Certificate in Migration and Refugees

Cultural and socio-economic introduction to Belgium (3 ECTS)

In this module you will learn about Belgian and Flemish politics, culture and socio-economic data, all in comparison to the socioeconomic data of your home country. This module includes a survival course Dutch and visits to several important Belgian cities.

Intercultural learning and identity (3 ECTS)

Working with Refugees and Migrants means working with people with another cultural background. Social Workers need to be aware of their own cultural identity to be able to overcome the differences. In this Module we will see frameworks to understand group cultures, especially their values and standards. As every human is unique and can make choices in their life, we’ll focus also on personal cultural identity. We will use Non Formal Education methods to work on issues such as stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination. We will work in interaction with migratns, refugees and Belgian students.

Global Social Work (3 ECTS)

The international semester is developed based upon the Social Work program. A clear framework and vision of Social Work is necessary to be able to work within the Migration domain. Basing ourselves on the universal human rights and the global definition of Social Work, we will approach migration from an ethically point of view.

Integration in different fields (6 ECTS)

Introduction of the history and demography of migration in the Europe and worldwide . We will present an overview of integration projects in Flanders in the form of case studies. We will also conduct several field visits in multiple domains (housing, employment, culture, sport, youth, education, …). The result of this module will be comparative learning by analysing the situation in your own country and comparing it with the Flemish situation and other European countries.

Project Work (6 ECTS)

This module contains experience-based learning. We will organize a placement for you (eventually in pairs) in an organization that works with migrants or refugees. For students Migration & refugees in Action, this module is an introduction to social work and theoretical preparation for placement in sem 2.

Introduction to social work in practise (only for MRA) (6 ECTS)

This module prepares Migration & refugees in Action students for their placement in semester 2 and replaces the module Projectwork.

International & national policy and (legal) frame work (3 ECTS)

In this module we will discuss the vision of international policies, treaties and institutions at European and global level.
The legal policy and human rights for migrants in the Flanders and within Europe will form the basis of discussions in the work field.

Cultural Frameworks in Health (3 ECTS)

This module is organised together with our “Applied Heath Sciences” program and includes an introduction into health literacy. Together with Belgian students you will learn how to expand your cultural references. We will focus on cultural patterns in Health and Intercultural communication and disturbances, both in theory and practice (through organisational visits, guest speakers and case studies). You will also learn about Health Promotion with people with a migration background.

Psychological aspects of migration (3 ECTS)

In this module we will explore the impact of migration on the mental health of people. We will learn about trauma with the aim to understand the psychological impact of the painful experiences of refugees. We explore techniques used in the psychological counselling of children, adolescents and adults who have migrated to the Flanders.

Migration and refugees - optional module (3 ECTS)

English for non-EU students - optional evening course - 3 ECTS

This course provides non-EU students with an intensive training in speaking, listening, reading and writing skills with the focus on their ongoing or upcoming academic career. The lecturer will aim to take the diversity of academic areas of the participants into account, by addressing a range of topics and choosing subjects relevant to the attendees. The course is provided at the B2 proficiency level and uses the IELTS methodology. We strongly recommended this course to all non-EU students who have not fully achieved the B2-level in English at the time when they applied for their mobility project. For the more proficient students, we recommend the course as a useful immersion experience in the English language.

Course Unit Descriptions for All English-taught semester programmes (if not available yet for the upcoming academic year please select the current year)
Next to ‘Taal’ select ‘English’
Next to ‘Opleiding’ select ‘Migration and Refugees – ETS SW MR’

• The Migration and Refugees student promotes and applies human rights and social justice, as the ethical framework and theoretical perspective for his/her actions regarding the position of migrants and refugees.
• The Migration and Refugees student familiarises themselves with intercultural and psychological characteristics of migrants and refugees in order to embed this understanding into their perspective and practices to instigate social change.
• The Migration and Refugees student applies verbal and non-verbal communication skills, demonstrates intercultural sensitivity and adapts interaction appropriately to the processes of social change.
• The Migration and Refugees Bachelor student informs the vulnerable person and/or significant others of relevant legislation and refers them to the appropriate organisations, services and initiatives that can support them.
• The Migration and Refugees student designs and supports social change processes, including those involving complex and unfamiliar situations.
• The Migration and Refugees student mobilises individuals, groups and structures to support social justice and challenge intolerance.
• The Migration and Refugees student adopts a professional identity and develops competence, through self reflection, comparative learning and group work activities.