Graduate Certificate in Immigration Studies
Beginning fall 2010, Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change will offer a graduate certificate in Immigration Studies.
International migration has become an important global force reshaping societies throughout the world. Demographic and economic inequalities between nations are widening at the same time that globalization is causing increased interconnectedness. This means that the number of migrants crossing international borders will continue growing at a rapid pace for the foreseeable future. In response, governments have attempted to control and manage these migration flows and contain anti-immigrant public backlashes while dealing with increasing demands for immigrant rights, services and political representation. Global migration is fundamentally reshaping the economic, ethnic and political dynamics of various host societies while having a profound impact on the families and communities of the migrants themselves.
Career opportunities
As a border state with an expanding economy, Arizona has become one of the primary destinations for immigrants in the U.S. In addition to a substantial increase in undocumented migration from Mexico, the state has also become home to an expanding population of legal immigrants from various countries, who come as workers, students, high-skilled professionals and former refugees. As a result, an increasing number of local non-government organizations and government agencies are seeking qualified and knowledgeable professionals to manage this immigration flow and provide services to burgeoning immigrant and refugee communities.
The graduate certificate in Immigration Studies will provide students with an understanding of the causes and consequences of international migration, as well as relevant professional and research training opportunities. This background will prepare them for future study in graduate and professional schools or for careers as immigration practitioners and advocates in NGOs; local and federal government agencies; and other private and public institutions serving immigrant and refugee communities. The objective of the certificate program, therefore, is to offer both traditional academic training through course work and research, as well as practical experience working with local immigrant/refugee communities.
The program curriculum represents multiple disciplines. A number of Arizona State University academic units—such as the Department of Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies and Asian and Pacific American Studies program—have considerable strength in immigration studies. Over 25 faculty in the social sciences and humanities conduct research or teach courses on immigration.
The certificate requires completing a minimum of 15 credit hours, generally within 3 years (these credit hours consist of a core course, 3 elective courses and an internship or research paper). Certificate students may choose to specialize in the social sciences, the humanities or Mexican and Latino immigrants in the U.S.
Contact
For questions regarding the application process or other administrative issues, contact Georgie Miller, graduate academic success specialist for the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. For other questions, contact Takeyuki (Gaku) Tsuda, associate professor of sociocultural anthropology.
School of Human Evolution & Social Change
Takeyuki "Gaku" Tsuda
Department of Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies
Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez
Department of History/North American Center for Transborder Studies
Dirk Hoerder
Asian and Pacific American Studies Program
Karen Leong
School of Social and Family Dynamics
Cecilia Menjivar
