The University of Essex Human Rights Centre is one of the world’s oldest and most highly-respected environments for the multi-disciplinary study of human rights. Studying human rights at Essex will enable students to become members of one of the world’s largest, most culturally diverse and professionally successful community of human rights students, practitioners and academics.

Essex's interdisciplinary course, MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights, examines the history, theoretical development and implementation of human rights. Beyond the practical problems of human rights lie many unresolved theoretical and philosophical issues. These form the basis of this course, which provides students with a solid grounding in fundamental human rights matters within: law, politics, philosophy, and sociology. Studying this course will enable students to undertake practical or legal work for human rights organizations. Essex's interdisciplinary Human Rights Centre is the UK’s leading centre for the study of the theory and practice of international human rights, and has a worldwide reputation for research, teaching and practice. In February 2010, they were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of their work in advancing human rights across the globe. Graduates of the MA courses within Essex's Human Rights Centre go on to a variety of careers in the governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental sectors, and undertake further research. Recent graduates of the MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights have found employment as: director of investigations for Malawi Human Rights Commission, a human rights officer for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, an experimental learning director for CIEE, a web writer for the British Red Cross, and grants manager for the American Councils for International Education. Other graduates now work for the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Save the Children, Shelter, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists.