Masters Degrees (Refugee Studies)

This unique course adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to refugee studies and community development and is based at a university with significant refugee communities in its local area in east London.

Our approach encompasses politics, international relations, development studies, sociology, anthropology, social policy, psychology and cultural and legal theory.

We examine key issues involving forced migration as well as social, cultural, political and psychosocial aspects of community development with special reference to refugee communities in east London.

What makes our course different is that we focus on the experience of refugees and of refugee communities.
Our course will give you a deep appreciation of refugees’ experiences, achievements and needs.

It will equip you with the knowledge and skills to work in professions relating to counseling, social and community issues, refugee welfare, human rights, and legal representation of refugees.

WHAT YOU WILL STUDY

Forced migrants confront major obstacles in their attempt to find sanctuary. Although the majority of refugees are in countries of the developing world, structures of exclusion are most fully developed in the post-industrial societies, notably in Europe.

Your work will focus on developing an appreciation of refugee experiences, achievements and needs by approaching refugees as social actors.

You will study three core modules: Introduction to forced migration, Refugee studies and community development, and Research methods.

The course also offers you the opportunity to study one specialist option on social, cultural, political, legal and psychosocial aspects of refugee studies and community development.

This will prepare you to begin a dissertation during the summer term for submission in September.

YOUR FUTURE CAREER

This course will appeal to professionals and practitioners who are interested in refugees and community development, both locally and internationally.

It will give you the skills and knowledge to play an important role in NGOs, social service departments and local and international charities.

It is particularly suited to people who are professionally concerned with counseling, education, social and community issues and refugee welfare, as well as human rights, the legal representation of refugees.

If you are already working in any of these areas, the course will give you the confidence and experience to apply for more senior positions. If you are looking to enter the field for the first time, it will give you the skills to apply for jobs.

The course also provides the perfect preparation for students who wish to undertake further research in the fields of forced migration and diasporic studies, ethnicity, social, psychosocial and cultural theory, legal studies and social policy.

MODULES

The following are the core and optional requirements for this programme:

Introduction to Forced Migration (Core)
Forced Migration and Community Development (Core)
Research Methods (Core)
Approaches to Public and Community Service(Option)
Current Issues in Forced Migration(Option)
Governance (Option)
International Human Rights (Option)
International Refugee Law (Option)
Migration, Citizenship & Social Policy (Option)
Psycho-Social Perspectives On Forced Migration (Option)
Volunteering, Voluntarism and Voluntary Action (Option)
*University Wide Option (Option)
Dissertation (Core)

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This masters will develop your critical engagement with the theories and practices of forced migration and development studies. In-depth knowledge of both disciplines is critical to understand and explain the causes and consequences of forced migration.

Taught by internationally recognised members of staff with a range of innovative research experiences, the course is interdisciplinary. It requires the use of theoretical and methodological insights, knowledge and perspectives of different disciplines. This provides opportunities for in-depth understanding and explanation of the problem of Forced Migration and its interface with other social science disciplines, such as development studies, law, sociology, anthropology, political science and psychology.

Starting in both in September and January, this programme aims to develop your critical engagement with the theories and practices of forced migration and development studies. In-depth knowledge of both disciplines is critical to understanding and explaining the causes and consequences of forced migration, analysing, critiquing and evaluating host governments’, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNCHR) and NGOs’ policies on protection, assistance, reception and settlement strategies, as well as the short and long-term responses of inter -governmental organisations, such as the World Bank and others.

Throughout the course, you’ll also engage in volunteering. Students have volunteered in different organisations , including the UK Refugee Council, British Red Cross, UNHCR, Chance UK, Naz Project London and Eaves in South London. These organisations provide support, advice and advocacy to asylum-seekers, including women who’ve experienced violence, such as trafficking, prostitution, domestic and sexual violence.

MSc Refugee Studies is led by Professor Gaim Kibreab, an internationally recognised expert on forced migration, resettlement, repatriation and development, conflict, environment, water resources governance, post-conflict reconstruction, gender and development, livelihoods, governance and civil society.

Modules

International Refugee Law
Asylum policy in the EU and Member States
Forced Migration and Human Rights
Forced Migration and Development
Contemporary Issues in Development
Research methods for development
Dissertation (triple module)

Study hours

Year 1 class contact time is typically 16 hours per week plus individual tutorial time and independent study. This accumulates to typically two days and two evenings a week.

Assessment

All modules apart from the dissertation are assessed by 5,000 word pieces of coursework.

Employability

The aims and outcomes of this course are designed to develop your knowledge and skills that are relevant to working with forced migrants, including asylum-seekers, refugees, IDPs, oustees and other categories of forced migrants and also for working in refugee-producing and hosting countries world-wide, inter-governmental organisations, such as the UNHCR, non-governmental orgisations, immigration lawyers, lobbying and advocacy groups. The Home Office and immigration authorities in the EU and member states are potential employers of our graduates.

Previous students have entered careers in many fields working for international organisations such as the United Nations and its constituent organisations. Through our pool of visiting lecturers and practitioners, the MSc Refugee Studies networks with activists, academics and practitioners. These networks provide students an opportunity not only to learn about job opportunities but also establish contacts that may prove to be useful in search of employment opportunities. Students’ employability is enhanced by developing their transferable and problem-solving analytical and evaluative skills. Some graduates of the MSc Refugee Studies have established their own NGOs and are serving asylum-seekers, refugees and internally displaced persons in their countries of origin.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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Forced migration is a global phenomenon and an area of increasing concern. On this course you will study the multiple factors associated with refugee crises and the economic, political, social, cultural, and environment pressures which lie behind the search for asylum.

One of the major factors that makes our course stand out from others is that we focus on the perspective of the refugee. Forced migrants confront major obstacles in their attempt to find sanctuary.

Although the majority of refugees are in countries of the developing world, structures of exclusion are most fully developed in the post-industrial societies, notably within Europe.

The course highlights problems associated with limitations of asylum rights in the European states and the climate of hostility towards refugees from countries outside Western Europe. It also considers alternative, positive, approaches to asylum rights.

WHAT YOU WILL STUDY

The core modules give you a wide-ranging introduction to forced migration and a detailed study of research methods. You will also have the opportunity to study specialist options on social, cultural, political, legal and psychosocial aspects of refugee studies and community development.

A distinguishing feature of the course is its emphasis on the lived experience of refugees and of refugee communities. You will develop a full appreciation of refugee experiences, achievements and needs.

You will study refugees from the point of view of the law, politics and anthropology and you will analyse their experiences on a global and local scale.

The course looks at how non-governmental organisations and the United Nations work with refugees and also how some people have sought to criminalise them.

The course will equip you with advanced skills in interdisciplinary analysis and research.

You will learn from the first-hand experience of refugees and people who have worked with refugees.

Your studies will focus on two core modules: Introduction to Forced Migration and Research Methods, and two specialist option modules in the area of social, cultural, political, legal and psychosocial aspects of refugee studies and community development. This will prepare you to begin a dissertation during the summer term for submission in September.

YOUR FUTURE CAREER

This course is suited to people who are working in areas concerned with human rights, legal representation of refugees, counseling, education, social and community issues and refugee welfare.

If you are already working in this area, the course will give you the confidence and experience to apply for more senior positions.
If you are aiming to enter the field for the first time, it will give you the skills to apply for roles with NGOs, government departments or other organisations working closely with refugees.

Our course will also prepare students who wish to undertake further research in the fields of forced migration and diasporic studies; legal studies; and social policy.

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Who is this programme for?:

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS caters for students with a variety of backgrounds and objectives:

- those coming from Women’s Studies or Gender Studies who wish to engage more deeply with gender theory in relation to regional specialisation and to connect this with legal knowledge, especially, but not exclusively, the societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East;

- those coming from Asian, African or Middle Eastern Studies who wish to incorporate the study of gender and law into their own areas of expertise; and

- those having previously trained in particular disciplines, such as Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, History, Politics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Refugee/Diaspora Studies etc.

This programme provides:

- specialised research training in Gender Studies, in addition to focused study of feminist legal theories and a particular area of law. This pathway is suitable for students considering advanced postgraduate research in Gender Studies with a regional specialisation;

- a broad MA programme for students with some background in Women’s Studies, Gender Studies, and Area Studies etc. who wish to enhance their knowledge of gender in relation to cross-cultural legal issues;

- a special interest MA, which enables students to study gender issues in depth in relation to a particular regional or disciplinary specialisation alongside the acquisition of knowledge of feminist legal approaches and a study of a legal sub-discipline.

The MA Gender Studies and Law at SOAS is a unique programme, its principal aim being to re-focus issues prioritised in western Gender Studies and Legal Theory on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. Jointly housed by the Centre for Gender Studies and the School of Law, the programme offers the specialised study of gender and law in relation to the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, together with rigorous training in, and questioning of, contemporary gender theory. In terms of gender theory, it offers a solid foundation with sufficient breadth and depth to facilitate a range of specialist pathways. In terms of specialisation, it draws on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars of Asian, African and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

Email: gh21@soas.ac.uk

Phone: 020 7898 4367

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/genderstudies/genderlaw/

Structure

Students take courses to the value of four units and complete a dissertation (which is also the assessment for the fourth course Feminist Legal Theory).

All students take the Preliminary course in law, legal reasoning and legal methods. This is a compulsory component which runs as an intensive two-week course in September, prior to the start of term.

All students take the compulsory core courses Gender Theory and the Study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and Feminist Legal Theory (Dissertation). Further options include a wide range of gender and gender-related courses from a comprehensive list. Students also choose one Law option from the general MA in Law list (subject to course convenor approval).

Upon completion of coursework and written examinations in May/June, students will write a 10,000 word dissertation based on material acquired from Feminist Legal Theory.

- Programme Specification 15/16 (pdf; 175kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/genderstudies/genderlaw/file101845.pdf

Materials

Students will have access to a wealth of study resources available in the SOAS Library and in nearby institutions such as the British Library, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University College London Library and Senate House Library.

Teaching & Learning

Courses are taught by a combination of methods, principally lectures, tutorial classes, seminars and supervised individual study projects.

Each taught course has its own approved methods of assessment, designed to address the particular learning outcomes of that course. Assessment methods may include essays, weekly reaction papers, unseen, seen or take-home examinations, research projects, individual or group presentations, translations, learning journals, oral examinations etc., as appropriate.

Students are also required to attend regular seminars organised by the Centre for Gender Studies, details of which are included in the handbook and further details of which are advertised on the Centre’s website and notice board.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Who is this programme for?:

The MA Gender and Sexuality at SOAS aims to cater for students with a variety of backgrounds and objectives:

- those coming from Women’s Studies or Gender Studies who wish to engage more deeply with gender theory in relation to regional specialisation and to connect this with the societies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East;

- those coming from Asian, African or Middle Eastern Studies who wish to incorporate the study of gender and sexuality into their own areas of expertise; and

- those having previously trained in particular disciplines, such as Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, History, Politics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Refugee/Diaspora Studies.

The programme provides:

- specialised research training in Gender Studies, in addition to focused study of sexuality as well as gender and sexual diversity. This pathway is suitable for students considering advanced postgraduate research in Gender Studies with a regional specialisation;

- a broad MA programme for students with some background in Women’s Studies, Gender Studies, and Area Studies etc. who wish to enhance their knowledge of gender in relation to cross-cultural issues raised by appreciation of the relationship between gender and sexuality in various legal and political contexts;

- a special interest MA, which enables students to study gender issues in depth in relation to a particular regional or disciplinary specialisation alongside the acquisition of knowledge of emergent and contemporary study of sexuality in cross-cultural contexts.

The MA Gender and Sexuality at SOAS is a unique programme, its principal aim being to re-focus issues prioritised in western Gender Studies and the study of sexuality on the complex specificities of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. The programme offers the specialised study of gender and sexuality in relation to the cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, together with rigorous training in, and questioning of, contemporary gender theory. In terms of gender theory, it offers a solid foundation with sufficient breadth and depth to facilitate a range of specialist pathways. In terms of specialisation, it draws on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars of Asian, African and Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS.

Gender Studies is widely regarded by a range of employers as an excellent training, equipping holders of the degree with a range of relevant employable skills. Increasingly policy makers and governing structures understand the need to engage with gender and sexuality, such that graduates with disciplinary understanding of gender and sexuality, especially as sites of rights and responsibility are required in policy, research and legal environments. The value and relevance of the discipline are evidenced by the great variety and distinction of careers gender studies graduates have embarked upon with success. These include employment in international organizations, NGOs, think tanks, research organizations, the media (newspapers, radio & TV), as well as government ministries and programmes. There are growing numbers of gender studies programmes at universities throughout the world, although very few that combine study of gender and sexuality in a global context.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/genderstudies/ma-gender-and-sexuality/

Structure

Students take courses to the value of three units and complete a dissertation as a fourth module. All students take Gender Theory and the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East (full unit) and Queer Politics in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (half unit) as core courses. A further 1.5 units are chosen from a wide range of gender and gender-related courses included in Gender Studies List 1. Students will write a 10,000 word dissertation based on either the compulsory course or one of the component courses.

Students are also required to attend regular seminars organised by the Centre for Gender Studies, details of which are included in the handbook and further details of which are advertised on the Centre’s website and notice board.

As part of the course, the Centre for Gender Studies offers integrated work experiences in the form of internships with relevant organizations such as Women Living Under Muslim World (WLUML), the Council for the Assistance of Academic Refugees (CARA) and other organizations as well as with the Centre for Gender Studies itself.

Programme Specification 2015/16 (pdf; 96kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/genderstudies/ma-gender-and-sexuality/file101844.pdf

Materials

Students will have access to a wealth of study resources available in the SOAS Library and in nearby institutions such as the British Library, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University College London Library and Senate House Library.

Teaching & Learning

Courses are taught by a combination of methods, principally lectures, tutorial classes, seminars and supervised individual study projects.

Each taught course has its own approved methods of assessment, designed to address the particular learning outcomes of that course. Assessment methods may include essays, weekly reaction papers, unseen, seen or take-home examinations, research projects, individual or group presentations, translations, learning journals, oral examinations etc., as appropriate.

Students are also required to attend regular seminars organised by the Centre for Gender Studies, details of which are included in the handbook and further details of which are advertised on the Centre’s website and notice board.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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Gain a prestigious MA in Refugee Protection & Forced Migration Studies

by distance learning

The MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies provides a rigorous theoretical and practical understanding of the field of international refugee law and forced migration. It is unique in being the only programme of its type offered by distance learning.

An introduction

The MA degree will enable you to acquire a solid legal, practical and theoretical understanding of refugee protection and forced migration, developing expertise through a choice of elective modules. You will hone your self-reliance in dealing with - and critiquing - law, policy and practice in the field, and will also learn how to gather, organise and deploy evidence to form balanced judgements and develop policy recommendations.

Who is the course for?

This Masters is relevant to those who already work in the area, for whom a Masters qualification would enable them to progress to higher level work within the sector, whether in multilaterals, governments or NGOs.

It will also appeal to people hoping to establish themselves in the sector - these could be people making a career change or those at an early stage of their careers.

It is also relevant to sector professionals, to provide a deeper understanding of the issues facing refugees and refugee aid organisations.

We are hoping to create a virtual meeting place for students, academics and practitioners from all parts of the globe.

How will the course benefit me?

The programme is designed to develop both academic and vocational skills and experience.

It will enable you not only to think constructively about related policy and law, but to develop actual policy recommendations.

The 'practice based' module provides the opportunity to explore of some of the key vocational aspects relevant to the sector including topics such as advocacy, campaigning, fundraising, policy, law and communications. You can then choose to focus on a specific area for your examined piece of work. In the case of fundraising, for example, you could submit a funding bid that will be assessed by a tutor with significant practical experience in the grants and trusts sector.

Other modules on the course focus on asylum law and policy in specific regions of the world, such as Latin America and Africa or the European Union, whilst others focus on specific thematic issues such as statelessness, internal displacement, healthcare, gender and sexual identity.

Overall the course seeking to provide students with a solid legal, practical and theoretical understanding of refugee protection and forced migration.

How you study

You study this online programme wherever you are in the world and access the course content through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE also gives you access to:

- Associate Tutors who provide expert academic guidance throughout your studies

- academically rigorous and up-to-date learning materials and resources

- online tasks and assessments ('e-tivities') plus seen examinations for each of the modules

- peer to peer learning in online discussion forums

- world-class online library facilities.

Ask a question

To ask a question about this programme, please contact out Student Advice Centre using this form.

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MSc International Development Studies

If development aid is just a waste of money, how can we find a better way to improve the livelihoods of people? With regions and countries fighting for land, water, and resources, how can we help people recover from conflict and war? How can we transform the right to food, water, and a clean environment into reality? These are just a few examples of issues relating to development studies.

The International Development Studies programme allows you to develop a critical understanding of development theories. You will learn to plan and conduct research. You acquire the skills to translate your finding into development policies, intervention strategies and institutional innovations. You will learn to include the diverging views of various stakeholders and to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Programme summary

This programme deals with worldwide processes of development and change related to livelihoods, agro-food networks and the environment in a dynamic international context. Special attention is given to exclusion processes, equity, unequal access to resources and sustainability. Social, economic, political, technological, and environmental change is studied from various perspectives and at different levels. You will develop a critical understanding of recent development theories, learn to plan and conduct research, and acquire skills to translate research findings into recommendations for policies and intervention strategies. You will learn to include the diverging views of various stakeholders and to work in multidisciplinary teams. Depending on your previous education, you can follow one of the specialisations. .

Specialisations

Students can choose one of the following three specialisations after consultation with the study advisor. The selected specialisation mainly depends on your academic background.

Sociology of Development
This specialisation focuses on social transformation processes, especially the local consequences of globalisation and environmental change, and the way people cope with uncertain circumstances. Themes studied include natural resource degradation, refugees, migration, post-disaster reconstruction, social unrest, poverty, and lack of access to resources crucial to the livelihoods of people. This specialisation applies sociological and anthropological perspectives to development problems with special attention given to understanding the differing interests and views of numerous actors. You can choose a major in Disaster Studies, Environmental Policy, Sociology of Development and Change, or Rural Sociology.

Economics of Development
The central themes in this specialisation are the role of agriculture in development, food security and the global food crisis, regional economic issues, sustainable use of natural resources, rural-urban income disparities, and issues related to poverty and the role of institutions. These themes are examined from a microeconomic perspective to gain insight into the behaviour of individuals and institutions, as well as from a macroeconomic perspective to obtain insight into development processes at regional and national levels. You can major in Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy, Development Economics, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources, or Regional Economics.

Communication, Technology and Policy
In this specialisation, social transformation and sustainable development are examined with a specific focus on communication, technological innovations, and policy processes. An important theme is how technologies and policies are developed in the interaction between various parties (e.g. governments, social organisations, and citizens) and the role of communication in these processes. Another theme is the relationship between technological change (in the agricultural and food sectors), institutional processes and social transformation. You can choose a major in Knowledge, Technology and Innovation, Law and Governance, or Strategic Communication.

Your future career

Graduates are employed in various (inter-) national organisations as a programme/ project coordinator, trainer, consultant, advisor, policymaker or researcher. You could work, for example, as policymaker in a government or semi-governmental institute, as programme coordinator or advisor in an international (non-)governmentalorganisation or (consultancy) company, or as researcher and/or teacher at a university or research institute. Examples of organisations include: FAO, World Bank, European Union, UTZ Certified, Oxfam Novib, Rabobank Foundation, CARE, Sustainalytics and UNICEF.

Alumnus Luckmore Jalisi.
“I have really benefitted from what I learnt during my studies. This master has opened doors for me." Luckmore did the specialisation Sociology of Development and conducted both his internship and thesis research in a refugee camp in Uganda. These experiences were important in getting him his job as Youth and Governance Advisor at ActionAid in Liberia. “I support postconflict youth development programmes based on a human rights approach, and develop monitoring & evaluation tools for governance and youth development work. I draw on the knowledge and skills acquired during my studies and my classmates from Wageningen remain valuable contacts in my network.”

Related programmes:
MSc Development and Rural Innovation
Health and Society (specialisation)
MSc Applied Communication Science
MSc International Land and Water Management
MSc Leisure, Tourism and Environment
MSc Management, Economics and Consumer Studies

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This course is for you if you need to improve your English language skills and subject knowledge of psychoanalysis before going on to a Masters course. You improve your language fluency and academic vocabulary, develop your academic skills, and gain experience of western methods of teaching and learning so that you can progress onto a relevant Masters course in our Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies.

At Essex, you can progress onto our MA Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies, MA Management and Organisational Dynamics, MA Psychoanalytic Studies, or MA Refugee Care.

Our International Academy offers some of the best routes for international students to enter higher education in the UK. Our innovative courses and programmes have proved very successful with international students and have also attracted UK students because of the distinctive learning environment we offer.

If you are an international student, you may find that the education system in the UK is slightly different from other countries and, sometimes, that the transition to the British system can be challenging. Our courses help you to settle in and adapt to life in the UK.

Alongside improving your academic English skills, you also develop an understanding of the distinctive character of psychological thinking when the concept of a deep unconscious is introduced. The theories of psychoanalysis introduce a profound, new dimension to the understanding of society, culture and politics.

Our Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies is internationally recognised as one of the leading centres for work on the role of the unconscious mind in mental health, as well as in culture and society more generally. We are Top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014).

Our expert staff

Our Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies is internationally recognised as one of the leading centres for work that focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in mental health, as well as in culture and society generally. Our teaching is deeply grounded in knowledge deriving from clinical practice, to which our highest standards of academic thinking are then applied.

Our staff blend clinical experience and expertise in their field with the academic rigour for which the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies has such a reputation. You will be taught by lecturers who have years of experience, both in working directly with troubled individuals and groups, and delivering lectures and seminars on specialist topics.

Specialist facilities

By studying within our International Academy, you will have access to all of the facilities that the University of Essex has to offer:
-We provide computer labs for internet research; classrooms with access to PowerPoint facilities for student presentations; AV facilities for teaching and access to web-based learning materials
-Our new Student Services Hub will support you and provide information for all your needs as a student
-Our social space is stocked with hot magazines and newspapers, and provides an informal setting to meet with your lecturers, tutors and friends

You can also take advantage of our excellent facilities within our Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies:
-Access our Albert Sloman Library, which houses a strong collection of books, journals, electronic resources and major archives
-The Centre has its own dedicated library of specialist texts which inform and influence our research
-Free evening Open Seminars on topics relevant to psychoanalysis which are open to students and staff

Example structure

-English for Academic Purposes
-Advanced English for Academic Purposes
-Extended English for Academic Purposes Project
-Critical Reading and Seminar Skills
-Research Methods for Psychology and Social Sciences
-The Unconscious: Psychoanalysis, Culture, and Society - Freud
-The Unconscious: Analytical Psychology, Culture and Society - Jung
-Organisational Dynamics - Theory

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The Middle East has seen significant political and social upheavals in recent years which have had huge repercussions both within the region and beyond; the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the various peace initiatives launched to try and bring an end to that conflict, the end of the Lebanese civil war and the fragile peace that has followed and the war to ‘liberate’ Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein.

More recently we have witnessed the rise of Al Qaeda and the proliferation of Islamist groups affiliated to it operating far beyond the borders of the Middle East, a spate of popular uprisings calling for democracy in parts of North Africa and the Middle East popularly known as the Arab Spring and the fall-out of these rebellions both politically and socially in Egypt and Syria. The civil war in Syria has created a huge refugee problem which has created a humanitarian crisis in both Jordan and Lebanon, bordering countries that have neither the resources nor the necessary infrastructure to deal with such large scale migration. Political tensions have also been generated by the crisis.

The MA in Middle East Politics and Security Studies focuses on many of these themes and traces their origins historically in an effort to offer a much deeper level of understanding of social and political developments and broader security implications in this troubled region that have had - and continue to have -ramifications for peoples and governments far beyond the Middle East.

For more information on the part time version of this course, please view this web-page: http://www.brad.ac.uk/study/courses/info/middle-east-politics-and-security-studies-ma-part-time

Why Bradford?

This course is taught in Peace Studies — the largest centre in the world devoted exclusively to the study of peace and conflict.

Modules

Core modules
-Introduction to Peace Studies
-Framing the Modern Middle East
-The Israel-Palestine conflict: Dynamics and impact
-Dissertation (Middle East Politics and Security Studies)

Option modules
-Fragile States and the Security-Development Nexus
-International Politics and Security Studies
-Political Violence and Terrorism
-East Asia Security Politics
-Gender, Conflict and Development
-Natural Resource Governance, Conflict and Co-operation
-The Authoritarian Challenge to Democracy
-Social Movements, Globalisation and Political Change
-Regional and Global Security Politics
-Religions, Conflict and Peacemaking in a Post-Secular World
-Sustainable Tourism Development

Career support and prospects

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

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Do you or are you looking to work with refugees, asylum seekers or other displaced groups of people? How can you care for these people more effectively? How can therapeutic dimensions of care and psychosocial perspectives help to understand the multi-dimensional complexities of the refugee experience?

The multidisciplinary expertise of our university and the therapeutic professionalism of the Tavistock Centre combine to bring you this innovative twin-site Masters (two modules are taught at the Tavistock Centre in London and two modules at our Colchester campus) in the study of refugee care.

The central focus of our MA Refugee Care is to introduce a therapeutic dimension and a psychosocial perspective to working with this group of people, and is the only postgraduate course to offer a combination of modules with this emphasis, making a clear distinction between being therapeutic in working with refugees, instead of offering psychotherapy to them.

The course includes a thoughtful combination of practical and experiential elements, such as placements and institutional observations, to support a sound theoretical framework to understand the complexities of the refugee experience, such as family and societal factors, interactions with various services, institutions and organisations, and the inter-personal dynamics involved between refugees and their workers.

Our course is offered one year full-time, two years part-time or modular (up to five years), and teaching is for 25 weeks (over two and a half terms from October to mid-May). It is also possible to apply for a doctoral programme in refugee care, completing this MA first (without the dissertation) and then continuing to work on your PhD thesis (for an additional two years full-time or four years part-time).

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With the advancement of communication technology and growing political awareness of globalisation, the impact of transnationality on our social, cultural and economic lives has increased dramatically. This MA is a cross-disciplinary programme taught by specialists from different UCL faculties.

Degree information

This MA focuses on the transnational movement of people, ideas and goods on a global scale, and the impact of such connections on our social, political and cultural worlds. Approaching transnationality as a historical and contemporary phenomenon, students will be taught by specialists in human rights, international relations, economics, health and migration.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of the core module (30 credits), compulsory modern language modules (up to 30 credits), optional modules (up to 45 credits) and a research dissertation (90 credits).

Core modules
-Approaches to Transnational Studies: core readings, social theory and case studies
-Modern Language Module: from Beginner to Advanced Level

Optional modules - students select up to three optional courses from a list that may include:
-Cultural Exchange: Methods and Approaches
-Consumerism and Globalisation
-International and EU Refugee Law
-Economics of Transition
-Population and Development
-Migration and Transformation
-Comparable Peace Processes
-Security, Identity, Polarity
-Anthropology of Art and Design
-Practical Documentary Filmmaking
-Nations and States in Transnational Perspective
-Globalisation in the 20th Century
-People and Populations: an Interdisciplinary Perspective
-History and Theory of European Integration
-Globalisation and Latin American Development: Latin America in the 21st Century

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project written up as a dissertation up to 15,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and discussion seminars. Assessment is through unseen examinations, oral presentations, written coursework and the research dissertation.

Careers

The programme will equip students for further academic study of transnational developments. It will also position students at an advantage for careers with international organisations, the development sector and NGOs.

Employability
The programme is strongly focused on career opportunities for students, particularly within NGOs, the charity sector, international organisations and development. Debates, small group seminars and tutorials help students to acquire strong presentation and negotiation skills for their future career. Likewise the analytical and research skills gained by students on this programme are highly valued by employers from a range of industries. There are many additional activities available, both within the department and the wider UCL community, to help students focus on employability skills whilst they are here, for example departmental careers talks and networking opportunities with history alumni.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This cross-disciplinary programme is hosted by UCL's Centre for Transnational History, one of the UK's leading hubs for transnational research. The degree draws on research and teaching expertise from across UCL, offering optional modules that are taught by social scientists, historians and geographers, together with specialists in languages and area studies, law, politics and international health.

UCL is situated in the heart of London, one of the world's leading centres of cultural exchange, and home to numerous international organisations and NGOs. Within walking distance of institutions such as the British Library and the School of Advanced Studies, UCL offers excellent conditions for transnational research.

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Our MA in Middle Eastern Studies provides expert research-led teaching in the politics, anthropology and sociology of the modern Middle East and North Africa.

Key Benefits:

-Develop expertise in the politics and sociology of one of the most contested and important regions in the world today
-Take optional modules on a range of key topics taught by world-leading social scientists
-Have the opportunity to learn Arabic, Turkish, Farsi and Hebrew at the Modern Language Centre
-Learn to analyse primary source material from the region and develop a range of methodological skills – from ethnography to quantitative analysis
-Benefit from our close links with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council, and leading international think tanks based in central London.
Description

Course Description:

Our programme will introduce you to cutting-edge debates in the social sciences as they relate to the politics and society of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our world-leading faculty have extensive experience of conducting research in the region and the programme regularly attracts a dynamic student body who have lived and worked in the MENA. This diversity will expose you to new perspectives, and prepare you for a career specialising in the region.

In addition to the expertise that our Department offers, you can draw on the knowledge of a number of departments across King’s, including International Development, Political Economy, European and International Studies, War Studies, History, and Theology & Religious Studies.

If you want to learn about the most up-to-date political and social developments in the Middle East and North Africa, then our programme is ideal for you.

Course purpose:

Our core course aims to provide students with an overview of the key debates and issues in regional politics and society, using concepts and theories from social science – from the legacies of colonialism to the ongoing refugee crisis. The emphasis is on familiarising students with a wide range of social and political phenomena in preparation for the optional modules and the MA dissertation.

Career prospects

Our students go on to pursue careers at the United Nations, European Union, diplomatic services, journalism, government and a wide variety of different NGOs, or further research in our PhD programme.

How to apply

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

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Are you involved in – or contemplating – working with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers?

Our course will broaden your understanding of the relevant theories, concepts and policies. We help you examine migration processes and their consequences for today’s societies. You’ll explore issues of development, rights and diversity that shape migrants’ life chances.

You have the opportunity to follow your own interests within migration, development, human rights and refugees, or within migration, ethnicity, cultural diversity and rights.

This MA draws on the expertise of the Sussex Centre for Migration Research.

How will I study?

Across the autumn and spring terms, you learn through core modules and options. You also take a module that prepares you for further research and a professional career. This is delivered as a series of workshops including one that prepares you for your dissertation.

In the summer term, you undertake supervised dissertation work or a dissertation with placement.

You are assessed by term papers, unseen exams, a case analysis on research methods and a 10,000-word dissertation.

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

ESRC 1+3 and +3 Scholarships (2017)
-A number of ESRC-funded standalone PhD and PhD with Masters scholarships across the social sciences.
-Application deadline: 30 January 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course.
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Careers

Many of our graduates have pursued successful careers in:
-International organisations and NGOs (such as UNHCR)
-Local government authorities
-Charities with a migration focus (such as the Refugee Council).

Others have continued their studies with a PhD, becoming scholars in migration studies.

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How can we understand the EU’s response to the financial crisis or to the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia? How do we account for the EU’s reaction to the refugee crisis provoked by conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa? What is Europe’s peacekeeping role and capacity? The master's programme in European Studies trains you to answer these complex questions. Because you cannot study Europe from just one angle, the programme examines global developments and multi-level governance in a broader context, combining political science, history, international relations, economics and cultural studies.

This student-centred, interdisciplinary programme is among the largest, and certainly the most international, in Europe and has an excellent reputation. You will study the internal and external dimensions of European policy, governance and administration. The focus is on the underlying issues of power and influence, governance and culture within the European milieu and between Europe and the wider world.

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The MSc Development Studies course is interdisciplinary and innovatory. It is designed for those who wish to pursue careers with governments, non-governmental organisations, international agencies, public and private organisations and enterprises. It provides a thorough grounding in the development field, and its emphasis on research enables students to specialise in their particular areas of interest.

The MSc Development Studies is led by Professor Gaim Kibreab and taught by excellent research-active lecturers who specialise in social and economic development, as forced migration. See the current research projects tied to the International Development, Emergencies and Refugee Studies (IDEARS) Research Group.

Through the use of case studies you'll analyse a range of issues, crucial for Development policy and practice, such as:

• Globalisation: markets, trade and the global economy;
• Trade and Aid: the role of international institutions and agencies;
• Strategies for Industrialisation: economic growth and human development;
• Social Development: livelihoods, poverty and poverty reduction;
• Developing the Rural Sector: Agrarian Policies, migration and urbanisation;
• Environmental policies and sustainable development;
• Political empowerment, participation, and human rights.

The course develops the skills required to undertake development research, focusing on appropriate methodologies, data collection, policy and project design and implementation. A research dissertation forms a central part of your work on the course.

Modules

Contemporary issues in development
Human development in a globalised world
Research methods for development
Economies in transition: strategies for industrialisation
Forced migration and development
Human rights and development
Research dissertation (triple module)

The MSc also offers a series of workshops in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, providing these essential skills for student's Development careers

Teaching and learning

Class contact time is typically 12 hours per week on the full-time mode of the MSc, and six hours on the part-time mode plus individual tutorial and independent study. This accumulates to typically two days a week, afternoons and evenings typically two evenings a week.

All staff members teaching on the course have considerable experience of working and conducting research in developing countries. They have all published work on Development issues and are well known in their respective fields.

Placements

Our social policy students have taken up work placements at the following organisations:

• Chance UK, a unique early intervention mentoring organisation who provide adult volunteer mentors to work with children aged 5-11 years at risk of developing anti-social behaviour in later life)
• Kairos in Soho (a pan-London LGBT Community Development Organisation)
• Naz Project London (a sexual health organisation that works to mobilise Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in relation to HIV and other sexual health concerns)
• Richmond Advice and Information on Disability (RAID)
• Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) one of the UK's largest charities and voluntary organisations who aim to give older people the opportunity and choice to get more out of life

Professional links

The MSc has excellent relations with Development Agencies and NGO working in the development field. Students from these organisations are regularly enrolled on the course and members of these organisations gave regular presentations to MSc students.

Research in the Development field

Recent and current research by staff includes projects funded by the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the UK Department for International Development, and the Economic and Social Research Council.

In recent years, staff members have conducted research in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. Staff teaching on the MSc regularly publish books and articles both on development issues, and on the countries in which they have expertise.

Employability

A humanities masters has the real advantage of opening up careers in a number of professions such as teaching, social work, administration and higher level education. Graduates have forged exciting careers in research-related work, public relations, advertising, retail, management and media-related work.

Previous students have entered careers in many fields working for international organisations such as the United Nations and its constituent organisations, the World Bank, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation. Many students take up posts in their home countries within government, non-government and civil society organisations, or with non-governmental development organisations in the UK, in addition to teaching posts in universities and colleges specialising in Development research and practice.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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