Double degree program in human rights and law

Because every person matters

Pursue a career in human rights by earning a Bachelor of Arts (including a minor in Human Rights) from Waterloo and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in Human Rights Law from the UK's University of Essex – all in five years.

If you're interested in human rights, a legal education provides specialized knowledge and a particular set of skills that are especially relevant. The multidisciplinary nature of these programs will prepare you to work for non-governmental or community-based organizations (such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch), for an inter-governmental organization such as the United Nations, or for various levels of government.

By studying at the School of Law at Essex, you'll have the opportunity to study abroad and attend a university that has a global reputation as a leader in human rights research, practice, and education.

Program highlights

Two degrees in as little as five years. Graduate with two degrees and a wealth of knowledge and experience, ready to pursue a career in human rights or human rights law.
Specialize in human rights. You'll begin to study human rights right in first year and continue throughout the five years of your degrees.
A global leader. The School of Law at Essex is home to the Human Rights Centre, one of the oldest academic human rights centres in the world.

Earn a Bachelor of Arts with a Human Rights minor from Waterloo.
Earn a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in Human Rights Law from the UK's University of Essex.

What will you learn?

Courses for your degree

During your first year, you'll take two to three courses in your chosen major as well as courses for your Human Rights minor. Throughout your three years at Waterloo, you'll take 16 courses in your chosen major and eight courses for your Human Rights minor.

At Essex, you'll take various courses in the fields of law and human rights.

Learn more about courses you'll take for your degree.

Choose one of 30 majors

At the end of first year, choose one of the 30 majors offered in the Faculty of Arts.

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Ask a Faculty of Arts student about their program, classes, getting involved on campus, and more!

About the Essex Law School

The Essex Law School pushes boundaries and challenges existing laws and policies in the pursuit of justice.

Whether you’re interested in becoming a solicitor, barrister, or advocate for human rights, if the rule of law and justice is something you care about, a career in the legal profession could be for you.

When you study law at Essex, you can choose from a variety of courses and modules which combine in-depth knowledge in law with other areas including finance, politics, human rights, criminology, economics, business, and philosophy, giving you the opportunity to pursue a career in a variety of roles.

As a law student at Essex, you’ll join an exciting and diverse community of students and staff from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. You’ll be taught by expert academics who are prominent scholars in human rights law. Professors actively advise and act on behalf of governments, NGOs, national and regional human rights bodies and international organisations all over the world.

The undergraduate degrees are rigorous, intense, and intellectually stimulating, so you can be confident that whichever path your future leads you down, an Essex law degree will prepare you for it.

Why choose Essex?

Top 50 in the world for law (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, 2023).
3rd in UK for research power in law (Times Higher Education research power measure, 2021)
9th in the UK for law (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, 2023).
You'll gain practical experience with the Essex Law Clinic and Mediation Clinic.

What types of careers will this program prepare me for?

You'll be able to pursue a broad range of careers relating to human rights and law.

Activist
Communications officer
Consultant
Corporate social responsibility officer
Foreign service worker
Human resources officer
Human rights officer

Human rights educator
Immigration officer
International aid worker
International human rights worker
Journalist
Lawyer
Mediator

Paralegal
Policy analyst
Politician
Researcher
UN representative

Potential employers include consulting firms, educational institutions, governments, inter-governmental organizations, law enforcement agencies, law firms, non-profit organizations (local or international), political parties, public opinion researchers, think tanks, and more.

Can I practise law in Canada after completing this program?

The program is designed for students interested in international human rights law who might choose to work for national or international non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations, or various levels of government. It does not, on its own, qualify you to practise law in Canada.

If you graduate from the program and are interested in practising law in Canada, you may apply for accreditation through Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). Currently, if you graduate with a law degree (LLB) from a UK law school such as Essex, you’re generally required to write five NCA exams in order to receive accreditation.

Canadian Administrative Law
Canadian Constitutional Law
Canadian Criminal Law
Canadian Professional Responsibility
Foundations of Canadian Law

Once accredited, you’ll have to complete the articling and bar admission process of the province where you’d like to practise law (except Quebec, which uses a civil law system and has a different process).

Please refer to the NCA website for additional, up-to-date information on the accreditation process.

How does it work?

You'll apply to the Honours Arts program and complete the first three years of your degree (including the minor in Human Rights and, one Arts major) at Waterloo.

In the winter term of your third year, you'll apply to Essex. You'll then complete two years of study at the Essex of Law and graduate with both an Honours BA and an LLB.

To be admitted into the LLB at Essex, you must meet the following criteria.

Complete the first three years of Honours Arts (regular system of study, i.e., non-co-op) in the major of your choice.
Complete Waterloo's minor in Human Rights.
Achieve a minimum overall average of 77% with no fails or incompletes in any courses.
Meet the University of Essex English language entry requirements.

How to apply

There is no separate application to get started with this program. Simply apply to Honours Arts (regular system of study, i.e., not co-op) on your application.