MERM

MSc in Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism (MERM)

Why have some immigrants who came to Europe to improve their circumstances rejected their host culture and become radicalised, while others are doing their best to fit in to their new environment? Do some groups of immigrants tend to separate themselves off more than others? If so, why? And why did the Soviet Union break up into ethnic republics?

MERM

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and the European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER; www.ercomer.eu) at Utrecht University in The Netherlands offer a two-year research master’s program “Migration, ethnic relations and multiculturalism” (MERM) that is completely taught in English. The research master’s program offers structured and systematic training in theoretically and methodologically advanced research in this field of research that covers many of the hotly debated issues in most countries across the world.

MERM is the oldest (and a prestige) research master programme at Utrecht University and the programme is characterised by:

  • A problem-driven approach with a focus on topics of migration, integration, ethnic identity, acculturation, racism and nationalism.
  • A strong focus on the integration of sociological, social psychological and anthropological theories; on conducting empirical research; and on advanced methods of data-analysis.
  • A clearly structured curriculum, sound supervision, and interaction and collaboration with peers in an international atmosphere.
  • Students gain hands on experience in writing a research article in English: the master’s thesis that completes the program is written in the format of a publishable research article. Until now, around half of all the theses have been submitted or accepted for publication in social scientific journals like the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Journal of Social Issues, Political Psychology, British Journal of Social Psychology, Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, Sociology of Education, European Union Politics, and others.

The quality of the MERM program can be inferred, among other things, from various and consistently very favourable external evaluations of research and teaching at Ercomer. For example, in 2008 in an international assessment, the Ercomer’s research program received the highest possible scores on all four criteria and the Assessment Committee concluded that “The quality of this programme is excellent in nearly all aspects. Within the European community (and beyond), the programme is recognized as a leader in the study of migration, cultural diversity and ethnic relations.” Furthermore, in a recent national evaluation (2010), MERM was evaluated as one of the three currently best research master’s programs across all disciplines in the social and behavioural sciences in the Netherlands

Students benefit from intensive supervision. Instructors involved in teaching the program and supervising students include prominent researcher from the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science as well as the Department of Sociology such as Marcel Coenders, Edwin Poppe, Frank van Tubergen, Maykel Verkuyten, and Jeroen Weesie. Students likewise benefit from much interaction and collaboration in a relatively small group of peers. The drop out rate of students from the program is very low and practically all students entering the program do complete it in due time within two years. The profile of the program ensures that the labour market position of alumni is excellent: students who have completed the program are very successful in acquiring subsequent positions as PhD students, as researchers in institutes and organizations outside the university, as trainees, as consultants, at NGO’s, etc.

The target group of students consists of promising students with a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent period of at least three years of undergraduate study and qualifications that justify the expectation of successful completion of the program in due time. This includes students with a BA in Social Sciences, broadly conceived and including (social) Psychology, Sociology, Political Sciences, Demography, Interdisciplinary Social Science, and Anthropology.

Students from outside the Netherlands are explicitly encouraged to apply and can easily follow the program since it is taught in English. About 30-50% of the students are students from outside the Netherlands.

Each year, a new group of students enters the program. We are currently searching for talented candidates for the academic year 2012/2013. Courses for this group will start in September, 2012.

The deadlines for applications for the academic year 2012/2013 are December 1, 2011 (early bird-deadline) and April, 2012. The number of new students per year is usually limited to 20. Assuming that the number and quality of applications for the academic year 2012/2013 is similar to the number and quality of applications for previous academic years it makes sense to use the upcoming early bird deadline December 1, 2011, since this may enhance chances of admission.

Detailed information on the program – such as courses taught and an overview of master’s thesis projects – is available at:  www.uu.nl/graduateschools/sbs or at www.ercomer.eu

Maykel  Verkuyten (m.verkuyten@uu.nl)

Coordinator research master’s program “Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism”

Registration for prospective students is now open.
Early bird deadline is December 1st 2011, main deadline April 1st 2012.
For more information on entrance requirements and admission visit www.uu.nl/programmes/merm

Recent Publications

ERCOMER

ERCOMER actively encourages, supports and promotes comparative research in the fields of international migration and ethnic relations within a European context.