The EU has been instrumental in the creation and support of Masters' degrees in Human Rights and Democratisation in many parts of the world.

The European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA), based in Venice, Italy, is run by the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation. The high-level programme involving 41 universities from all 27 EU countries takes in 90 students annually for a one-year advanced Master's degree. It is an inter-disciplinary programme that reflects the indivisible links between human rights, democracy, peace and development.

Since its inception in 1997, the EMA programme has conferred the European Master's degree on almost 1 000 students. Most of these human rights specialists are employed by international organisations, national authorities or inter-governmental and civil society organisations based around the world.

The EMA has also inspired the creation of similar EU-funded inter-university networks and education programmes in human rights and democracy elsewhere. It is now possible to study for the African Master’s in Pretoria, the regional Master’s for South-East Europe in Sarajevo, the Asia-Pacific Master’s in Sydney, the Latin American Master’s in Buenos Aires, and Armenia-based Master’s.