MSc Migration Studies: Policy and Practice

Why study this subject?

From September 2022, all Migration Studies students will automatically be enrolled on the Modern Slavery Awareness course delivered by experts from Hope for Justice, which works to bring an end to modern slavery and human trafficking, and to protect the human rights of victims and survivors.

The course is CPD accredited and you receive a CPD certificate when you pass.

The Modern Slavery Awareness course is designed to equip people who are specialists in their own field with relevant, comprehensive and practical guidance, to increase the number of victims identified and improve the response and help offered. 

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Our course at Buckinghamshire New University uniquely embeds deep knowledge of Roma and other Traveller communities into your teaching, informed by many years of working with well-established community networks.

In addition, from September 2022 onwards, you will be enrolled on the Hope for justice CPD course. After completion you will be able to:

• understand what Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Exploitation (MSHT) are and identify the different types that exist;
• recognise the signs and indicators of MSHT;
• respond appropriately if they identify a possible victim of MSHT; and
• develop awareness of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) - the UK government's framework for identifying victims of modern slavery.

Learn more about Hope for Justice and their work preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives and reforming society.

This specialist knowledge will enable you to gain a comprehensive understanding of the transnational Roma community experience, pre and post-migration, while you learn from academics which include lecturers from the Roma communities who are themselves migrants.

Our course is also unique because the design of our dissertation allows you to explore non-traditional approaches in a range of fields, including innovative opportunities to produce performances, texts, visual arts and more.

What facilities can I use?

Everything that is required for the study of this course is located across our campus. In addition, we have a 24-hour library for your use, with IT software, computers and all the books you will need. We also have apps anywhere service that allows you to study from the comfort of your own home.

The facilities we have are designed to allow you the flexibility to fit your studies around your schedule, and the university prides itself on both providing quick feedback on work and readily available resources to support your studies no matter your needs.

What will I study?

Throughout the course you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the techniques and research methods applicable to research work on international migration and diaspora communities. You will also develop a critical awareness and understanding of the current knowledge, theory and evidence-based practice relevant to the field of migration, as well as current areas of scholarly interest and policy relevance.

Close attention is paid to ethical perspectives and social justice considerations throughout the course. On completion of this course you will be able to evaluate migration policy formulation and interventions, while effectively communicating the implications and practical applications of your research.

You will also be able to demonstrate a critical awareness of the lived experiences of migrants in society, the social construction of their identities, and their agency. Your learning will support the development of a systematic and critical understanding of processes through which policies impacting migrant, minority and diasporic communities are formulated, implemented, developed and evaluated.

How will I be taught and assessed?

This is a full-time course. You can also choose to study it part time which is over a 2 year period this gives you an additional year to focus on your research dissertation. Teaching methods on the course will include:

• online lectures
• online classroom-based activities (utilising Blackboard Collaborate)
• independent learning methods
• practical online based sessions (including role-playing and simulations).

A range of summative assessment methods may be employed on this course, as follows:

• time-constrained assignments
• poster presentations
• reflective accounts
• oral presentations
• time constrained examinations
• essays
• research reports
• professional style reports e.g. court reports, expert witness reports
• risk assessment/management reports.

The final empirical dissertation represents a major piece of independent research activity within your chosen field of migration. This will involve several options including collecting original empirical (quantitative or qualitative) data from participants, or equivalent alternatives such as computational modelling of empirical or secondary data analysis, making use of large data sets, or an extended literature review or a performance piece. It will be undertaken with support from an academic supervisor delivered via regular meetings throughout the academic year.