Human Rights and the Environment LLM

Lancaster University

The LLM Human Rights and the Environment examines the political, legal and human rights issues that shape and inform environmental protection and regulation. Jointly delivered by the Law School and the Lancaster Environment Centre, it enables you to explore the environmental aspects of the law and the legal regulation of the environment in the context of human rights.

Our Law School is home to the Centre for International Law and Human Rights, the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice. The Lancaster Environment Centre, along with Rothamsted Research and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, is part of the Graduate School for the Environment. These influential centres underpin our postgraduate teaching and you will have access to the expertise of academics researching in the field natural and social sciences, legal and socio-legal issues.

The pathway for the LLM ensures a balanced duality: Law School modules, LEC modules, and a 15,000 word dissertation, enabling you to pursue your own interests whilst becoming practiced at looking at issues from different perspectives.

Your core modules are Perspectives on Environment and Development; Environmental Law or International Environmental Law; the LLM Dissertation; International Human Rights Law; and Research Methods in Law.

You will study a further elective module in Law and one from the Lancaster Environment Centre. We pride ourselves on the breadth of options available and you can focus on the human rights, legal, environmental and sustainability issues that most interest you. Elective modules typically include: Chemical Risk Assessment, Climate Change and Society, Environmental Justice, International Law, Current Issues in European Union Law, and the Law of the United Nastions, Rights of Peoples, and The Right to Adequate Food as a Human Right.

The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will link to a key legal or environmental question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the academic community with new, original research and writing. A dissertation supervisor can provide you with support and introduce you to relevant research; their personal research interests will closely align with your chosen topic wherever possible.

Our teaching approach is international in scope and comparative by nature, and we actively encourage you to build a beneficial network of academics, peers and alumni during your time with us. All of this will help you to broaden your experience, deepen your understanding, and prepare for your next step.

Your postgraduate LLM degree can open doors to a wide range of careers. Whilst on this degree you will have the chance to develop: the skills required to critically evaluate cutting-edge research; inter-disciplinary skills; and, analytical and communications skills. All of which can be a real boost in any sector and highly prized by employers. The LLM is also an ideal stepping stone to PhD study and academia.