The one-year master's programme Governance of Migration and Diversity (GMD) integrates knowledge from various disciplines, focusing on how public and private organisations can respond to the opportunities offered and the challenges posed by migration and diversity. It brings together history, sociology, politics, law, international development and urban design as a foundation for better understanding migration and diversity governance.
About the master's programme
What are the opportunities for managing migration flows? How can we prevent discrimination and promote interaction and cohesion in culturally diverse societies? How to make EU policy on redistribution of asylum seekers fair and effective? How to reconstruct a neighbourhood to bring its’ diverse residents together? In what ways can migrant return policies be made more fair, humane and just?
These urgent questions require a new generation of experts: those who can think holistically, connect across disciplines and sectors, act with initiative, and navigate complex challenges with a strong ethical compass. This multi-disciplinary master's programme trains such professionals equipped to research, analyse, and manage migration and diversity issues in the contemporary globalise and complex societies.
This master’s programme offers students a truly multidisciplinary learning experience across the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities alliance. By following courses from History and Law at Leiden University, Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology,and Sociology, Public Administration, and the International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam, students learn to understand migration and diversity from multiple perspectives and across different urban, legal, social, and governance contexts.
Why choose this master's programme?
Migration and diversity are key factors in some of the most fundamental transformations of society today. These transformations do not merely involve migrants, but they have an impact on societies at large. They influence many societal aspects, such as education, housing, labour and international relations. Migration and diversity also have become highly politicised issues that play an important role in contemporary politics across the globe.
We offer:
- Knowledge that will help you address governance issues related to migration and diversity from a multidisciplinary perspective.
- A unique interdisciplinary programme, with courses taught by leading scholars from three universities and five academic disciplines.
- A focus on policies, politics and governance at an international, national and local level.
- Applied education that is directly linked to contemporary issues. We train students to contribute to the governance of migration and diversity by collaborating with governance stakeholders on the ground.
- Top-level education. The Public Administration programme at Erasmus University Rotterdam is ranked number 1 in the Shanghai Ranking 2025.
How does the interdisciplinary education organized in practice?
All students participate in the joint part of the master's programme, which consists of 50% of all courses. The other 50% entails a disciplinary-specific courses.
Students can choose among five disciplinary tracks:
- GMD Sociology track, Erasmus University Rotterdam
- GMD Public Administration track, Erasmus University Rotterdam
- GMD History track, Leiden University
- GMD Development studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam (International Institute of Social Studies in the Hague)
- GMD Legal track, Leiden University in the Hague
From the start, you choose to specialise in one of the tracks. Check out the track websites for information on admission criteria and application deadlines.
| Sociology track * at EUR | Public administration track at EUR | History track at Leiden | Development Studies track at ISS | Law (Leiden Law School) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Public Policy (5 EC) | Academic skills and Thesis seminar (5 EC) | Histories and theories of development (5 EC) | ILS - Protection of Human Rights (5 EC) | ||||||
| Grand Challenges in Development Studies (5 EC) | International and European non-discrimination law (5 EC) | ||||||||
| Doing development research (5 EC) | |||||||||
| Migration and Diversity in a (De)globalized World (5 EC) | History of Migration and Diversity ctd. (5 EC) | Elective Course @ ISS (5 EC)* Research methods @ ISS (5 EC)* | Privatissimum: International and European non-discrimination law (5 EC) | ||||||
| Research Design and Methods (7,5 EC) | Media, Governance (5 EC) | Thesis (20 EC) | Elective Course @ ISS (5EC)* Research methods @ ISS (5 EC)* | International and European migration and asylum law (5 EC) | |||||
| Thesis (22,5 EC)) | Designing Migration Policy Research (5 EC) | Thesis work (20 EC) | International and European migration and asylum law in Practice (Moot Court) (5 EC) | ||||||
| Thesis (15 EC) | Master Thesis: Governance of Migration and Diversity (10 EC) |
Students from all tracks follow the joint course GMD.
*Elective options:
- PA track students take the joint courses SMD, PMD, HMD, LMD. Furthermore, they choose between the M&D and the Delft course in block 3.
- SOC track students take the joint courses SMD, PMD, HMD, LMD. They do not take the joint courses in block 3 (M&D, Delft course).
- HIS track students take HMD and they choose four of the following courses: M&D, PMD, SMD, Delft course, LMD.
- LMD track students take HMD, SMD, PMD and M&D. They do not take the LMD or Delft course.
- ISS students take M&D and GMD, and they choose two of the following courses depending on the combination they make with their ISS electives and the guidance from their study advisor: PMD, LMD, and Delft course.
Diploma
After completing the master’s programme you will obtain a diploma from the discipline, university and master's track you followed (Sociology, Public Administration, History, Law or Development Studies), with ‘Governance of Migration of Diversity’ as your specialisation.
Career opportunities
After completing this specialisation, you learned to identify social and political challenges of related to governing migration and diversity. Furthermore, you are now well equipped to provide evidence-informed advice and develop solutions for these problems.
Graduates of this specialisation are suitable candidates for positions in governmental organisations (policymakers, policy advisors, lobbyists, political parties) and civil society organisations (e.g., unions, international organizations, NGOs, research institutes and think-tanks) on the local, national, or international level.
In this master's programme you will have:
- Developed a multidisciplinary understanding of migration and diversity from various perspectives, including history, law, development studies, sociology, public administration and urbanism.
- Acquired a methodological understanding to study migration and diversity.
- Learned to better understand the governance implications of migration and diversity at the local (urban), regional, national, European, and international levels.
- Obtained professional skills in designing strategies for managing migration and diversity at the policy level.
Our graduates currently work as, e.g. integration advisors at local governments, project assistants at IOM, trainees of EU Joint Research Centre, Blue Book trainees, immigration law firms, at Oxfam etc., some also pursue an academic career as PhD candidates.
For me, the GMD Programme has been an interesting journey that has enriched my knowledge and changed my perspective on migration.
The program provided us with practical experiences beyond theoretical learning, including site visits and research projects, enabling us to gain real-life knowledge.
It’s easy to get lost in the statistics and policies of it all, but especially in the Development Studies track, you learn that at the end of the day it really boils down to the individual person.
This opportunity to look at an area of study from a multidisciplinary approach was one of the main features I noticed when I applied for the Master's degree.
A great thing I take away from this master's programme, and hold dear in my heart, are the people and the connections I have made!
I wholeheartedly recommend this master's programme to everyone who has a genuine interest in migration issues and is open to embarking on an enriching and challenging academic adventure.
GMD master offers a unique learning experience by bringing together knowledge from various disciplines (sociology, history, politics), enabling a comprehensive understanding of migration and diversity dynamics.
LDE Centre GMD
The LDE Centre Governance of Migration and Diversity is the academic home of this master’s specialisation. Established by Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Centre promotes collaboration in teaching and research across universities and disciplines, which is beneficial for the students.
Students and alumni of the master’s programme are an integral part of the Centre’s community. They contribute to the annual LDE GMD Conference by organising panels and providing organisational support. Through the Student Board, students also offer valuable feedback on the quality of education and help organise social activities that strengthen the programme’s community.
Hello and goodbye!
Welcome day
At the end of summer, you will join a Welcome Day at the ‘Het Wijkpaleis’ (Neighbourhood palace) in Rotterdam to kick off your master’s experience. There you receive general introductory information about the Master’s, you meet other students of that academic year, and get to know your professors a bit better. After a light lunch, the professors will take you on a ‘Migration tour’, bringing you to places in Rotterdam related to the city’s migration history.
Graduation day
At the beginning of September, we celebrate the graduates of the whole programme at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The graduation ceremony is a special moment to mark the successful completion of your master’s programme together with your loved ones, fellow students, and professors. After the ceremony, everyone is invited to a reception with drinks and light snacks. Students often continue the celebration in the evening by organising a festive dinner together.
Open days
Still in doubt about what you would like to study next year? Or do you have some questions about our programme? Then, visit us at the Master Open Day event at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, where we will talk about the GMD - Public Administration and Sociology track.
Other tracks also organize their Open Days:
- GMD Development track at ISS.
- Read all about the GMD History track here
- GMD Legal track: Master's Online Open Days - Leiden University
Site visits
Each year students visit several governance stakeholders who actively deal with governance issues of migration and diversity. Each of the track coordinators organizes their own visit, tapping into their expertise and network to provide unique insight into the practice of their field. In previous years, we visited:
- Imam Malik Islamic Centre Leiden. The Centre introduced us to the historical context of Islam in the Netherlands and showcased several community activities and projects in which the Mosque is involved.
- The National Expertise Centre Honour-Based Violence in The Hague. Here we spoke with researchers from the Centre and the director of SPIOR (Platform for Islamic Organisations in Rijnmond) about their work and collaborations with Muslim communities on honour-based violence, forced marriages and sexuality.
- The European Commission in Brussels. The students learned about the dilemmas of the EU's politics and policy on migration and integration.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They introduced us to migration management issues from the perspective of the Dutch government and allowed us to learn about the priorities of Dutch migration policies.
Watch this video of the Welcome day 2022 to learn more about the master and hear the motivations of the past students joining our Master’s programme
Coordinators of the programme
Dr. Asya Pisarevskaya (Public Administration - Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Asya has been the Managing Coordinator of the Master Governance of Migration and Diversity and the Coordinator of the Public Administration track since September 2025. She teaches joint and public administration-specific courses in the Master's and supervises MA theses on public administration issues of governance. This academic year she will be teaching the courses Governance of Migration and Diversity and Designing Migration Policy Research (PA track). You can reach Asya via pisarevskaya@essb.eur.nl.
Dr. Andrew Shield (History - Leiden University)
Andrew Shield is a migration historian and coordinates the History track in the Governance of Migration and Diversity Master programme. He teaches the course on the history of Governance of Migration and Diversity and supervises MA theses on historical subjects, including but not limited to topics related to sexuality, race, and diversity in Europe since 1945.
Dr. Arjen Leerkes (Sociology – Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Arjen Leerkes is a Professor of Migration, Securitization and Social Cohesion at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a research fellow at the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security. He is the coordinator of the sociology track of the interdisciplinary master Governance of Migration and Diversity, where he also teaches the Sociology of Migration and Diversity course.
Dr. Nanneke Winters (Development Studies – International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague)
Nanneke is assistant professor of migration and development and the coordinator of the Development Studies track at ISS. She is the mentor of ISS-GMD students and supervises MA theses on a broad range of topics related to migrant trajectories, displacement, im/mobility, borders, illegalization, transnational families, and translocal livelihoods. She co-teaches the Migration and Development and the Research Preparation courses at ISS and acts as the ISS liaison for the The Hague Southwest Thesis Hub.
Dr. Reinout Kleinhans (Architecture and the Built Environment – Delft University of Technology)
Reinout is Associate Professor of Urban Regeneration at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Department of Urbanism. He is the coordinator of the joint GMD course ‘Social Inequality in the City, Diversity and Design’. His research interests are urban regeneration, self-organisation, participatory planning, community entrepreneurship, online/offline citizen engagement, social capital and collective efficacy.
Dr. Moritz Jesse (European Law - Leiden University)
Moritz Jesse is the director of the Legal track [LL.M.] in the Governance of Migration and Diversity Master programme. He is a Jean Monnet Professor [MIND-EU project] and teaches European Migration Law and EU Free Movement Law at Leiden Law School. In the GMD, he coordinates the European and International Non-Discrimination Law (Course and Privatissimum) and European and International Migration and Asylum Law (Course and Practicum) courses in the legal track.