Postgraduate

A partnership between the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), part funded by the Highlands & Islands European Social Fund.

This Masters Programme is designed for the professionals and volunteers who work between state and market and who are interested in promoting the principles of human rights including anti-discrimination, participative democracy, accountability and social responsibility.

The home for the protection and development of human rights and citizenship today, is widely recognised as being the space between the state and the market, in, what we might loosely call, community or – to be more precise - civil society. This is also the prominent space of operations for third sector organisations. The protection and enhancement of human rights and equality and the celebration of diversity and difference are fundamentally important to organisations working in civil society with marginalised people.

Welcomed by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the course is designed for professionals and volunteers in the Third Sector and Public Sector who are interested in, or working to promote, the principles of human rights - including anti-discrimination, participative democracy, accountability and social responsibility.

The programme will:

• Help to unlock the potential of Third and Public Sector organisations and their staff
• Facilitate civic leadership and active citizenship
• Offer an accessible, vocational, portable and applied Masters level qualification
• Be the first qualification in equality and human rights to facilitate “learning for the day job”
• Offer a learning philosophy and assessments that ensure real-time learning in the workplace
• Put Recognition of Prior Learning at the core of its approach to course entry

This first ever work based Masters in Citizenship and Human Rights has been developed to deliver a learning opportunity in Citizenship and Human Rights for Third Sector leaders working between state and market.

However, we also welcome all professionals or volunteers from
every sector who have an interest in promoting the principles
of human rights including anti-discrimination, participative democracy, accountability and social responsibility. This includes those committed to making life better for currently excluded groups in society.

It gives those already working in the field of equalities & human rights the chance to gain accreditation for their work and skills whilst further developing knowledge and practical expertise in the subject. Many people working in caring and support roles in the Third Sector or within civil society are often unaware that this includes them!

The programme is delivered in a “blended learning” mode, that is, through distance learning on the university’s Virtual Learning Environment, GCU Learn, in combination with face to face seminars at GCU’s city campus two or three times a year.

Work Based Learning generally describes learning while a person is employed. The learning is usually based on the needs of the individual's career and employer, and leads to nationally recognised qualifications.

In order to participate in the programme you must be aware of the following:

• You need to be in full-time or part-time employment, to be self motivated and be capable of independent learning.
• You need to be able to access and use a computer,for example, to receive University e-correspondence and to word process your assignments and projects for assessment.

Work based learning refers specifically to the achievement of ‘planned learning outcomes’ derived from the experience of performing a work role or function. Degrees and other H.E. qualifications achieved through a work based learning contract with GCU have equal standing with traditional University qualifications. GCU is the only University in Scotland to offer the opportunity to gain awards by work based learning from level one through to Professional Doctorate level.

This postgraduate programme aims to maximise your potential to develop new knowledge and skills which you can apply directly in your workplace. It is delivered in a “blended learning” mode, that is, through distance learning on the university’s Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard, in combination with face-to-face seminars at GCU’s city campus two or three time a year. Modules, assignments and assessments will be delivered online with telephone or face-to-face support from the tutors as necessary. As well as the benefit of learning through a work based project, you will be working with others who share similar working contexts.

You will undertake the following modules, enabling you to qualify for a Certificate, Diploma or Masters qualification:

30-credit modules: Globalisation and Migration, Leadership for Equality, Human Rights, Citizenship and Practice

60-credit module: Masters Dissertation

For a Postgraduate Certificate you will be required to complete any two of the 30-credit modules; for a Postgraduate Diploma - all four of the 30-credit modules and for an MSc in Citizenship and Human Rights - all four of the 30-credit modules and a 60-credit dissertation module.

The programme will:

• Offer an accessible, vocational, portable and applied Masters level qualification which will enhance career prospects for the future
• Offer a reward for work you are already doing (often unrecognised as being about citizenship and human rights) and accredit your skills and knowledge
• Offer opportunities to network and work with others to grow understanding of useful different standpoints and activities to benefit your own work
• Offer a learning philosophy and assessments that ensure real-time working in the workplace
• Develop understanding of how to apply theory to practical outcomes.
  
• This unlocks the potential of your organisation and other staff and leads to practical positive changes in workplace or community, better social inclusion, release of full human resource potential, increased satisfaction of staff and clients leading to loyalty, lower churn, increased productivity, better public relations etc
• Facilitate civic leadership and active citizenship
• Deliver employees who are up skilled, confident, able to think at high strategic, lateral and practical levels, thereby bringing benefit to business
• Build confidence to bring citizenship and human rights to centre of community/work/personal and family life

Application deadline: 4 pm, Monday, 23 July 2012

Induction events: Monday, 13 August 2012 & Monday 20 August 2012

2012 Modules:

Human Rights
August 20, 2012 – January 18, 2013 (including winter break and assessment period)
Face-to-face sessions: August 21-22 & October 25-26

2013 Modules:

Citizenship and Practice
February 4 – June 21, 2013 (including assessment period)
Face-to-face sessions: February 5-6 and April 11-12

Globalisation and Migration
August 19, 2013 – 17 January 2014 (including winter break and assessment period)
Face-to-face sessions: August 20-21 & October 24-25

2014 modules:
Leadership for Equality: Dates TBC
Dissertation module: Dates TBC