MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies (2018 entry)

Start of programme: September only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

The MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies is a broad-based degree for students who want to receive specialized research training in Migration and Diaspora Studies, including a relevant language, which will prepare them to proceed to advanced postgraduate research in Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS or elsewhere.

This MA is designed to appeal to students from a variety of backgrounds who:

• Wish to know more of the transnational nature of the modern world;
• Wish to continue their anthropological study at a postgraduate level and engage in critical contemporary theory;
• Wish to understand cultural transformation from a global perspective;
• Come from other disciplines, such as Law or Politics, and now wish to incorporate an anthropological perspective on issues of migration and diaspora.

The degree offers students a chance to pursue specialist interests by a considered selection of courses to suit their individual needs. It provides:

1. A broad-based MA for students who wish to enhance their knowledge in light of continuing contemporary research;
2. A special interest MA, enabling students to study diaspora and migration issues in depth in relation to a particular discipline or region.

The programme attracts students from around the world. It encourages a transdisciplinary approach to issues of migration and diaspora, providing historical depth as well as perspectives from anthropology, sociology, and postcolonial studies. The programme also works closely with a number of departments across the school, such as Development Studies, the Centre for Gender Studies as well as Law and Politics, which also run migration and diaspora related courses. Most of these courses are available as options on the programme, making it a unique MA in terms of both its breadth and depth.

In the recent past, our students have been highly successful in going on to further study and a number have received scholarships for research degrees at SOAS and elsewhere. Many have also gone on to work with NGOs and in the public sector as well as arts organizations. We have a good staff-student ratio, which ensure the best support for personal academic development and training which enhances future career prospects.

The MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies is considerably enriched by the SOAS Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies, which runs seminars, films and public lectures and also hosts a number of international scholars. The Centre is also a part of a migration research network of London colleges including LSE and UCL. Students on the programme therefore have unparalleled access to a critical body of scholars and scholarship on migration and diaspora related issue.

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Programme Convenor, Dr Parvathi Raman at an early stage of their application to seek advice on the most appropriate options for study. The programme consists of four elements, three examined courses and a 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.

Programme Overview

The programme consists of 180 credits in total: 120 credits of modules and a dissertation of 10,000 words at 60 credits.

Students are expected to take all the core and compulsory modules listed below.

All students must audit the compulsory module, Ethnographic Research Methods during term 1.  This will not count towards the 180 credits.  Students will be expected to attend only lectures and do not attend seminars or submit any assessments.  Students may choose to take this module (worth 15 credits) as part of their 120 credits from the option lists.

All students are required to take 30 credits from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology list.

The remaining credits can be selected from the relevant lists in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology or relevant options from other departments or a language module.  See below for a detailed programme structure.

Language Entitlement Programme:

Many students choose to pursue a language through the SOAS Language Entitlement Programme (LEP). Languages normally available include Arabic, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu. Others may also be offered.

Programme Detail

Dissertation

Students must complete a Dissertation (10,000 words)

Taught Component

AND

Guided Option

Choose modules from the List of Anthropology and Sociology modules below to the value of 30 credits

AND

Choose modules from the List of Anthropology and Sociology modules below to the value of 60 credits

OR

Open Option

Choose modules from List of Modules in Other Department below to the value of 60 credits

OR

Language Component

Choose Post Graduate Language modules to the value of 60 credits

List of Modules (subject to availability)

Anthropology and Sociology

Modules in Other Department

This is the structure for applicants

Programme Specification

• MA Migration and Diaspora Studies Programme Specification 2018/19 (pdf; 239kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

Contact Hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

During the academic year, teaching is centred mainly around lectures and seminars. For the core course in the first term, there is a one hour thematic lecture, followed by a two hour seminar, where students are encouraged to develop their ability for critical analysis and reflexivity. Students will occasionally be required to give a group presentation, encouraging collaborative work and the creative exchange of ideas, and in selected classes there will also be an in depth reading of a particular text by the whole class. Each week, students will share the responsibility for reading other selected texts, ensuring that a range of arguments and perspectives are discussed.

In the second term, teaching is framed around a two-hour student led seminar session, where a small group of students are responsible for leading each class. They will be guided by pre distributed lecture notes from the class tutors and selected readings from the reading list, and the objective will be to initiate an informed and lively discussion on the week’s topic. The class tutor will mediate the discussion

The teaching format is designed to help students progress intellectually over the year, advance their writing skills, and instil confidence in forming opinions and developing the ability to express their views articulately.

Assessment is by class participation and written assignments.

SOAS also has a large range of options on migration and diaspora related issues across the school. Teaching methods and assessment vary across these options, and their availability will depend on appropriate staff being available in the relevant academic year.

In addition, students are required to attend the weekly seminars held by the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies, where they will hear international scholars give papers on a variety of migration and diaspora related topics. The seminars provide an invaluable backdrop for the transdiciplinary approach of the programme overall.

The student learning experience is also be enhanced by the public lectures, films and workshops the Centre organises.

SOAS library also houses an array of texts which complement the course to help fuel independent thinking and learning. 

Tuition Fees

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.

This is a Band 1 tuition fee.

Fees for 2018/19 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Studying an MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS develops students’ understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised.  This programme with give students specialized research training in Migration and Diaspora Studies, including a relevant language.  Over the years the SOAS department has trained numerous leading anthropologists who have gone on to occupy lectureships and professorships throughout the world.  Equally, students gain skills during their degree that transfer well to areas such as information and technology, government service, the media and tourism.  

Postgraduate students leave SOAS with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek, including analytical and critical skills; ability to gather, assess and interpret data; high level of cultural awareness; and problem-solving.  A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate. 

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts