Oshin Shahiean, UK

MA Migration and Law

"The MA in migration and law course provided leading academics from different fields of law and social sciences. The teaching staff were dynamic and at the forefront of their areas of interest.

Amongst other subjects, I chose to study: EU Justice and Home Affairs, lectured by Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas; and Comparative Immigration and Nationality Law, which was lectured by Dr Prakash Shah.

In both modules the teaching methods introduced me to a new dimension in legal thinking which I had not been made aware of in my undergraduate law studies. They expanded my vision of the law by placing the law into context. Rather than accepting the law for what it is, I was now engaging in critical thinking and analysis of the law-making process and the legal effects and outcomes of certain areas of immigration law. The classes were in small groups and extremely engaging with many interesting discussions coming from students of different disciplines and nationalities.

I found that a perfect balance had been struck between the theoretical, historical/political and legal areas of migration, with the teaching staff providing one on one support throughout the course. Students were also provided with access to external libraries such as the library at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies with its impressively broad range of legal resources. Now I am doing the LPC, I would recommend this Masters to anyone considering taking up professional legal studies to complete a masters degree prior to starting their course. It will be a significant opportunity to deepen their legal knowledge before putting theory into practice. Also, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the Migration and Law course, students will gain a better understanding of fundamental nature of law and the way it interacts with people’s lives."