The programme is open for students holding a university degree of a "high standard" in a field relevant to human rights, such as law, social sciences and humanities. Students are officialy enrolled at the University of Padua/Italy. The languages of instruction are English and French.

The aims of the E.MA Programme are:

• to form high-level professionals in the field of human rights and democratisation qualified to work as academics, staff members or field workers for inter-governmental, governmental, and non-governmental organisations
• to provide its graduates with practical work experience
• to create a European network of curriculum development and staff exchange among universities in the field of human rights and democratisation.

The Master`s Degree Programme is divided into two semesters. In the first semester (September - January), students are taught together in Venice by professors and lecturers from the 27 participating universities and practitioners from IGOs and NGOs. During the 18 weeks of the first semester, an introduction section and seven thematic sections are organized:

• Human rights in philosophy, history, and anthropology
• Human rights protection systems
• Human rights standards
• Violent conflict and human rights
• Democratisation
• Human rights and globalisation
• Human rights in the field

The last section includes a one-week field trip, usually to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where students visit different institutions – including the OSCE, UN and NGOs – that work in the field on democratisation and human rights.

The courses combine a theoretical and a practical approach to human rights and democratisation issues. Classes consist of lectures, workshops, round-tables, tutorials, skill-building sessions and rolling seminars.

Assessment during the first semester is made through essays written parallel to the courses and end-of-semester written examinations. Only students passing these exams are allowed to proceed to the second semester. First semester examinations account for 50 per cent of the final mark.

In the second semester (February - July), students are assigned to one of the 27 participating universities. Under the supervision of an academic from this university, they complete a 60-page master's thesis by 15 July. They also take additional courses. Second semester courses account for 15 per cent and the thesis for 35 per cent of the final mark.

After successfully passing exams and completing the thesis, students are awarded the degree of European M.A. conferred by the University of Padua.

For more informations please visit the official ema website.