Disclosure: Human Rights Careers may be compensated by course providers.

7 Refugee studies masters around the world

M.A. Migration and Refugee Studies

The American University in Cairo offers a Master’s in Migration and Refugee Studies with opportunities to gain a concentration in either Migration or Refugee Studies. This is a 2-year, full-time, on-campus program designed to equip students with essential knowledge, research methods, and analytical skills in multiple disciplines relating to the issues of migration and refugees. Students must complete 8 courses and a thesis in order to graduate from the program.

Program cost for Egyptian students is EGP 8,786/credit and $1213/credit for international students. Multiple need- and merit-based scholarships and fellowships are available to students. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field to qualify for the program, and applicants with prior work/field experience are given preference. This program prepares students to pursue careers in government, nonprofits, international organizations, research institutes, and more.

M.A. Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies

The Master’s program in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies is offered through the University of London’s School of Advanced Studies. This 2-year, part-time online program helps students gain legal, practical, and theoretical understanding surrounding the issues of refugees and forced migrants, rooted in the teaching and research of the Refugee Law Initiative. To graduate from the program, students must complete 6 course modules and a dissertation.

The degree costs a total of £8220 with need-based and location-based scholarships available. Applicants must meet GPA requirements, relative to their home country, in order to be eligible for the program. Students who complete this degree often pursue careers in the humanitarian and development fields, working for nonprofits, international organizations, and governmental agencies.

M.A. Refugee Studies

The University of East London offers a Master’s in Refugee Studies. Students can choose to attend full-time or part-time. This on-campus program seeks to provide students with firsthand perspectives of refugees and highlight social, cultural, and community responses to forced migrant groups. It also equips students with an in-depth understanding of European policy towards refugees and asylum-seekers. To graduate, students must take a total of 180 credits, including a dissertation.

Full-time tuition is £8,340 for UK/EU students and £12,480 for international students. Partial scholarships are available to both UK/EU and international students. Graduates of this program will be prepared to pursue careers in human rights, legal advocacy, social work, counseling, community services, research, policy work, and more in fields relating to refugees and forced migration.

M.Sc. Refugee Studies

London South Bank University offers a Master’s program in Refugee Studies. This program can be attended full-time or part-time on campus. The degree aims to provide students with an interdisciplinary perspective on refugees and forced migration, looking at the issue from the areas of law, sociology, development, political science, psychology, and anthropology. Students will take 6 modules plus a dissertation module, which are required to complete the program.

Full time tuition costs £7500 for UK/EU students and £13125 for international students. Various scholarships are available to all students, as are loans. Students are encouraged to work voluntarily in the field while they are taking courses, helping to prepare them for careers in nonprofits, intergovernmental and international organizations, and government agencies.

LL.M. International Migration and Refugee Law

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers a advanced law degree in International Migration and Refugee Law. This 1-year, full-time, on-campus program focuses on a variety of legal issues relating to international migration and refugees from the perspective of both international and European law. Students will complete 8 courses, including several electives that can fit to each student’s interests. Students can also participate in cases alongside real lawyers through the Migration Law Clinic.

Tuition costs for EU/EEA is €2060 and €14,600 for international students. A variety of fellowships and scholarships are available to students for partial or full tuition coverage. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree in law to qualify for the program or have completed at least 1 year’s worth of classes in law-related subjects. Other students may be admitted on a case-by-case basis, based on academic background and experience. Graduates of this program typically work for international and national organizations dealing with issues of migration, including UN organizations. Students may also pursue careers in private law firms and nonprofits.

M.Sc. Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

Top-ranking University of Oxford offers a Master’s program in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. This 9-month, full-time, on-campus degree program gives students a multidisciplinary perspective on the issues of refugees and forced migration, focusing on policy, anthropology, law, and ethics. Students take courses throughout the first two terms, including a two-term research methods class. During the third term, students write a thesis to complete their degree.

Tuition costs a total of £20,387 for UK/EU students and £25,922 for international students. Over 1100 scholarships are offered for graduate students, and students automatically qualify for many of them upon application to the college. Students must have at least a 3.7 GPA from their undergraduate studies (recommended 3.8) to qualify to apply for the program. Graduates of this program have been equipped to pursue doctoral and law degrees, as well as careers with international and intergovernmental organizations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions.

M.Sc. Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, USA, offers a Master’s degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. Students have the option to attend this on-campus program full-time (2 years) or part-time. The first of its kind in the US, this Master’s program aims to give students practical and theoretical experience with issues surrounding refugees and forced migration, emphasizing the areas of law, history, policy, health, and international studies. In addition to 10 courses, students also complete 300 hours of internship experience through two practicum courses, one focusing on theory and another focusing on practice.

Tuition for all students is $38,410/year. DePaul offers a variety of internal, national, and featured scholarships for students, covering part and full tuition costs. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to go into careers in immigration law, nonprofits, refugee resettlement, international organizations, and government institutions.

Recommended article: 7 Crucial Things to Know About Working with Refugees

Also consider: Masters in Human Rights

About the author

Allison Reefer

Allison Reefer is a young professional living in Pittsburgh, PA. She works with a refugee resettlement agency to help refugees and immigrants in the city, and she volunteers with a local shelter for human trafficking victims. She obtained her Master in International Development from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Writing from Geneva College, focusing most of her academic work on human trafficking and migration in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In her free time, she loves to write, read, sing and play bass guitar, practice Russian, and explore her city.