In 1948 Hannah Arendt wrote that refugees were the “most symptomatic group in contemporary politics.” Today the existence of tens of millions of forced migrants still raises fundamental challenges for the international order. The Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Forced Migration at the University of Oxford offers a dynamic and intellectually rigorous path to the examination of forced migration resulting from conflict, repressive regimes, environmental change and development policies. This nine month degree places forced migration in a historical, global and human context, encouraging informed reflection on international and national responses to both internal and international displacement.
The Degree
The M.Sc. in Forced Migration 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 enables participants to explore forced migration through a thesis, 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”, and “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”, and “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 Context
The M.Sc in Forced Migration is offered by the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, the world’s leading multidisciplinary centre for research and teaching on the causes and consequences of forced migration. Students are part of a vibrant research centre at one of the world’s oldest and most respected universities, and are able to draw upon the prodigious resources of both.
The Students
Since 1998 the M.Sc. in Forced Migration has drawn top quality students, including Rhodes, Marshall, Commonwealth, and Fulbright scholars, from virtually every continent. More than 150 students have now graduated and 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.
The Requirements
Entrance to the course is highly competitive. Applicants to the degrees should, at a minimum, have a strong 2.1 degree (or equivalent US GPA), a demonstrable interest in forced migration, and strong letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s academic ability. The course welcomes applications from students with academic backgrounds in both the humanities and the social sciences. Further details on procedures for applicants and scholarship opportunities can be found at http://www.qeh.ox.ac.uk/courses/mscfm2.html or by contacting the course secretary at rsc-msc@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
Download MSc Leaflets
Handbook 2009-2010 (PDF)
MSc Leaflet (PDF)
Course Syllabus (PDF)
Development Studies Prospectus
Programme Specification for MSc in Forced Migration (PDF)
Funding Suggestions
Applications and supporting material should be submitted before the deadline dates stated in the current prospectus.
Prospectus/Application Forms Available From:
Graduate Admissions Office
University Offices
18 Wellington Square
Oxford, OX1 2JD
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 270059
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 270708 (attn: Graduate Admissions)
Email: graduate.admissions@admin.ox.ac.uk
University of Oxford Graduate Prospectus: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/inde x.htm
Graduate Studies Application Form: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gao/printapply.htm
Further Information:
Refugee Studies Centre
Oxford Department of International Development (QEH)
Mansfield Road
Oxford OX1 3TB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 270722
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 270721
E-Mail: rsc-msc@qeh.ox.ac.uk
The RSC reserves the right to make any changes to the content of the
courses and seminars as circumstances may require
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