Programmes and Research
Discover our Master's and PhD programs in human rights at the University of Stirling, and explore the cutting-edge research conducted that is shaping the future of human rights. At the forefront of innovation and academic excellence, our research initiatives and programmes are designed to challenge, inspire, and equip you with the skills to shape the future.
This is the only Human Rights and Diplomacy Masters course in the world taught in partnership with the leading training body of the United Nations: the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
This is an interdisciplinary course that combines law, philosophy and politics of human rights. Students from politics, philosophy, sociology, including law and other disciplinary backgrounds can apply for either the MSc or the LLM.
Our MSc International Conflict and Cooperation gives you the chance to address a variety of challenges facing states and international organisations today. Interact with policymakers and potential employers on a study trip to Geneva.
Contemporary dilemmas surrounding the politics of climate change negotiations, environmental and resource conflicts, civil war and ethnic tensions, human rights, humanitarian intervention, global security and international political economy provide some of the raw material for this course, which are studied in-depth over the course of the academic year.
Gain the very best conceptual and practical skills in gender analysis and research, all underpinned by feminist and queer theory. Apply now for our Masters in MLitt, MSc Genders and Sexualities.
Human Rights Research and Teaching at Stirling
Human Rights research and teaching is an interdisciplinary endeavour at the University of Stirling. We work across Philosophy, History, Political Sciences, Social Sciences and Law to provide an interdisciplinary lens on human rights research relating to everyday life.
Our staff are engaged in world leading, rigorous, high impact policy-orientated research ranging in issues from children’s rights, disability rights, the rights to housing, food and health, NGO regulation, UN human rights monitoring institutions as well as and human rights and climate justice.
Funded PhD opportunities - Institute for Advanced Studies Studentships
Our Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) Studentships represent a £3.6m investment by the University in doctoral research from 2023-2025. IAS Studentship holders will work in collaborative, interdisciplinary clusters of postgraduate researchers working on complementary doctoral projects.
Interdisciplinary Research Clusters
Human Rights, Democracy, Communication/ Advocacy in the Digital Age
This interdisciplinary research cluster explores how we are entering a new era of social media and digital data regulation that addresses challenges to human rights and democracy, such as hate speech, disinformation, censorship, and privacy concerns. This cluster explores how law and policy can foster a safer online environment, promote human rights-compliant algorithms, and support effective digital activism and public participation.
People on the Move
This interdisciplinary research cluster seeks to study the pressing issues of human mobility examining refugees, migrants and diasporas in perspective. The cluster invites projects that analyse the interactions between displaced peoples and host societies; the various impacts of law and policy on the lived experiences of migrants in specific contexts, and the different outcomes produced by representations and discourses of migration.
