Human Rights Studies in Politics, Law and Society

Politics and society are increasingly being confronted with the demands for a human rights discourse that addresses the rising need for concretisation and compliance to the principles of freedom and equality at the local, national, European, and global level. Properly addressing these needs requires social scientists with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the development of human rights and their codification, social science methodology, legal reasoning, and awareness of the varying regional and cultural frameworks for spelling out the importance of human rights. Thus, the demand for specialists in this field is growing and requires graduates who are equipped with analytical skills and the empirical social research methods necessary for carrying out research in the field of human rights and for disseminating the research findings. The degree programme offers an interdisciplinary and social science-based curriculum that combines sociological, political, and legal studies. Classes examine the historical and current institutionalisation of human rights in the areas of politics, law, and civil society. They provide training in empirical social research and take into account interculturalism, diversity, and the growing relevance of digital communication. In their second year, students can specialise in digital communication and human rights, business and human rights, or migration and human rights.