Master of Arts in Governance and Human Rights

Curriculum

The Mas­ters Pro­gram­ in Go­ver­nan­ce and Hu­man Rights is a two-year dis­tan­ce learning on­line and part-time on-cam­pus in­ter­na­tio­nal Mas­ters pro­gram­. It is a pro­fes­sio­nal M.A. de­gree taught in Eng­lish, ai­ming at em­power­ing stu­dents and young pro­fes­sio­nals to un­der­stand and re­flect the theo­re­ti­cal mea­ning and prac­tical ap­p­li­ca­ti­on of Go­ver­nan­ce in and through Hu­man Rights. It ad­dres­ses young pro­fes­sio­nals with a uni­ver­si­ty de­gree, first work ex­pe­ri­ence and a pro­ject idea which they seek to rea­li­se.

Project-Based Learning Informed by Theory and Practice

The Mas­ter of Go­ver­nan­ce and Hu­man Rights com­bi­nes theo­ry and prac­tice. In se­ven mo­du­les, the stu­dents will learn to ana­ly­ze and un­der­stand le­gal and po­li­ti­cal theo­ries of go­ver­nan­ce and in­ter­na­tio­nal and re­gio­nal hu­man rights re­gimes and how they are in­ter­re­la­ted.

The stu­dents and scho­lars of the Mas­ter of Go­ver­nan­ce and Hu­man Rights will de­sign, plan, or­ga­ni­ze and rea­li­ze their own pro­ject ad­dres­sing a prac­tical chal­len­ge re­la­ted to good go­ver­nan­ce and hu­man rights. Pro­ject-ba­sed learning is at the core of this pro­gram­. Stu­dents will learn to con­cep­tua­li­ze and cont­ri­bu­te to so­ci­al chan­ge and ac­qui­re the de­sign and com­mu­ni­ca­ti­on skills to ad­apt theo­re­ti­cal ap­proa­ches to go­ver­nan­ce and hu­man rights to their pro­fes­sio­nal working en­vi­ron­ment, e.g. as part of cor­po­ra­te so­ci­al re­s­pon­si­bi­li­ty (CSR) or sustainable de­ve­lop­ment po­li­cies. They will be taught and su­per­vi­sed by out­stan­ding and re­now­ned in­ter­na­tio­nal hu­man rights aca­de­mics, prac­ti­tio­ners and ex­pe­ri­en­ced pro­ject coa­ches.

Modules

• F1 Introduction to Governance and Human Rights (10 credit points)
• F2 Human Rights and Governance: Norms and Principles (10 credit points)
• F3 Contemporary Challenges of Governance and Human Rights Application (5 credit points)
• F4 Human Rights Institutions, Mechanisms and Transitional Justice (10 credit points)
• F5 Research, Communication and Decision-Making Skills (5 credit points)
• F6 Program Design (10 credit points)
• F7 Social Change: Campaigning, Social Media and Communication (10 credit points)
• P Projects in Governance and Human Rights related areas (10 credit points)
• Masters thesis (15 credit points)

Generic Module

• Society and Responsibility (5 credit points)

As graduates of the M.A. Governance and Human Rights, students will:

• possess a comprehensive understanding of Governance principles and the means to critically examine them.
• be acquainted with the variety of Human Rights principles, norms, and standards.
• know how to apply Governance principles in order to promote Human Rights.
• be able to organize the work in for-profit businesses as well as in non-profit and non-governmental organizations, including issues such as funding, project management, etc.
• be prepared for the challenges associated with development aid and state-building.

Who Are Potential Applicants?

This Mas­ters pro­gram­ in Go­ver­nan­ce and Hu­man Rights has been de­ve­l­o­ped for stu­dents and lear­ners with pro­fes­sio­nal ex­pe­ri­ence or an in­te­rest in the area of de­ve­lop­ment, po­li­tics, busi­ness, the non-pro­fit sec­tor or in­ter­na­tio­nal or­ga­ni­za­ti­ons. Ap­p­li­cants have to hold at least a first uni­ver­si­ty de­gree (e.g. Ba­che­lor).