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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 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.

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?

• SOAS is ranked 5th in the UK and 12th in the world for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings 2023), and 4th in the UK (2023 Times/Sunday Times League Table)
• We are ranked 6th in the UK for employability (QS World University Rankings 2023).
• 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 programme will introduce you to cutting-edge literature in the field, at the intersection of anthropology, migration studies, diaspora studies, critical race theory, and decolonial theory
• You can take your own interests into a research project or work placement guided by an expert supervisor from our department
• 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.
• You will join a thriving community of alumni, current students, and academics committed to putting academic study and research in conversation with activists and communities.

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.