The program for the Advanced Certificate in Romani Studies offers MA and PhD students the core knowledge, expertise and critical competences and skills to lead educational and research projects as well as design and implement policies related to Roma equality, social inclusion and diversity management. It is designed as an inclusive inter-disciplinary advanced certificate program for Roma and non-Roma students. The interdisciplinary courses are coordinated by the Romani Studies Program (RSP) executive committee, snd are developed by RSP in cooperation with other CEU faculty. Students are offered the opportunity to engage with broader theories, policies, legislations and research methodologies fundamental to the understanding of the complex situation of Roma and the multifaceted challenges that policy makers are facing in designing equality and social inclusion policies and diversity management in the business sector. Courses will cover the theoretical and policy issues faced by Roma, ranging from identity to race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality and from diversity to racialization, from poverty to discrimination, and from structural discrimination and inequality to political mobilization and participation, from social justice to minority rights and redistributive justice. Additional activities include seminar courses, public lectures, conferences, workshops and public programs organized by faculty, invited guests and RSP fellows. Through such activities, students will become familiar with, and engage in, interdisciplinary dialogues on transnational social justice, equality, de-colonialism and social inclusion of Roma across various fields of study.
The following requirements need to be fulfilled by 1 or 2 year MA students and PhD students.
- Admission to one of the participating departments (School of Public Policy, Department of History, Department of Medieval Studies, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Nationalism Studies Program, Department of Gender Studies, Department of Political Science, Department of International Relations, students from other departments can also pursue Advanced Certificate if they have the support of their departments).
- 1-Year MA Students: students must take 4 credits from the mandatory elective core courses and obtain a minimum 4 further elective credits from the approved annual list of courses. Core courses taken beyond the 4-credit requirement will be counted as electives.
- 2-Year MA Students: students must take 4 credits from the mandatory elective core courses in the first year of their studies and obtain a minimum 8 further elective credits over the course of both years from the approved list of courses.
- Students are required to write their thesis on a topic related to Roma issues.
- Students voluntarily can consult with a faculty member participating in the program if their thesis topic is related to Roma issues as first or second supervisor or external advisor upon agreement with th erespective departments for their final thesis.
- Participation in lectures, special seminars, and workshops organized by the Romani Studies at CEU is required. Attendance and participation will be considered part of the student's overall performance.
- PhD students can also receive the Advanced Certificate in Romani Studies. In order to obtain the Advanced Certificate, they must meet all department requirements for their degree; successfully defend a doctoral thesis on their chosen topic; consult with Romani Studies-affiliated faculty as external advisor (upon agreement with respective departments) for their dissertation; take a minimum of 6 credits elective course and PhD-level Romani Studies colloquium; participate in events organized by Romani Studies.
The program aims to provide students with the theoretical, methodological and analytical tools to understand the position of Roma in Europe, both historically and in the present moment, and to contribute to the promotion of social justice and social change in our society. The program will equip students with the knowledge, skills and values to understand racialized Romani identity and the consequent issues faced by Roma, to analyze these issues through lenses of critical social theories, and to comprehend the multiple dimension of Roma exclusion and marginalization in Europe and elsewhere. In addition, students will be able to conduct research into Roma related issues guided by the principles on which the program is built, such as respect for human rights, equality and social justice, respect for diversity, etc. The program is designed to develop students’ knowledge of Roma history of marginalization and racialization, policies of exclusion and inclusion, and the relevant concepts and theories in order to enable them to:
- Reflect upon the ingrained features of racism that characterize and structure our societies by analyzing the experiences of Roma in various historical periods;
- Assess the role of prejudice and stereotypes in framing majority–minority relations;
- Analyze the impact of exclusionary practices on group formation, collective memory and the everyday life of Roma;
- Critically analyze legal measures and policies towards Roma and other ethnic groups, including models to manage ethnic diversity;
- Analyze Roma political and social mobilization;
- Design research plans for Roma related research topics;
- Apply critical social theories to the Roma situation;
- Initiate and draft recommendations on policy-making towards Roma;
- Understand the discourses and various approaches in Romani Studies;
- Understand social justice issues in Europe.