International Relations with Human Rights

International relations examines how and why states, international organisations, and non-state actors interact on the world stage, while human rights brings a normative and legal dimension to that analysis, asking what obligations powerful actors owe to individuals and communities regardless of borders. Combining these two fields produces a degree that is both analytically rigorous and ethically engaged, asking not only how the world works but how it ought to work, and what happens when those two things diverge.

At Leeds Beckett University, this part-time degree in International Relations with Human Rights develops your understanding of the structures and processes that govern international politics alongside a close focus on human rights law, advocacy, and practice. You will explore theories of international relations, the workings of global institutions, the politics of conflict and humanitarian intervention, and the legal frameworks that define and protect human rights. A year abroad is included in the programme, giving you first-hand experience of studying in a different national and institutional context, which deepens both your academic and personal development in ways that classroom study alone cannot replicate.

Graduates from programmes in international relations and human rights are well-suited to careers in a wide range of sectors. International governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations focused on human rights advocacy, refugee and asylum law, journalism, diplomacy, and the civil service are all common destinations. Development agencies, think tanks, and research institutes also recruit strongly from this background.

The analytical and writing skills developed through the degree are valued across the public sector and in roles that require the ability to understand complex political situations and communicate clearly about them. Further study at postgraduate level, including in international law, human rights practice, or conflict resolution, is a natural extension of this undergraduate foundation.