Department of Anthropology and Sociology & Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies

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Start date
Duration
1 year
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On Campus
Fees

Home: £12,710
International: £26,330

Course code
L6UA
Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a social science or humanities subject. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

See international entry requirements and English language requirements.

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The MA in Migration & Diaspora Studies tackles these crucial and timely questions, providing students with the skills to understand, diagnose and articulate what is at stake in contemporary experiences of migration and diaspora; as well as contribute to the work of academics, communities, and activists engaged in reimagining a world beyond borders, and exclusionary modes of belonging.

What is ‘migration’? Do we live in an age of ‘migration’, or an age of ‘borders’? How are contemporary experiences of migration and border regimes racialised, and shaped by colonial histories? What is ‘diaspora’? What challenges do diasporic communities bring to modern political constructions such as the nation-state, national ‘imagined’ communities and citizenship, and their associated metaphysics of sedentarism?  

The MA in Migration & Diaspora Studies is a highly interdisciplinary programme taught from a Global South perspective. It is engaged and practice oriented and offers the possibility of creative assessments along with conventional assessment forms. Students enrolled in the programme have the unique opportunity to gain work relevant experience while studying, through the module ‘From Theory to Practice & Back: Work Placements in Migration Research’.

Overall, this MA programme is committed to the belief that knowledge and practice produced by diasporas, migrants’ grassroots organisations, activists, practitioners and artists should be intertwined with academic knowledge, and validated as part of a real decolonising effort. 

Why study Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS?

  • We are ranked 6th in the UK and 19th in the world for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • 3rd in the UK for Employer Reputation (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • 6th in the UK for Academic Reputation (QS World University Rankings 2024)
  • 4th in the UK (2023 Times/Sunday Times League Table)
  • We are specialists in the delivery of languages; your command of a language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities
  • The MA Migration & Diaspora Studies programme has a first-rate graduate employability record, and offers the chance to build your CV whilst you study, bridging the gap between theory and practice 
  • Our teaching is strongly informed by our regional interests in Africa, Asia and diasporas, as well as professional experiences of working in/with international humanitarian organisations, NGOs and activist collectives
  • 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

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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 core and compulsory modules listed below, and 30 credits from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology list below. 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.

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

Core

Compulsory

Guided options List A

15 credits from List A

Guided options List B

15 credits from List B

Guided options List C

30 credits from List C. 702 Ethnographic Research Methods must be selected either as part of Guided Options for 15 credits, or as an auditor for 0 credits.

Open options

Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

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SOAS 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 transdisciplinary approach of the programme overall.

Students are also encouraged to apply to the biennial Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival , which in March 2021 included the exhibition ' Imagine(ing) migration.The aesthetics of borders and resistance ', curated by SOAS MA Migration and Diaspora staff and students.

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

Modules

During the academic year, modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and/or seminars. Students can expect an average of two hours of classroom time per week for each module. Outside of the classroom, students explore topics of the module through independent study and through personal exchanges with teachers and fellow students.

In some cases, modules are taught by several teachers within the department to provide students with an array of perpsectives on the subject. All modules involve the active participation of students in the discussion of ideas, viewpoints and readings.

Dissertation

The MA Migration and Diaspora culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation, based on original research on a topic of the student's own choosing and developed in discussion with a supervisor.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

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Students from SOAS’ Department of Anthropology and Sociology develop an in-depth understanding of the world. Employers value our graduates’ cultural awareness and global perspective, as well as their skills in analysis, data interpretation and problem-solving.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Allen & Overy
  • BBC
  • British Council
  • Deloitte
  • Hackney Migrant Centre
  • IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
  • IOM- UN Migration
  • Media 52
  • New York Times
  • Social Mobility Foundation
  • The Week
  • UNICEF
  • United Nations Development Programme
  • World Bank Group

Find out about our Careers Service.

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