International Master’s Degree in Cooperation, Development and Migration
The International Master’s Degree in “Cooperation, Development and Migration” (COSVIM LM 81) aims to train experts specialized in international and local cooperation and governance of migration fluxes. It provides a broad range of employment opportunities in areas that currently lack adequately skilled professionals.
Employment opportunities include:
- Managerial positions in international agency and organizations;
- Managers in the public and private sector for social policy, local development, migrations and international cooperation;
- Managers in diplomatic careers and international relations;
- Experts and consultants for companies and global markets;
- Experts for context analysis, policy planning and coordination of development programmes, humanitarian intervention, governance of migrations phenomena, social development, vulnerability and poverty reduction actions.
The Master gives access to a wide range of PhD Courses.
Training objectives
“The right to have rights”
The Master’s Degree in Cooperation, Development and Migrations was established with the aim of giving students the necessary knowledge and skills to understand problems related to issues of development across the world and to find fair and sustainable solutions. This idea is based on a concept of human development that focuses on improving people’s living conditions, on the assumption that economic growth does not, alone, produce well-being for all, and that it is necessary to remove the causes of inequality, discrimination, violence and poverty in order to guarantee people a life worth living. The degree course educates students to develop interventions related to areas regarding education, health, work, access to resources, freedom and political participation and human rights.
Teaching
In the classroom and beyond
From an educational point of view, the degree course is characterized by a strong multidisciplinary approach based on fully understanding the realities of the so-called global south and problems related to vulnerability, poverty, economic growth and sustainable development in the globalized world.
Knowledge:
- Economics
International and applied economics, development and non-profit economics;
- Statistics in the era of the global south
Development indicators, poverty measurement, demographics;
- Provincializing Europe
Development anthropology, world and global history, post-colonial studies;
- Rights, and beyond
Legal traditions across the world, international and humanitarian law, human rights theories and practices;
- Politics in a global era
Geopolitics and global politics, international relations, migration studies, public and social policies, environmental issues, gender and feminism studies, journalism and communication, etc.
The professional training provided in the Master is characterized by a strong methodological focus on – and connection between – knowledge, know-how and work. This connection is perceived as a continuous interaction rather than separate phases. During the course, through internships and training activities aimed at workplace integration (policy planning, context analysis, seminars and focussing on specific issues and topics entrusted to practitioners and experts in the field), students are helped to form strong and diversified links with the labour market in Italy and abroad.
The degree course has also drawn many foreign teachers and students. Indeed, thanks to the internationalization programmes, trainers and students from abroad are an integral part of the Master’s course.
For further information on international programmes please see:
In order to facilitate incoming and outgoing international student- and teacher programmes and exchanges, more than half of the teaching is in English, and some courses in Spanish are in the train to be introduced.
Classroom teaching is based on the active participation of students; a large portion of the lessons is dedicated to practical training: project management and other branches of expertise in the field, internships, language studies and other activities abroad - especially in non-European areas, and job shadowing in the field with NGOs and international associations.
International programmes
COSVIM has various double degree programmes, integrated study paths, international credits mobility, curricular internships, and postgraduate placement programmes in non-European countries.
For further information on programmes abroad please see:
Entering the labour market
The Master’s Degree in Cooperation, Development and Migrations has a number of agreements with international sector-specific organizations that actively collaborate in the teaching and training activities. Thus, students have access to numerous activities related to project management, workshop, educational field-visits and pre- and post- graduation internships to help students bridge the gap between studying to employment.
Since 2016 there has been an Student mobility programme for traineeships in non-European countries, for 3-month post-graduate internships for field-work in development cooperation programmes in non-European countries. Partially or fully covering expenses, scholarships are diversified according to the different geographical areas.
For further information on programmes abroad please see:
Research and public engagement, the “third mission”
Since the Master’s training objectives specifically state that students receive training through the acquisition of knowledge and skills closely related to the world of employment, the link between teaching and academic research activities has always been crucial. Over the last few years, this link has been implemented at an institutional level by activating a series of agreements and scientific- and teaching collaborations with universities, NGOs and sector-specific associations. This relates specifically to international cooperation, the “third mission”, research, collaborative policy planning activities, case studies and context analysis as well as collaborations for teaching and training activities for students in Italy and abroad.
The 2019-2020 curriculum, is available here: