MSc Global Development (Migration, Mobility & Displacement) / Course details

MSc Global Development with Migration, Mobility and Displacement offers a coherent, interdisciplinary and applied course that analyses the interaction between migration and development.

It will provide you with strong critical analytical skills, with a good grounding in the theoretical and conceptual debates in the field.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in how people's movement may contribute to economic, social and political development seen most vividly in the growing scale of remittances that outweigh official development aid.

On the other hand, there has also been a surge of interest in how supporting development may address the 'root causes' of mass (irregular) migration from the poorest regions of the world.

This course will help prepare you for future work in this politically highly charged arena where questions of global injustice and rights intersect with the social, economic, political and security interests of wealthy and poor states alike. This will course will be perfect for you, if:

• you are interested in understanding the many interactions between the movement of people and international development; 
• you want to understand why different forms of migration, mobility and displacement are taking an increasingly important role in the international development agenda; 
• you would like to critically examine the contemporary policy responses to the challenges of migration, mobility and displacement in the Global South.

As a pathway within the overall MSc International Development, this programme will provide you with both strong foundations in the broad field of development and specialist training in migration, mobility and displacement.

A particular feature of the course will the fieldwork trip which will include visits to communities and projects that are responding to the challenges and opportunities of migration.

The course will raise many new questions and equip you to start answering them.

You will have the opportunity to practice these research skills by preparing a dissertation on a topic of your choice relating to the course.

• Provide critical insights into different theoretical and disciplinary perspectives on how migration, mobility and development can be understood, measured and explained. 
• Provide students with a thorough conceptual framework and the skills necessary to critically analyse key theoretical and practical issues and debates relating to migration, mobility and development. 
• Provide students with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of how ideas and assumptions about the mobility of poor people are being embedded into the formulation and implementation of development policy. 
• Provide critical insights into the key strategies, policies and practices currently employed to make `migration work for development' and to invest in development with a view to tackling the `root causes of irregular movement'. 
• Provide a wide range of options for advanced training in areas of specialist expertise relevant to migration, mobility and development. 
• Develop advanced competencies in transferable areas, including developing reasoned arguments, gathering, organising and using evidence and information from a wide variety of sources, undertaking both team-based and independent work to deadlines, and both written and verbal forms of communication. 
• Assist students in developing their specialist area of expertise in the broad field of migration, mobility and development, and in applying their understanding and skills through supervised individual research culminating in a dissertation.

• We're Europe's largest dedicated development research and teaching institute and have been at the   forefront of development studies for over 60 years . 
• We're ranked second in the UK and seventh in the world for development studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022).   
• We bring cutting-edge insights from our research into all our postgraduate teaching. Our courses bring different development perspectives and voices to Manchester, from   activists from the Global South   to the leaders of multinational companies.   
• We are home to the internationally recognised   African Cities Research Consortium ,   Effective States and Inclusive Development   and   FutureDAMS   research centres.  
• Students are part of our vibrant research community, including our   public lecture series ,  which brings world experts, former heads of state, and leading development thinkers, to discuss current issues in development.

Important notice: factors affecting fieldwork and placements

The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) recognises the value of fieldwork and placements. However, the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our priority.

The School will assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any significant changes to our students at the earliest possible opportunity.

The role of SEED

• changes to the rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments;
• a risk assessment conducted by or on behalf of the University identifying unmanageable risk;
• changes that enhance the educational value and student experience of the activity;
• changes to the situation of a placement provider (for example, which cause them to be unable to accept students);
• the unavailability of appropriate insurance cover;
• the unavailability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs;
• where fieldwork and placements are a compulsory element of the Programme, they will be replaced with something academically similar;
• where a trip or placement is not a compulsory element of the Programme, it may not be replaced.

We will consult with affected students at the earliest possible opportunity and explore the options available to them.

The duty of students

Preparation, attendance and conduct

Attendance at preparatory classes is a compulsory pre-requisite of the fieldwork and placements to ensure safety and learning outcomes are met.

Students who do not attend the compulsory preparatory classes may be prevented from participating in the fieldwork or placement. It is the duty of students to discuss any attendance issues with the field course or placement convenor.

Students are representatives of the university during their fieldwork or placement. Behaviour deemed by the convenor to be unacceptable may result in students being sent home.

Where a student is unable to attend or complete the fieldwork or placement (e.g. due to mitigating circumstances), is prevented from attending due to absence from compulsory preparatory classes, or returned home due to poor conduct:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered (as appropriate) to ensure that the programme ILOs are met, and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

Immigration, passport and visa requirements

It is the responsibility of the individual student to ensure they have:

• a valid passport to enter the destination country (including sufficient months prior to expiry);
• a valid visa (where required) and comply with its requirements.

The School cannot guarantee that visas required for fieldwork or a placement will be granted by the relevant authority. Please note that countries may change their immigration and visa regulations at short notice.

Where a student is unable to attend fieldwork or a placement because they do not have the required visa or passport:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered to ensure that the programme ILOs are met and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

The taught elements of the course, carrying 120 credits overall, is continuously assessed by a variety of methods (eg project-based reports, essays), involving largely individual submissions, but also elements of group work.

You must also complete a 12,000-15,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice approved by the Programme Directors.

You are encouraged to base your dissertation on topics of direct professional concern.