LLB

Human Rights

LLB Human Rights Code M990 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

M990

  • UCAS Tariff

    128 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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The rule of law is fundamental to a fair and civil society and studying Law or a particular aspect of Law can give you the power to make a difference. Our LLB Human Rights degree at Aberystwyth University is delivered by our Department of Law & Criminology which has a long history of offering Law degrees. Some of the most distinguished lawyers, politicians and academics in Wales, the UK and further afield have studied here. By choosing our LLB Human Rights degree you will be able to focus on issues pertaining to the protection of human rights, and the effectiveness of international human rights mechanisms. You will also explore how Human Rights often transcend national boundaries and may sometimes conflict with individual States' notions of what should be protected as a right. This degree can be both rewarding and challenging, and if you want to make a difference in the world, a degree in Human Rights can lead to a fulfilling career.

Course Overview

This twenty-first century LLB Human Rights degree encompasses a range of traditional and contemporary legal subjects and will deliver the skills and competences that will make you ‘career ready’ and enhance your employability in a legal context. 

LLB Human Rights is a practical law degree designed to meet employer needs and taught by experienced legal professionals and academics who are active for large organisations such as GRETA, the Youth Justice Board, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

All our LLB degrees provide a foundation for those intending to qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. 

You will be able to take advantage of excellent social and professional opportunities such as visits to Law Fairs and Inns of Court in London. 

LLB Human Rights offers a number of options, including the opportunity to do a work placement module in different areas of law, to study abroad in the second year at one of our many partner universities in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia 

You will have the opportunity to enhance your studies by participating in our national and international competing Mooting Society to develop your key advocacy and litigation skills. We also offer a Welsh medium Mooting competition for students who wish to moot through the medium of Welsh. 

Our Staff

Department of Law and Criminology lecturers are mostly either qualified to PHD level or have professional experience and qualifications as practicing lawyers. Many staff also have a PGCE (Higher Education).

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Contract Law LC13820 20
Criminal Law * LC10520 20
Legal Skills and Research * LC10420 20
Legal and Criminal Justice Systems * LC10120 20
Tort LC11120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Introduction to Criminology * LC12220 20
Law in Action LC13220 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
European Law LC20720 20
Public Law LC20620 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Climate Change and Environmental Law LC27720 20
Commercial Law LC26220 20
Community Justice LC20320 20
Company Law LC27220 20
Contemporary Issues in Criminology LC24220 20
Drugs and Crime LC28220 20
Employment Law LC26820 20
Equity and Trusts LC24920 20
Family and Child Law LC26420 20
Human Rights LC25220 20
Intellectual Property Law LC28620 20
International Law LC26920 20
Introduction to Criminology LC22220 20
Land Law LC24820 20
Medicine Ethics and the Law LC26720 20
Police, Policing and Society LC21020 20
Psychological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour LC28120 20
Psychopathology LC29220 20
Technology, Artificial Intelligence and the Law LC22420 20
Victimology LC20820 20
Youth Crime and Justice LC26120 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

LLB Human Rights from Aberystwyth will make you a strong candidate for training to become a barrister or a solicitor, if that is the path you choose. It will also give you an excellent springboard into a wide range of other career areas. The LLB Human Rights degree will open up national and international career opportunities in both the legal and rights-related professions. You will gain the skills to enter roles within NGOs, charities and other civil society bodies. Recent graduates work in the areas of human rights advocacy, immigration rights and equality protection. 

Your future is important to us and our degrees will equip you with the following: 

  • the confidence to select and deploy the most appropriate range of legal methodologies 
  • the ability to write and communicate with a range of audiences, evaluating and organising information 
  • the ability to gather, assimilate and interpret a wealth of legal information quickly and accurately 
  • the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form 
  • effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills 
  • the ability to work independently 
  • time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines 
  • self-motivation and self-reliance 
  • team-working skills, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement 
  • research skills. 

Career development opportunities while you study 

Discover more about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers Service offers. 

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

On this themed degree, the first year of study will be the same as for the M100 LLB Law degree and the second and final year will focus more specifically on law relating to Human Rights. 

During your first year you will receive core training in a number of standard legal subjects. 

You will learn about the general requirements for a valid legal contract, look at procedural unfairness and the parties to the contract, and study different aspects of the terms of the contract. 

You will have the opportunity to understand and examine critically the evidence, concepts, debates, and controversies associated with the study of criminal law. 

You will learn about legal skills and research and receive a thorough grounding in the skills needed to undertake the study of law, including critical analysis, reading legislation, sources of law, using legal databases, legal reasoning, writing legal essays and papers. 

You will study the legal system components that are fundamental to a qualifying law degree and gain an overview of the criminal justice system. You will also examine the relationship and interaction of the two systems. 

You will examine the basic principles of tort, which is the right of individuals to seek private legal remedies for wrongs they have suffered at the hands of others, either deliberately or through carelessness. 

You will explore key theoretical perspectives that help to explain crime and social disorder in society. We introduce you to criminological perspectives within their social and political context.  

You will receive a comprehensive and interactive overview of how law actually functions in society, by addressing its application in contemporary issues and events.  

In your second and final year you will study a small number of core legal topics and will tailor your studies through careful selection from a range of elective modules. 

 This is a themed degree and you will be directed by the Department towards modules that are related to the theme of the scheme. The Dissertation would also be related to the particular themes of the scheme. 

How will I be taught? 

You will be taught through a combination of innovative and high-quality lectures, tutorials and seminars. 

Our lectures will introduce you to key concepts and relevant up-to-date information. You will also have access to recorded versions of lectures. 

Our tutorials and seminars are an opportunity for you to discuss specific legal themes or topics, and to evaluate and obtain feedback on your individual learning while at the same time improving your construction of legal arguments. 

How will I be assessed? 

You will be assessed through essays, exams, study logs or portfolios and oral presentations including mooting exercises. 

A personal tutor will be assigned to you for the duration of your degree course. Your personal tutor will be your key contact if you have any issues or queries. 

Student Testimonials

If you have a passion for human rights and want to obtain a qualifying law degree then the Human Rights (M990) is certainly the degree to do. Although one could study the so-called 'straight law degree' and do human rights modules, I can honestly say it is not the same as studying the themed degree that is automatically tailored to one with a passion for human rights such as myself. For someone who wants to pursue a career in the future in the human rights field, I feel having a specialised degree will be a very good starting point out in the real world, as one is given a real insight into not only the theoretical support and critique of human rights but also the effectiveness of its enforcement both at a domestic and international level. I certainly do not regret having chosen M990. Benjamin Cartwright

M990 Human Rights is an exciting and thought-provoking course to take. Not only do you learn the same principles of law as M100 students do, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that your course is tailored directly to your interest in Human Rights. Everything is planned out for you but you can still choose different modules that interest you. The level of careful planning even ensured that my personal tutor was one of the Human Rights lecturers in the department. It is a fantastic course with some of the most qualified Human Rights lecturers in Britain. Rebecca Sian Davies

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 128 - 104

A Levels ABB-BCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-28

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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