Refugee care (M35)
A unique course that brings together people from diverse walks of life to explore how we can care for refugee people more effectively
Please note that teaching will take place at both the University of Essex in Colchester and the Tavistock Centre in London.
Please note: you may see the M35 course also referred to as SYMATP001 in communications from our application system.
About this course
This course will help to enhance your understanding and skills in working with refugee people using your own work experience as context. You will examine the complexities of the refugee experience from a holistic perspective and using systemic psychotherapy, narrative, psychodynamic, trauma-informed and liberation psychology approaches. You will consider therapeutic, clinical, theoretical, organisational, social and political viewpoints, among others.
You will have the opportunity to explore the social, cultural and political contexts relevant to asylum seeking/refugee people and families, using frameworks that are therapeutic and empowering and that will assist you in working directly with these groups.
You will learn through seminars and lectures, and undertake a placement in a relevant refugee institution/service where you will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice in the context of everyday working realities.
You will also participate in a supervision group facilitated by an experienced supervisor to enable you to reflect on your placement experiences, the impact of the work on the practitioner and what you bring to the work.
You will also be expected to undertake a systematic observation of an organisation and complete a research dissertation. Research in this field is woven into the fabric of the curriculum on this course.
The written assignments are designed to deepen your knowledge of the complex issues discussed in the academic community, the work observed and your placement experiences. Emphasis is placed on interactive, reflective and co-operative learning styles.
For more information on the structure of this course, including a breakdown of modules, please visit the University of Essex website.
Who is this course for?
This course is for you if you work with or want to work with asylum seeking, refugee and/or forcibly displaced people in a different capacity. You may be a:
- community worker
- foster carer
- frontline worker
- healthcare professional (e.g. GP, nurse or health visitor)
- lawyer
- manager
- mental health worker
- police officer
- policy-maker
- psychologist
- psychotherapist
- public sector worker
- social worker
- teacher
- voluntary worker
Course details
In order to undertake this course, we ask that you have:
- a university degree (or equivalent) in any subject, 2:2 or above
- a record of relevant work/experience or serious intent to work in relevant settings with refugees/asylum seekers
Applications to this course are made via the University of Essex application portal.
For information about the fees and funding for this course, please visit the University of Essex website.
Attendance
Full-time students will attend weekly refugee care seminars on Mondays in term one, weekly seminars and placement group supervisions in term two, and part of term three at the Tavistock and Portman.
Dates and times for Tavistock and Portman modules:
- Mondays, 4:30pm to 6:30pm during the autumn term
- Mondays, 1:15pm to 5:00pm during the spring term
- Mondays 3:30pm to 5:00pm during the summer term
Dates and times for Essex modules:
- Tuesdays (exact time to be confirmed by University of Essex)
Assessment
For information on the assessment of this course, please visit the University of Essex website.
Graduates of this course have succeeded in securing positions in the field of working with asylum seekers, refugees and forcibly displaced people with UK-based and international humanitarian aid organisations.
Moreover, this MA degree offers graduates a specialism in this field, which can directly enhance their work across all domains and capacities.
Why study with us?
You will develop a systematic understanding of the complexities and uniqueness of the various interconnecting contexts involved in the refugee experience. Contexts range from societal parameters to individual and family dynamics, the institutional dynamics of refugee services, aid organisations and, importantly, the personal dynamics of refugee workers themselves.
The course includes a thoughtful combination of practical and experiential elements, such as placements and institutional observations, to support a sound theoretical framework of the complexities of the refugee experience, such as family and societal factors, interactions with various services, institutions and organisations, and the inter-personal dynamics involved between refugees and their workers.
Testimonials
Course facilitators
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Nsimire Aimee Bisimwa
Systemic and family psychotherapist
Validations and accreditations
This course is validated by the University of Essex.
Apply now
Start your application for this course.