MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

The MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies is an interdisciplinary degree taught by leading experts in the field of forced migration from international law, politics and international relations, anthropology, and other disciplines. The course is offered by the Refugee Studies Centre, an integral part of ODID and the world’s leading multidisciplinary centre for research and teaching on the causes and consequences of forced migration. The course lasts nine months and normally admits about 25 students a year. In 2010 it received around four applications for every place.

The course enables participants to explore forced migration through a dissertation, a group research essay, and a range of required courses including:

• Introduction to Forced Migration
• International Refugee and Human Rights Law
• Asylum and the Modern State
• Research Methods

Students also choose two optional courses from a list of offerings that may include

• Ethics of Membership
• Forced Migration and the Middle East
• Theory and Practice of Humanitarian Intervention
• Conflict, Violence and the State
• Refugees and International Relations

The degree exposes students to cutting edge scholarship while allowing them to tailor their studies to suit their own particular interests.

The course is assessed by two examinations; the dissertation, which should be between 10,000 and 15,000 words long; and the research methods group essay of about 5,000 words based on fieldwork conducted during a four-week period in Hilary Term.

A student wishing to read for the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies has to be admitted first by the Department and then by a College. At least a good upper second class honours degree in a social science is normally required. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first class degree or its equivalent (such as a 3.8 GPA in the USA). It is also possible for students who have not specialized in a social science to read for the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. Relevant experience in forced migration is desirable but not required.

Please refer to the How to Apply page and the Graduate Studies Prospectus for information on application deadlines and English language requirements. It is essential for applicants to apply early and respect the deadlines.

Students of the MSc have gone on to doctoral degrees, law school, and work relevant to human rights, refugees, and migration. Graduates of the degree are now employed in organisations such as the UNHCR, International Organisation for Migration, UNDP, Save the Children, ECRE, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Brookings and MacArthur foundations, as well as national governments and universities around the world.

For further information on the kinds of careers our students pursue, see the ODID Graduates page.

The MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies is an interdisciplinary degree taught by leading experts in the field of forced migration from international law, politics and international relations, anthropology, and other disciplines. The course is offered by the Refugee Studies Centre, an integral part of ODID and the world’s leading multidisciplinary centre for research and teaching on the causes and consequences of forced migration. The course lasts nine months and normally admits about 25 students a year. In 2010 it received around four applications for every place.

The course enables participants to explore forced migration through a dissertation, a group research essay, and a range of required courses including:

• Introduction to Forced Migration
• International Refugee and Human Rights Law
• Asylum and the Modern State
• Research Methods

Students also choose two optional courses from a list of offerings that may include

• Ethics of Membership
• Forced Migration and the Middle East
• Theory and Practice of Humanitarian Intervention
• Conflict, Violence and the State
• Refugees and International Relations

The degree exposes students to cutting edge scholarship while allowing them to tailor their studies to suit their own particular interests.

The course is assessed by two examinations; the dissertation, which should be between 10,000 and 15,000 words long; and the research methods group essay of about 5,000 words based on fieldwork conducted during a four-week period in Hilary Term.

A student wishing to read for the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies has to be admitted first by the Department and then by a College. At least a good upper second class honours degree in a social science is normally required. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first class degree or its equivalent (such as a 3.8 GPA in the USA). It is also possible for students who have not specialized in a social science to read for the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. Relevant experience in forced migration is desirable but not required.

Please refer to the How to Apply page and the Graduate Studies Prospectus for information on application deadlines and English language requirements. It is essential for applicants to apply early and respect the deadlines.

Students of the MSc have gone on to doctoral degrees, law school, and work relevant to human rights, refugees, and migration. Graduates of the degree are now employed in organisations such as the UNHCR, International Organisation for Migration, UNDP, Save the Children, ECRE, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Brookings and MacArthur foundations, as well as national governments and universities around the world.

For further information on the kinds of careers our students pursue, see the ODID Graduates page.