The course Introduction to Migration Studies, taught at an upper-undergraduate level at the University of Amsterdam, provides students with fundamental insights into processes and causes of international migration as well as its impacts on destination and origin societies. This will enable students to make a critical, independent assessment of the various migration myths peddled by the media, politicians, and international organizations. Steering away from simplistic push-pull models, the course equips the student with a fundamental understanding of migration as an integral part of global change rather than a ‘problem to be solved’ or ‘a solution to problems’.
Taught by Prof. Hein de Haas, the course is also offered in the Minor programme in Global Migration.
The 30 ECTs Minor will provide students with the following knowledge, experiences and skills:
- Knowledge of historical and current international migration patterns
- Understanding of theories on the causes, continuation and impacts of migration across the social sciences
- Critically assess public debates, dissect underlying assumptions, and evaluate the effects and effectiveness of migration and integration policies
- Understanding of the lived experiences of migrants and the complexity of policy making in this field
- Apply knowledge from the field of migration studies in addressing migration related issues
- Debating, discussing, writing about and presenting migration-related issues.
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For more information on this course, the minor programme and enrolments, please visit the University of Amsterdam's website.