European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation Global Campus of Human Rights

Overview

The  European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation from Global Campus of Human Rights is a one-year advanced master’s course aimed at preparing professionals to respond to the requirements of daily work in international organisations, field operations, governmental and non-governmental bodies, and academia. 

Thefirst semester takes place at the Global Campus of Human Rights premises in Venice from mid-September to the end of January. Students are taught by academics from the 43 EMA participating universities, as well as experts and representatives of IGOs and NGOs. The first semester curriculum consists of a core programme organised in five thematic sections, a series of elective courses and skill-building activities and the field trip to Kosovo. The field trip is a trademark of EMA, as it provides insights into the practical tasks, difficulties, and expectations human rights officers face in the field.

During the EMA second semester students relocate to one of the 43 participating universities to follow courses in an area of specialisation of their own choice and to undertake personal supervised research finalised in the writing of their master‘s thesis. 

Career opportunities 

Having obtained the EMA Diploma, many graduates find job opportunities with human rights organisations (both governmental and non-governmental, international and national), which might put them to work in field missions (electoral observation, human rights monitoring, international cooperation projects) or as officials taking care of the activities carried out at headquarters. In a number of cases, graduates are involved in human rights-related activities by their home Ministries of Foreign Affairs or are seconded by them to work for international institutions. In many cases, access to these institutions starts with an internship period. Some graduates pursue further academic studies and research.

Accreditation

The EMA programme was accredited through the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes in 2025. Led by Ruhr University Bochum, this positive accreditation decision is strong evidence of the high quality of the EMA programme and its basis in inter-university cooperation which has been developed over the course of nearly 30 years of delivering postgraduate human rights education.