Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intercultural Human Rights

Welcome to the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights at St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump” College of Law!

This innovative LL.M. program is designed to offer in-depth instruction on the critical issue of our time: the protection of human dignity across political, social, economic, and cultural lines. Lawyers, government officials, teachers, human rights activists, and businessmen and women with a commitment to human rights and social justice are invited to St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami to pursue an advanced degree in one of the most dynamic fields of international law: intercultural human rights.

The excellence of instruction emanating from world-renowned faculty from the United Nations and eminent centers of scholarship creates a highly stimulating learning environment, and promises the most challenging academic experience of your career.

Students develop the ability to evaluate the major theories, practices, and fundamental concepts in international human rights law and policy, as well as to conduct effective research and advocacy in the field in a practical and interactive way.

By now, the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights has graduated over 400 students from 85 countries around the world and from all over the U.S. They are our ambassadors in the struggle for protection of human dignity, working with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Volunteers, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Council of Europe, the African Union, the International Organization for Migration, the World Bank, OXFAM, the Open Society Forum, the Parliamentarians for Global Action, the Red Cross, and others; successfully litigating cases in courts; working for governments and in academia; or running their own NGOs. A number of our graduates are now teaching in the field, at the University of North Carolina, Cornell, the City University of Hong Kong, Addis Ababa University, the Romanian-American University, and the United Nations University, to mention a few.

The LL.M. degree is earned in one year upon completion of 24 academic credits. The program offers 12 compact courses in intercultural human rights. Universal and regional human rights law and complaint procedures, international law, humanitarian law, human rights and terrorism, human rights and the environment will be addressed, as well as issues of refugees, women and children, indigenous peoples, religion, criminal law, and international trade. Our courses exploring theoretical issues and developing skills in practical applications guarantee that the program, after almost twenty- years, continues to excel.

Honors graduates of the LL.M. program are eligible to apply for admission into the Doctor of Science of Law program in Intercultural Human Rights. Please visit the J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights webpage for more information.

Graduation Requirement

Graduation from the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights requires the completion of 24 academic credits of the LL.M. course of study, including all the required courses and necessary elective courses as detailed above.

The student needs to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in order to graduate.

Course Schedule

LL.M. Course Schedule – Fall 2025

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Course No.CreditsDatesCourseProfessor(s)Days/TimesRoom
LLM 700 / LAW 7003Aug. 27 - Nov. 18International LawProfessor Roza PatiW 6:00-9:00 p.m.A-112
LLM 411A / LAW 411A3Aug. 25 - Sept. 13 (with 9-1-25 moved to 9-5-25)The International Bill of RightsProfessor Siegfried Wiessner, H.E. Ibrahim Salama*, The Hon. Virginia Bras Gomes*M T Th 6:00-8:20 p.m.; Sat 9:00 a.m.-1:40 p.m.A-111
LLM 423 / LAW 4231Sep. 22-27Human Rights LawyeringDr. Ana Maria Suarez Franco*, Professor Roza PatiM T Th 6:00-8:20 p.m.; Sat 9:00 a.m.-1:40 p.m.A-111
LLM 416A / LAW 416A2Oct. 6-18Armed Conflict and Individual LiabilityProfessor Nicholas Rostow, H.E. Judge & Prof. Fausto Pocar*M T Th 6:00-8:20 p.m.; Sat 9:00 a.m.-1:40 p.m.A-111
LLM 420 / LAW 4201Nov. 10-15Ethical Moorings: Philosophical and Religious FoundationsProfessor John MakdisiM T Th 6:00-8:20 p.m.; Sat 9:00 a.m.-1:40 p.m.A-111