Migration and Border Studies

The Minor in Migration and Border Studies (MBS) examines the causes, consequences and experiences of borders and the people who cross them. We also consider how borders make mobility impossible, often leading to precarious circumstances, and even death. The program prepares students to understand the impact of frontiers and borders locally, globally, aesthetically and intellectually, and their effects on nation states, cultures, Indigenous Peoples, languages, gender, the class system, and growing digital divides.

MBS draws on a range of interdisciplinary perspectives, and investigates geographically diverse examples. It integrates experiential learning and research for you to engage with the material, and will provide opportunities for collaboration on faculty research projects.

An exciting part of MBS is the experiential learning course American Borders and Borderlands, which includes a 7-day visit to Tucson, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.

For more information about the program, contact Dr. Benjamin Mullerbmuller@uwo.ca.

Admission Requirements

Completion of first-year requirements and a minimum grade of 60% in one 1.0 course numbered 1000-1999 from each of these groups:

  • Group A 1.0 course: English 1027F/G, English 1028F/G, Philosophy 1050F/G, Philosophy 1120F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 1025F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 1026F/G
  • Group B 1.0 course: Political Science 1021F/G, Political Science 1022F/G, Sociology 1020E/W/X or Sociology 1021E

Other courses may be considered by the Department.

Module

4.0 courses

0.5 course: Interdisciplinary Studies 2277F/G

1.5 courses from: Childhood and Youth Studies 2221A/B, English 2071F/G, English 2072F/G, English 2262F/G, English 3679F/G, English 3680F/G, English 3698F/G, English 2699F/G, History 4502F/G, Political Science 2218F/G, Political Science 3311F/G, Political Science 4407F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 2303A/B, Social Justice and Peace Studies 2304F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 3211F/G, Sociology 2270A/B, Sociology 2271A/B, Sociology 2281 F/G, Sociology 3341F/G, Sociology 3344F/G, Sociology 3382F/G, Sociology 3371F/G, Sociology 3378F/G, Sociology 3387F/G, Sociology 4441A/B

2.0 courses from: Childhood and Youth Studies 3366F/G, Childhood and Youth Studies 3367F/G, Political Science 3301F/G, Political Science 3307F/G, Political Science 3302F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 2290F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 2302A/B, Social Justice and Peace Studies 3210F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 3367F/G, Social Justice and Peace Studies 3375F/G, Sociology 2281A/B, Sociology 3318F/G, Sociology 3342F/G, Sociology 3354F/G, Sociology 3351F/G, Sociology 4416 F/G

Other courses may be considered by the Department.

Recent News

  • Dr. Tee Malleson makes the case for Free Groceries for All Nov 21, 2025

    Dr. Tee Malleson makes the case for Free Groceries for All

    Free groceries may not be enough to remedy the titanic insecurity that currently exists, but it is a good first step, and it has a lot of potential. In Canada alone, a minimum-wage worker working full-time cannot afford a one-bedroom apartment in fifty-three of the country’s sixty-two urban regions. For Jacobin Magazine, Dr. Malleson argues that if free groceries were introduced as a universal policy, a substantial number of people would benefit— roughly 38 million Canadians, 330 million Americans, or 68 million British citizens. 
  • Spirit Bear finds home at King's Library after student trip to Ottawa Nov 19, 2025

    Spirit Bear finds home at King's Library after student trip to Ottawa

    After an advocacy-focused trip to Ottawa, King’s students brought Bruce the Spirit Bear to campus. With a home in the Cardinal Carter Library, Bruce symbolizes the struggle for Indigenous children’s rights and supports ongoing learning, dialogue, and action toward Truth and Reconciliation at King’s.
  • King's faculty join global summit on refugees and migrants Oct 22, 2025

    King's faculty join global summit on refugees and migrants

    Drs. Allyson Larkin and Benjamin Muller represented King’s at an international summit, attended by participants from over 40 countries, which focused on supporting refugees and migrants through research, policy, and education.
  • Dr. Preston joins podcast panel to discuss London topics Sep 29, 2025

    Dr. Preston joins podcast panel to discuss London topics

    Dr. Jeff Preston, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Disability Studies, joined a panel of experts on the Craig Needles Podcast to discuss topics of interest to Londoners, including the Whole of Community, the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, speed cameras and the end of door-to-door delivery by Canada Post.