Migration Studies

You will be admitted initially as a Probationer Research Student (PRS), with full-time students transferring to full DPhil status by the end of their first year and part-time students transferring by the end of their second year.

During the probationary period, you will develop and begin work on your thesis topic. You will be offered training in relevant research methods, and have the opportunity to attend lectures, seminars and classes in your general topic area. Full-time students are expected to be resident in Oxford for the PRS period.

In terms of research methods training you are likely to have already completed appropriate research training at master’s degree level, either within Oxford or another university. There is a joint Quantitative Research Methods for Migration Studies course for master's-level students on the MSc in Migration Studies and MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, and separate courses in qualitative methods. Graduates who have followed this route will therefore have completed the necessary training. Students new to Oxford will be expected to attend and pass the Quantitative Research Methods for Migration Studies course unless they can demonstrate equivalent research training or experience, assessed and approved. Supervisors will conduct a Training Needs Analysis to discuss the required skills and identify any gaps.

As a DPhil student you will undertake your own original research project under the guidance of your supervisor, with whom you will typically meet two to three times a term. Academics from SAME and ODID can offer supervision in a wide range of subjects. The supervisor will help develop and guide your project and, at later stages, provide feedback on chapter drafts. However, you will work to a significant extent on your own, and you will need a high level of motivation and self-discipline.

You will also benefit from long established research and teaching programmes on migration, each with particular focus on collaborating with non-academics and generating research ‘impact’. The DPhil programme offers the opportunity to link research training to research practice at the two research centres: The Centre on Migration Policy and Society (COMPAS) and the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC).

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography (SAME) or Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.

In some circumstances we could consider making a joint supervision arrangement and in that case one of the two supervisors may be found outside SAME or ODID.

The increasing importance of the issue of migration on the global stage means that there are multiple paths to future employment in academia – where migration is growing in importance, with the establishment of numerous migration-related programmes at universities around the world – but also with significant opportunities in national governments and multilateral organisations.

Oxford graduates in similar programmes have gone on to occupy key posts in leading institutions of international governance, including: UNCHR, Norwegian Refugee Council, European Council on Refugees and Exiles, IOM, ILO, and the European Commission.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography

Anthropology DPhil

Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology MSc

Medical Anthropology MPhil

Medical Anthropology MSc

Migration Studies MSc

Migration Studies DPhil

Social Anthropology MPhil

Social Anthropology MSc

Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology MPhil

Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology MSc

All graduate courses offered by the Oxford Department of International Development

Development Studies MPhil

Economics for Development MSc

Global Governance and Diplomacy MSc

International Development DPhil

Migration Studies MSc

Migration Studies DPhil

Refugee and Forced Migration Studies MSc

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Entry requirements