Graduate Studies

Graduate certificate in Migration and Citizenship

Graduate diploma in Migration and Citizenship

The graduate program in Migration and Citizenship provides students the opportunity to utilize multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches to investigate human movement, resettlement, and belonging in their contemporary and historical contexts, both globally and with a particular focus on the Canadian experience.

The program offers a certificate and a diploma jointly designed to provide students maximum flexibility in pursuing these credentials at different points in their careers and with different career or future education goals in mind. Both options share the same core courses and draw from the same selection of additional courses. Students can incrementally ladder from one credential to another, or apply for direct entry.

Students can earn the graduate certificate upon completion of 12 credits of course work. Students in the graduate diploma will complete an additional course, a practicum in which they will develop and practise professional skills, and a reflexive capstone. Throughout each credential, the program will emphasize professionalism, ethics, and reflexive praxis.

Program learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Migration and Citizenship program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a depth and breadth of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary knowledges pertaining to significant contemporary theories and debates in migration, settlement, and citizenship studies.
• Critically examine and assess a range of social, economic, political, cultural, historic, geographic, literary, policy, service, community, and human rights issues and cases in migration and citizenship.
• Demonstrate a strong theoretical foundation for the critical evaluation and applied understanding of local, regional, national, international, and transnational realities of migration and citizenship.
• Formulate and communicate critical perspectives on the theories, issues, debates, and realities of migration and citizenship through courses, readings, discussions, assignments, and, where relevant, practica.
• Compare and critically assess migration and citizenship in Canada with other countries, through an internationalized and indigenized curriculum.
• Assess and develop a position on significant public policy questions, taking into account scholarly, governmental, and community perspectives.
• Have the ability to envision, initiate, and lead collaborative endeavours in developing, assessing, and implementing migration, settlement, and citizenship programs and policy.
• Demonstrate academic, professional, intercultural, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Practise sound and responsible ethics and employ processes of self-inquiry and reflexivity.
• Utilize a comprehensive academic foundation for a variety of regional and global careers in community, educational, and non-governmental organizations, government, and private sector positions, as well as for further academic pursuits.

In addition, graduates of the diploma will:

• Integrate and apply program learning and skills acquisition in a practicum/internship/service learning experience.

Employment opportunities

Graduates will have advanced preparation for a broad range of positions in the fields of migration, settlement, and citizenship. They will be prepared for — or able to further advance in — careers in community, educational, and non-governmental organizations such as local settlement agencies, as well as government, civil society, and private sector positions.

Entrance requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree in a humanities, social science, or related discipline from a recognized post-secondary institution with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00.
2. Demonstrated ability to undertake advanced work in the area of interest, as evidenced by references from three qualified referees (at least two of which should be academic) and a statement of interest.

Students are advised that an additional language is a considerable asset to employment in the field.

Note: Applicants whose native language is not English must also satisfy the English language proficiency requirement.

Conditional admission

In exceptional cases, and in agreement with the General Regulations for Graduate Studies, conditional admission may be offered to applicants who demonstrate that they are substantially ready to undertake a credential but who have not completed all admission requirements at the time of application. An offer of conditional admission will specify the requirements to be met and the limited time period within which the requirements must be met. Normally, the requirements must be fulfilled either prior to registering in the program, or within the first year of studies. See General Regulations for Graduate Studies for more information.

Competency-based admission

Competency-based assessment will be available in exceptional cases where students do not meet stated admission requirements. See General Regulations for Graduate Studies for more information.

When to apply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space. See Continuous application process for more information.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply. There is an application fee.

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • One-page statement of interest.
   • Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.
   • Three letters of reference using the official reference form provided by the School of Graduate Studies.
2. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.

Basis for admission decision

Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of their application date. This date is set when an application, all required documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. There will be additional costs for textbooks.

Program duration

All credentials within this program will be offered both full-time and part-time. Students will be required to indicate at the time of admission whether they intend to study on a full-time or part-time basis. Transferring from full-time to part-time studies, or vice versa, will be possible should circumstances warrant; such transitions must be undertaken in conjunction with semester timelines and with the permission of the program supervisor. Every student will develop an individualized program pathway that will be reviewed and, if necessary, revised at the beginning of each semester.

The graduate certificate can be completed in eight months (two semesters) on a full-time basis and two to three years (six to nine semesters) on a part-time basis.

The graduate diploma can be completed in 20 months (five semesters) on a full-time basis and two to three years (six to nine semesters) on a part-time basis.

Fast-track options may be available to individual students and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

A maximum completion time will be imposed based on students’ declarations of intention at the time of admission:

• Certificate, full-time: 24 months; part-time: 36 months
• Diploma, full-time: 30 months; part-time: 48 months

Location

The program is located at the Abbotsford campus.

Program outline

Graduate certificate: 12 credits

Graduate diploma: 24 credits

Elective courses

All students will be required to complete the core courses MC 700, MC 705, and MC 710.

Additional courses will be selected from the following list of courses specifically developed for this program:

Additionally, Migration and Citizenship graduate program students may in special circumstances count towards elective credit one course from specially adapted fourth-year courses and/or graduate courses in other programs. These courses may include:

Additional courses may be approved as a Migration and Citizenship elective when the topics and approaches are appropriate to the program.

Program requirements and continuance in program

Student continuance in this program will be reviewed annually. Decisions on continuance will be made by the program committee, and will be based on the following criteria:

• Completion of coursework with a minimum grade of B- and a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00.
• For diploma students, satisfactory progress on the practicum and capstone requirements as demonstrated by an annual report to the supervisory committee.

Course repetition

Students can re-take a course if they wish to improve the grade earned in the course. Permission of the Graduate Program Committee is required (please see General Regulations for Graduate Studies).

Auditing courses

Students wishing to audit a course must request permission from the instructor when no more than 30% of the course is completed. No changes from regular to audit status will be permitted after this date.

Course withdrawal deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow UFV’s Course Withdrawal policy (81). Please see General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Residency

All program requirements must be completed at UFV, with the exception of the additional courses (total of three credits for the certificate, and six credits for the diploma) which may be taken at another recognized university for transfer credit or considered for prior learning recognition. An application for the transfer of credits or recognition of prior learning must be in accordance with UFV General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Students who completed undergraduate courses in Migration and Citizenship at UFV may apply a maximum of one course (three credits) to any one graduate credential.

Graduation requirements

Candidates who qualify to receive a UFV graduate credential must be approved by the UFV School of Graduate Studies and the University Senate. Students must submit a Request to Graduate form to the UFV Office of the Registrar by April 1.

Note: Students should also be familiar with the General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.