International Migration MA

Migration studies is rapidly becoming its own field of academic study, but is, at the same time, suited to practical application. This Master's programme allows you to study international migration in an interdisciplinary way and in comparative context. A Master's in migration gives you the tools to get a job in this vibrant and fast-changing field.

The MA in International Migration programme is suitable both for individuals who are finishing university and for those who have worked for some years and are seeking a change in career. It is equally suitable for those of you who have already worked with migrants or refugees. Our students typically come from all three groups and from around the world; you will learn not only from your lecturers, but from each other as well.

Your classes will be taught by academics and practitioners. You will learn relevant concepts, legislation and theories surrounding human trafficking, but you will also hear from a humanitarian worker who has worked in the Greek islands and made an initial determination of whether a migrant may potentially be a victim of human trafficking.

Learning the theory behind the phenomena will help you put your own work experience into theoretical context. If you are coming directly from university, you will gain the theoretical and empirical knowledge to draw on when you do enter the job market.

At the same time, the programme will give you a broad understanding of migration. Some of you will use your essays and dissertation to explore different areas of migration in more depth while others of you will focus your essays and dissertation on different aspects of one topic, for instance, refugee resettlement. You will situate your research within a broader base of migration studies.

In looking at states' reactions to refugee flows, you will understand that states receive not only refugees, but also family migrants, labour migrants and students and that citizenship and integration policies and philosophies have an impact on immigration policies as well. It is only through understanding the breadth of migration that you will be able to focus effectively on your particular topic of interest. This programme gives you the context in which to do just that.

This programme allows students to study migration – including human trafficking, asylum and forced migration as well as integration and citizenship. You can choose a secondary specialisation, while still focusing on migration studies. Students often study human rights law, development or international conflict analysis in conjunction with migration. Overall, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the broader field of migration while being able to focus on a particular topic from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The MA is offered in both a standard version (90 ECTS credits) and an extended version (120 ECTS credits) and in each case students may take the programme with or without a secondary specialisation. Those on the extended version take more modules to gain extra credit.

To be awarded the standard MA (90 ECTS), you must take three modules from the list for International Migration and a further three modules from the full list of modules offered at BSIS. For the extended MA (120 ECTS), you must take four modules from the list for International Migration and a further five modules from the full list of modules offered at BSIS.

Modules

The following modules are offered to our current students on the MA International Migration programme. At BSIS, you have a wide range of optional modules to choose from and this can be within your chosen degree, or as part of a secondary specialisation (for more information on specialisations, please see below.) This list of modules is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:

POLI9400 - Theories of Migration, Integration and Citizenship*

POLI9410 - Migration: Conflict, the State and Human Rights*

LAWS8321 - European Union Migration Law

LAWS8431 - International Human Rights Law

LAWS9001 - Critical International Migration Law

POLI9551 - Human Security in Forced Migration

Modules marked with * are compulsory programmes offered at BSIS

Students may not be registered on more than 3 modules per term (full-time) or 1 or 2 modules (part-time) and each module will run in either Autumn or Spring. 

On this programme you may not take more than three law modules (standard) or four law modules (extended).

Specialisations

The MA in International Migration allows you to choose secondary areas of specialisation from the range of programmes offered at BSIS. This leads to the award of an MA degree in, for example, 'International Migration with Human Rights Law'.

To include a secondary area of focus on the standard programme, you must choose three modules from the list for MA International Migration, two modules from one of the programmes listed below (your secondary area of study) and one module from the full list of modules offered at BSIS. 

For the extended programme, you must choose four modules from the list for MA International Development, three modules from one of the programmes listed below (your secondary area of study) and two modules from the full list of modules offered at BSIS.

• with International Conflict and Security
• with International Development
• with International Law
• with International Relations
  
• with Political Strategy and Communication
• with Foreign Policy (available as a secondary specialisation only)
  • Modules on Foreign Policy include:
    • Foreign Policy Analysis
    • International Politics of the Asia-Pacific
    • Politics in the Middle East
    • African Politics
    • Russia in International Affairs

On both the standard and extended programme, you must also submit a dissertation on a topic in Human Rights Law and complete the methodology module Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research.

Postgraduate resources

Students have access to excellent e-library facilities online via the Templeman library in Canterbury; inter-library loans within Belgium; 50,000 online journals are also available off-campus. Students also have outstanding access to libraries in Brussels, such as at our partner universities Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Royal Library of Belgium, among others. The School’s resources include a dedicated selection of more than 1,000 key texbooks on the subject of international affairs and law. In addition, postgraduate research students have their own designated room with computer terminals and access to wi-fi in all areas at the Brussels centre.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. The Brussels School produces its own journal, The Brussels Journal of International Studies, which was founded in 2003. Details of recently published books can be found within the staff research interests section.

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.