Studies in the general studies program at Columbia. One reason is that some PhD programs in policy fields (e.g. SAIS) want you to have the equivalent of their professional master's in order to apply. A second reason, which applies to really any PhD program you might want to apply for, is the possibility to make contacts that would be great recommenders to catapult you into a great program. I'm not familiar with your undergrad situation so I can't comment on how it would be viewed, but let's just say that your situation could only be improved by getting a stellar letter of rec from a well-known prof at a great school like Columbia or possibly even at LSE, in a reputable field. The last part is the kicker as the above posters noted--"human rights" is not generally considered reputable as a field academically (although if you want to work for UNDP or in a professional/policy setting you should be a-ok), but political science or sociology or history professors who teach on human rights related topics are another matter. Another point, though smaller, is that you degree should be something that you can market in a variety of contexts. For example, what would happen if you didn't get into law school or decided you didn't want to go? Would the MA in Human Rights Studies propel you down a path you want to go regardless? If not, I would say don't do it. As someone with a professional master's, I promise that you'll only feel it's worth it if there's added value to the degree above and beyond what you could be doing by getting a year of work experience or getting a certificate.

(2) Largely, see #1. A couple other points on this matter specifically though:

--It depends, like I said, on what you want to do. If you want to work for a think tank instead of Big Law, there's value to having a degree from a known entity (SAIS, Gtown, HKS, SIPA) beyond just your academics--employers will recognize the degree, recruit at the school, etc etc. And you can always market your specialty in human rights and concrete interests, and parlay those into a career you're happy with.

--Related to the other point I was making about your degree needing to apply in a variety of contexts: think about your long game in addition to the short one. What might you want to be doing when you're 50 years old? Is it absolutely human rights? Or could it be something a little more nuanced that intersects with human rights, but for which there would be value in knowing other things and having concrete skills? Not to beat up on the MPhil or MA options, but a professional master's at least certifies that you have any understanding of metrics and evaluation techniques, etc., that are really indispensable in a human rights career and go above and beyond knowing what the UDHR says and how to interpret it legally.

(3) This depends on your endgame. If you want to be doing a PhD/working in the nonprofit field/doing other things that aren't well known for their compensation packages, you should really think hard about your strategy for affording this and strongly consider the cost/benefit. Not just because debt is scary but because it can very literally limit your options and ability to do what you want in the immediate term (a friend of mine finished an MPP and a JD with aspirations of pursuing a nonprofit work but was so heavily in debt she had to take a big law job to pay the bills--it's not uncommon). I assume it's this concern that leads you to the 1-year programs in some part. Another option you should strongly consider if you want to go the law route for sure is targeting law schools with strong human rights programs and clinics (some even offer certificates and designated emphases that fulfill the kind of professional role I think you want the MA to). Law school is expensive anyway, but 3 years is plenty of time to invest in some great complementary education in human rights.

I respect your desire to get the best education you can with the best name you can--and it's definitely not a bad idea, particularly if you're setting your sights on working in an international context where name recognition can be particularly helpful. But the most helpful thing I think would be to lay out exactly what your ideal game plan is: if everything went your way, what kind of career would you want? Where do you want to be 10, 20, 30, 50 years down the road? Once you think through these in vague terms, I'd suggest going through to google the kinds of organizations you want to work for, find the people you want to be, and see what they did. Do they have a law degree or a master's? Check out the hiring guidelines at the organization--is a PhD necessary? Do they recruit at particular schools? Are 99% of their employees alums of the University of Kansas? LinkedIn is super helpful with this actually. The point is, when you have a lay of the land you'll be able to better evaluate how worth it $40k for a one-year master's is vs. 3 years in law school vs. a PhD for your career.

Hi Helix

 

great insights. I actually got into the Columbia Human Rights program (not SIPA) and King's College London's Conflict Security and Development program. I am still waiting to hear from JHU's SAIS program in Bologna. 

 

Any thoughts? Columbia is a brand name, but from what you've mentioned above that's not a sure thing by any means. I feel KCL could be more competitive employment wise, but since it's a taught program it could be a lot like undergrad with not a lot of focus towards networking/building a career for post-grad. it could just be attend classes and write your thesis and you get your diploma.

 

i really want to do a program that will make me competitive for employment. i feel if i get into SAIS i might accept it because it's a "professional masters". any thoughts?

[victorydance]

You have to ask yourself what is the masters going to give you that is worth the huge expenses that will ensue? 

 

I would look at the nuts and bolts of these programs. Learning a bunch of information for thousands of dollars seems like a waste. A quick look at the requirements of the Columbia program shows that the only real 'methods' or research type class you need to take is a colloquium related to the thesis. Is taking a few classes and writing a thesis really worth 50K+ to you? If you are interested in this topic, you can just read and research human rights independently during law school.

 

I am slightly confused at your ambitions. You want an MA, but then you want to go to law school, but maybe want to get a Ph.D.? You want to work internationally in international law? Be careful, you need to pick the path you are most interested in. And also, international law is the least employable (some would even say there are no jobs at all) of all law fields. Burdening yourself with thousands of dollars of debt and then trying to beat the odds is probably not the best course of action.

 

I agree with the other person in that you need to set out your path, then figure out what you need to do to get there. 

[HumanRights4all]

Not 100% sure if that is helpful for you because it seems you have already chosen 3 programs. But in case you are unsure about what human rights programs are out there: On our website www.uhrsn.org we have collected almost 100 Human Rights Programs. Could be useful for further investigation.

Edited September 28, 2014 by HumanRights4all

[mattecon]

If you want to go to law school and do a PhD, don't waste your time or money with a Masters degree because 1) you''re going to earn one doing your PhD; 2) your going to realize three separate degree programs is easier said, and seldom ever done; and 3) Columbia Master's in Human Rights is a cash cow.  You're better off doing a professional program (development, ia, etc) and focusing on human rights, in my opinion! 

[LLM Human Rights]

I know this post is long overdue but I also know that someone in the same situation will stumble upon it. so am just posting for a better advice than above.

for one many people seem to think that a masters in human rights is not worth anything but you are really wrong. It is a very noble degree for those who are passionate about Human Rights. My advice would be to study this program in a law context for example LLM In Human Rights  very widely offered in the UK universities not offered anywhere in Canada, and USA has MA in Human Rights at Columbia, Arizona State University, and University of New Hampshire. I personally like the University of Kent because you can take an extended version of any of their graduate programs, which allows for a tailor made degree and also a Masters and a Graduate Dip at the same time.

 I applied to the LLM In Human Rights Extended version so I will be graduating with a Masters in Human Rights Law, and a Graduate diploma in International Migration. for those of us who choose to study in this area we know exactly where we want to work so when we get advices about how hard it will be to get employment with the degree, we know it is because not many who get into their programs have a clear vision of what they want out of their degrees. so for anyone who is doubting or losing home about pursuing a masters, in human rights I would say worry not, get on-line and do your research. PS I want to do a PhD in Law and I know I will get in anywhere I apply after I graduate.