Arab Master in Democracy and Human Rights

Interested in boosting your career in the field of Governance?

A unique interdisciplinary program that includes research-oriented courses grounded in theory while developing practical and critical skills. It offers an international environment with lecturers and students from over 15 countries, and it includes a semester in a partner university across the region: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Palestine (for Europeans and Americans).

Curriculum

The programme is organised into four streams providing foundational and specialisation courses in different focus areas:
Human Rights, Democratic Governance, the Arab World and Applied Human Rights.
Courses are themselves structured to provide students with theoretical grounding, practical insights and a critical perspective on the programme’s core themes.

I. Human Rights: Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural

This stream is composed of three foundational courses and four specialisation courses in Human Rights that integrate universal and regional perspectives. Foundational courses provide students with solid basis in International Law, Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law. While specialisation courses allow students to delve into specific issues in Human Rights such as forced migration, gender, criminal prosecution and transitional justice.

• International Law and Human Rights
• Human Rights in Armed Conflict
• International Human Rights law and Protection Mechanisms
• International Criminal Prosecution and Transitional Justice
• Vulnerable Persons and Groups Human Rights
• Refugees, Migration and Mobility Rights
• Gender Policies and Women’s Rights

II. Democratic Governance and the Rule of Law

The second stream explores the contemporary challenges that democracies and democratic consolidation face, using a multidisciplinary perspective: historical, socio-economic, institutional and constitutional. Its six courses delve into these challenges from multiple levels: local, national, regional and global.

• Comparative Constitutional Systems
• Legacy of Colonialism
• Public Policy & Human Rights
• Politics of Globalisation
• Peace and Conflict
• Democratisation and Liberalisation

III. Contemporary dynamics in the Arab World

The third stream provides insights on the region’s social, cultural and political dynamics while exploring concepts and methodologies belonging to different disciplines: Philosophy and Political theory, Geopolitics and International Relations, Political Sociology and Comparative Politics.

• Democracy and Human Rights in the MENA
• Geopolitics of the MENA
• Political Sociology of the Arab World
• Arab Political Thought
• Political Parties and Pressure Groups in the MENA
• Transition Processes in the MENA

IV. Applied Human Rights: Research and Professional Skills

The fourth thematic stream adopts a practical approach to Human Rights. It also aims to develop students' professional skills by providing them with a large set of tools crucial for Human Rights research and action.

• Applied Research in Democracy and Human Rights - Field Research
• Applied Research in Democracy and Human Rights - Project (Design, Implementation and Assessment)
• Legal Anthropology of Human Rights
• Human Rights Laboratories
• Internships

Tracks

The master’s programme is organised into two tracks, depending on the student’s academic background. Both tracks include one semester in a partner university across the Arab region:
Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Jordan or Egypt
They allow you to develop research and practical skills. They include a week-long field trip and offer the possibility of doing internships in leading national and international organisations across the region. Internships are mandatory in the two-year track.

One-Year Track (75 to 90 European Credits)

This track gives direct access to the second year of the programme to students who hold an M1 in social sciences (or the equivalent of 60 European postgraduate credits). Students admitted to this track are required to take all core courses of the second year in addition to specific foundational courses depending on their academic background. They can also choose specialisations courses from the first year of the programme.

Two-Years Track (120 European Credits)

This track offers a full comprehensive human rights programme aimed at providing students with solid theoretical basis, multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, and an informed and critical understanding of the field of human rights and democratic governance. It includes field visits, a field research, regional mobility, and an internship geared at developing the student’s practical and professional skills.

Admission Requirements

Academic requirements

Applicants must have a minimum of 240 ECTS (MA degree, or a BA degree with an additional 60 master-level European credits, or their equivalent). Degrees should be in political science, law, any other social science or specialisation in a relevant discipline.

Applicants completing the degree entry requirements subsequently to the application deadline are requested to provide a current transcript of records. Final admission into the Programme will be conditional upon the receipt of documentation of the completed degree.

Additional studies and experience

Additional studies and practical experience in the area of human rights in inter-governmental, governmental, or non-governmental organisations help consolidate your candidacy.

How to Enrol

In order to apply you need to fill the attached Application Form and Scholarship Form. You will also need to attach to your application:

• A transcript of grades from your last diploma
• A copy of your diploma
• A CV
• A copy of your passport
• A digital photo
• A letter of intent explaining your interest in the programme and your career ambitions
• Two letters of recommendation (with at least an academic one)

Email your application and relevant documents to [email protected].