Most students take the MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights with a view to becoming human rights professionals and activists. Some choose to go on to do further academic study, including several MA alumni who are PhD candidates  associated with the Human Rights Consortium.

The MA was originally developed with staff at Amnesty International to focus on key skills for professional work in the field of human rights.  Graduates can obtain valuable skills sought by employers including in fundraising, advocacy, legal analysis, research methods, policy analysis, media and human rights reporting.

Former students have secured paid employment with leading human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, Human Rights Watch, Minority Rights Group International; with development or humanitarian organisations like ActionAid, World Vision and Oxfam; and with UN agencies such as UNICEF and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.