MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies
Socially, politically and culturally, migration is one of the most urgent issues the United States and the world face today. GW’s 30-credit MA in Migration & Diaspora Studies prepares students to meet the global demand for experts in global migration and immigration.
Through rigorous, interdisciplinary training in social scientific research methods, graduates of the MA program master the skills needed to communicate about human mobility, diaspora and settlement across a variety of careers.
Admissions Details
Program: Part-time or full-time
Duration: Two years (full-time)
Application Deadlines: February 1 (for priority fellowship consideration)
April 1 (regular deadline)
Interdisciplinary Curriculum
The core MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies curriculum combines courses from geography, sociology and anthropology. Students also have the opportunity to select methodological, technical and elective courses aligned with their interests and aspirations.
Unlike similar programs, GW offers a historically informed, social-scientific approach that integrates multiple perspectives. With a focus on social science, coursework places experiences of migration and diaspora within the broader context of socioeconomic, cultural and political transformations. These include courses on race, ethnicity and place; inequality and urbanization; cultural histories; immigrant histories and well-being; mobility and detention; and nationalism and policy making.
Unique Opportunities
Access
to a deep bench of award-winning scholars specializing in immigrant communities and transnational mobility
Partnership
with GW’s Center for Immigration and Migration Studies, a community hub and an incubator for student research
Pipeline
to future PhD programs and careers in academia, research, government, nonprofits and community networks
Faculty in This Program
Kavita Daiya
Director, MA Program in Migration and Diaspora Studies; Professor of English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Hiromi Ishizawa
Co-Director, Center for Immigration and Migration Studies; Associate Professor of Sociology
Elizabeth Vaquera
Director of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute; Associate Professor of Public Policy and Public Administration and Sociology
Elizabeth Chacko
Co-Director, Center for Immigration and Migration Studies; Professor of Geography & International Affairs
Marie Price
Professor of Geography & International Affairs
Ilana Feldman
Professor of Anthropology, History, and International Affairs
Steve Lubkemann
Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs
Tom Guglielmo
Professor of American Studies
Course Requirements
[TBD]