Migration Studies

Minor

Care for migrants is one of the five "critical concerns" of the Sisters of Mercy.

Migration Studies is a discipline exploring human migration in all of its forms and from a number of different academic perspectives including, but not limited to, anthropology, psychology, political science, public health, language, and sociology. This minor prepares students to work with refugees and immigrants in any field, as well as support them in their resettlement and work on policies related to immigration.

The minor in Migration Studies consists of 21 credit hours: five core and two elective courses. In addition, all students in the minor program are expected to complete a service component working with immigrants in the Erie area—as a Beyond the Gates (BTG) experience, a service-learning component of a class, or an internship.

This minor pairs well with majors in Public Health, Intelligence Studies, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Education, Psychology, and Human Resource Management.

Required Courses

The core courses, which can be taken in any order, are the following:

MGST 101: Introduction to Migration Studies (Three credits)
ANTH 277: Ethnographic Field Methods (Three credits)
PUBH 211: Global Health (Three credits) or PUBH 290: Social Determinants of Health (Three credits)
SOCW 304: Social Welfare Analysis (Three credits)
One course of a language, at any level.

The elective courses can be chosen from:

A second course of the same language taken for the minor core.
A relevant internship, approved by the program director (Taken for academic credit).
PSYC 232: Psychology of Prejudice (Three credits) or PSYC 160: Cultural Psychology (Three credits)/233: Cross-Cultural Psychology (Three credits)
PUBH 211: Global Health (Three credits) or PUBH 290: Social Determinants of Health (Three credits) (Whichever was not taken as part of the minor main core)
SOC 350: Human Trafficking (Three credits)
SPAN 235: Spanish for Health and Human Services (Three credits)

Other courses with a demonstrated relevance to the field could also be approved as minor electives by the program director.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this program, students are able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the history, types, and forms of human migration.
Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and methodological approaches used in studying human migration.
Explain the role of social institutions (i.e. national borders, policies, governments) in migration trends.
Explain the impact of global stratification, power, and regional desirability on the direction and strength of migration flows.
Discuss the impact of migration on migrants, as well as the communities in which they arrive and emigrate.
Demonstrate an understanding of receiving national responses to migrant presence, available social resources, and social organizations that assist with resettlement.

Understand Community Needs & Provide Resources

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Internship Opportunities

Regardless of your career path, you will likely work with communities and individuals who have experienced different forms and causes of migration. A minor in Migration Studies will help you better understand the needs of this community and how to provide effective services and resources.
Service-Learning

Regardless of your career path, you will likely work with communities and individuals who have experienced different forms and causes of migration. A minor in Migration Studies will help you better understand the needs of this community and how to provide effective services and resources.
Cultural Engagement

Regardless of your career path, you will likely work with communities and individuals who have experienced different forms and causes of migration. A minor in Migration Studies will help you better understand the needs of this community and how to provide effective services and resources.