Master of Arts in the field of Migration and Diaspora Studies

The interdisciplinary master of arts in migration and diaspora studies degree program focuses on contemporary experiences affecting migrants, migration, and diasporas, interlinking an in-depth exploration of US immigration and global mobilities. It integrates the perspectives and methods of three social science disciplines: geography, sociology, and anthropology. The program prepares students with rigorous training in social scientific research methods and places migration and diaspora within the broader context of socioeconomic, cultural, historical, and political transformations.

Visit the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences website for application requirements.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Graduate Studies
The George Washington University
801 22nd Street NW, Phillips Hall 107
Washington DC 20052

For additional information about the admissions process visit the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact for questions:

askccas@gwu.edu
202-994-6210 (phone)
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.

30 credits, including 9 credits in core courses, 6 credits in research methods courses, a 3-credit capstone course, and 12 credits in elective courses.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core courses
Three courses (9 credits) with one course selected in each of Group A, Group B, and Group C.
Group A: Sociology of migration
SOC 6253	Current Issues in US Immigration Policy
SOC 6251	Immigration and Integration in the City
Group B: Geography of migration
GEOG 6232	Migration and Development
GEOG 6242	Migrants and the City
Group C: Anthropology of migration *
ANTH 6301	The Anthropology of Development
ANTH 6305	Anthropology of Intervention: Development, Human Rights, Humanitarianism
Research methods
Two research methods courses (6 credits), one in quantitative methods and one in qualitative methods, selected from the lists below. An alternative research methods course can be taken with permission of the director of graduate studies.
One quantitative methods course (3 credits) selected from the following:
GEOG 6304	Geographic Information Systems I
SOC 6231	Quantitative Methods
One qualitative methods course (3 credits) selected from the following:
AMST 6100	Scope and Methods in American Studies
ANTH 6531	Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology
GEOG 6292	Qualitative Methods in Geography
HIST 6005	Introduction to Historiography
HIST 6007	Historical Research and Writing
SOC 6232	Qualitative Methods
Capstone
MDS 6099	Capstone in Migration and Diaspora Studies
Electives
Four courses (12 credits) selected from the list below, or from the core course options listed above that were not taken to fulfill the core requirement. Other courses can be taken as electives if approved by the director of graduate studies. Up to two undergraduate courses taken for graduate credit can be used as elective courses with the approval of the director of graduate studies. Such courses must be taken at the 3000 or 4000 level with additional, graduate-level work required.
AMST 6250	US Immigration Histories
or HIST 6250	US Immigration Histories
ANTH 6824	The Black Atlantic
ENGL 6560	Postcolonialism, Migration, and Diasporas
or WGSS 6560	Postcolonialism, Migration, and Diasporas
HIST 6503	The African Diaspora: Blackness and the Making of the Modern World
PSC 8338	Nationalism and Nation-Building

 *Certain special topics courses in Anthropology can be taken to fulfill the requirement for one course from Group C if the topic is focused on migration. Approval of the director of graduate studies  is required.