EMA, The European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Italy
Deadline for non-EU and scholarship applicants: 14 February 2022
EMA in a nutshell
The European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA) is a one-year, full-time course that provides a practice and policy-oriented approach to learning that combines legal, political, historical, anthropological, and philosophical perspectives of human rights and democratisation with skill-building activities and a field trip exercise.
Students are taught by leading academics representing EMA participating universities, experts and representatives of international organisations and NGOs, while studying in a multicultural environment.
The curriculum prepares participants for working in national, international, governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as research institutions dealing with human rights and democratisation.
Key Facts
| Start date | Mid-September |
|---|---|
| Application deadlines | Deadline for non-EU and scholarship applicants: 14 February 2022 Deadline for EU and self-funded applicants: 19 April 2022 |
| Duration | 12 months full-time |
| Tuition fee | €5500,00 (plus enrolment fee of €150,00) |
| Minimum entry requirement | University degree (minimum 180 ECTS credits) |
| English language requirements | Certified fluency in English |
| Location | 1st Semester (Sept.-Jan.): Global Campus of Human Rights Headquarters in Venice 2nd Semester (Feb.-Jul.): one of the 42 participating universities in Europe |
Entry requirements
EMA is open to a maximum of 90 candidates from EU and non-EU countries.
Candidates must meet the following entry requirements:
- Hold a university degree of a high standard in a field relevant to human rights, including disciplines in Law, Social Sciences and Humanities, and must have a minimum of 180 ECTS (Bachelor/General Degree).
- Have certified knowledge of English at least at level B2. Accepted certificates are IELTS (min. score 6), TOEFL (min. 80 for the IBT) and Cambridge exams (min. score 160-179), obtained no more than 3 years before the start of the programme.
Applicants completing the degree entry requirements subsequently to the application deadline are requested to provide a current transcript of exams. Eventual admission into the programme is conditional upon receipt of documentation of the completed degree (by 31 August).
Applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria:
- Academic ability and background (i.e. university final grade, relevance of the degree and thesis subject);
- Relevant additional academic work, courses or publications
- Relevant practical experience
- Motivation
Programme Structure
The first semester takes place at the Global Campus of Human Rights premises in Venice from mid-September to the end of January. Students are taught by academics from the 42 EMA participating universities, as well as experts and representatives of IGOs and NGOs. The first semester curriculum consists of a core programme organised in five thematic sections, a series of elective courses and skill-building activities and the field trip to Kosovo.
The core programme covers the following topics: Human Rights Institutions, Mechanisms and Standards; Globalisation, Development and Human Rights; Human Rights in Context: Historical, Philosophical, Anthropological and Religious Perspectives; Building and Protecting Democracy; Human Rights, Peace and Security.
Elective courses and skill-building activities are offered on issues such as New Technologies and Human Rights, Transitional Justice, Gender Relations and Human Rights, Children Rights, Bioethics, Digital Verification, Human Rights Impact Assessment and Project Management. In addition, students have the choice between semester-long courses in International Law, International Relations or Philosophy of Human Rights. Simulation exercises are also a central part of the EMA curriculum and the resident academic staff offers research and academic skills classes and workshops.
Fees and Funding
The tuition fee for the academic year 2021/2022 is €5500 (plus enrolment fee of €150). Tuition fees cover the following: all courses of the European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation, both in the first and second semester; reading materials for the first semester; lunch (on class and exam days); tutoring, access to a specialised library; individual access to our closed e-learning environment; use of available IT facilities, and the field trip.
The tuition fee does not cover accommodation and subsistence, travel costs to and from partner universities and visa expenses.
Successful applicants will receive a letter of admission and will be requested to pay the fees upon acceptance of the offer. Payments can be made via bank transfer in one of the following ways:
- full amount within 3 weeks from the date of the letter of admission
- two instalments: the first within 3 weeks from the date of the letter of admission and the second at a specified later date, typically early or mid-July
All applicants are requested to pay an application processing fee of €50 before submitting their application.
A small number of scholarships is available for qualified candidates. Scholarships include a tuition waiver and a modest stipend.