Develop the skills and understanding to tackle the global challenges of poverty, inequality, conflict, sustainability and social justice.

Whether you are a graduate aiming to make a difference in the world, or a professional wishing to deepen your knowledge and critical thinking, our suite of International Development MSc courses is for you.

Engaged with current debates in policy and practice and grounded in interdisciplinary social sciences, you will develop the tools and confidence to work towards creative solutions that address practical problems in strategic ways.

Four distinct pathways provide a choice of flexibility and breadth, or the chance to pursue a particular interest in greater depth.... [-]

This course will give you a firm understanding of development theory in an international context, with a particular focus on how to bring theory into practice and build your practical expertise in a range of development disciplines. The course aims to enhance your capacity to critically evaluate economic, political and social factors that are affecting the development policy environment, on a national and international level. Throughout this Master’s degree, you will develop management techniques and skills, and the ability to apply them in a development context. Through empirical research and analysis, you will have the opportunity to develop specialist expertise in a particular aspect of development management. The course is designed to prepare you for a career in development management with an international organisation, a non-governmental body or a government development agency. Our graduates are NGO programme officers, trade advisors, project managers, microfinance specialists and development consultants. Some of our graduates have also set up their own development charities or proceeded to PhD research and teaching.... [-]

The pace of the globalisation of national economies has accelerated in recent years, and this has led to a more dynamic relationship between international business activities and economic and social development.

This programme is suitable for graduates who are, or seek to be, employed in relevant government departments, non-governmental organisations, international agencies or private companies involved in, or related to, international business and economic development. It also provides a foundation for those wishing to undertake doctoral research in international business and development.

Topics covered include international business and economic and social development, international business strategies in both developed and emerging markets, public sector management, sustainable livelihoods and sustainable development, impact assessment, and resource and environmental management.... [-]

With conflicts becoming either increasingly drawn-out, asymmetric wars of attrition or normalise into states of no peace – no war, our understanding of conflict and conflict intervention is shifting. Conflicts are rarely determined by military victory, diplomacy or long-term development, but require to securing populations through a comprehensive approach that sees to their political, and economic, as well as their security-related needs. Their outcome will be determined by how well the different arms of government and civil society, both locally and internationally, can work together and how well they understand each others' perspectives.

This inter-disciplinary and custom designed MSc offers the unique opportunity to look at the conflict, conflict intervention and post-conflict reconstruction through the lenses of defence, development and diplomacy.... [-]

Emerging and developing economies are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the global arena. Formal and technical analysis of these economies is an essential part of continuing Third World development. Specialised courses in development theory, development policy and econometrics will hone your analytic, technical and research skills as you prepare for your career in the industry.

The MSc in Development Economics is one of the Department’s newer taught MSc programmes and reflects our growing strength in both theoretical and applied policy areas, particularly as they relate to developing countries.

Studying on one of the Department’s MSc programmes will provide you with an excellent set of specialist and transferable skills. You will be given an advanced training in core areas of economics that are widely used in economics-based professions and, depending on which degree programme you are studying on, you will also receive specialist training in areas relevant to your programme and take options in other areas that interest you.... [-]

This unique Master's programme, which is at the cutting edge of social and cultural anthropology as well as development studies, also includes knowledge derived from sociology, politicology, economics and geography. Using a multidisciplinary perspective you will be encouraged to go deeper into the most relevant current local and global issues, including poverty, health, environment, inequality, mobility, multiculturalism and transnational networks. It is a study designed for those who want to break with traditional paradigms.

The programme attracts ambitious, enterprising students. You are not afraid of a vigorous training in methodology; you are involved with social issues and themes and you want to play a role in the international debate around global policy issues. You will learn how to reformulate these issues into research questions and discover the best methods to use when exploring them. We will also teach you to think critically and analytically and we will train you in academic and communication skills.... [-]

The world is rapidly changing, and so is development studies. While the international donor community is engaged in discussions about a post-MDG (Millennium Development Goals) agenda to guide long-term development policies and end global poverty, there are new concerns about global food security, climate change, energy crises, and financial crises. At the same time, Africa, Asia and Latin America are experiencing rapid transformations, turning traditional North-South relations upside down. Giants like India and China are strengthening their role in international development cooperation. These ‘new’ donors emphasise that ‘South-South cooperation’ is different from the Western notion of donors helping clients. While development has been traditionally defined by the donor community in the North, governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America come up with their own versions of ‘development’. Over the past decade, the number of actors active in the development domain has multiplied. In addition to the traditional donors, new ‘players’ have entered the scene, including foundations and diaspora-organisations. Furthermore, individual migrants and socially-engaged entrepreneurs are acknowledging their responsibility for acting to benefit society at large, taking responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of production activities and/or consumption. The multidisciplinary Master's programme in International Development Studies addresses the current development challenges and engages with these current, urgent and highly important issues. In particular, the programme focuses on topics surrounding climate change, land governance, urbanisation, corporate social responsibility, and migration/mobilities. You will study in an international environment, with peers and staff from diverse... [-]

Although much progress has been made over the last three decades, still more than one billion people lack access to a safe, reliable and affordable water supply; and more than twice that number still lack access to basic sanitation. This course provides the essential skills and knowledge required to plan and implement, with communities, water supply and sanitation projects and programmes worldwide, particularly in less developed countries.

On successful completion of this option students will be able to:

This Master offers insight into the nature of development evaluation, as well as its relevance and challenges, at both a methodological and an institutional level. Students are familiarised with multidisciplinary tools that will improve their capacity to understand interactions among actors involved and to contribute to an enhanced conceptualisation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and programmes. The programme offers two tracks with specific objectives and courses:

Track 1: National Institutions, Poverty Reduction Strategies and Aid


Track 2: Development Interventions and Local Institutional Chang

This degree course is held entirely in English, and provides a thorough understanding of specific forms and social, economic, regional and institutional dynamics that characterize the processes of local development in different contexts and at different levels of development, and knowledge aimed at promoting the implementation of a sustainability process (policies, operational practices).

In particular, this degree course objective seeks to provide an in-depth application of the different methodologies used for the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects for local development.

This degree course includes activities dedicated to acquiring advanced knowledge in the fields of political, economic, regional and social organization, statistics for the measurement of local and sustainable development, intercultural learnings, design, and development of group dynamics.... [-]

Overview

With a focus on infant and child development, the course addresses a comprehensive range of topics surrounding typical and atypical development. Different theoretical approaches to development will be explored together with consideration of comparative and cross-cultural approaches. You will be taught by academic staff at the forefront of psychological research and conduct a dissertation under their supervision.

A distinctive feature of our course is the opportunity to participate in ongoing research that the University is conducting in partnership with local Education Services for the Research in Practice module. This provides practical experience of conducting psychological research with young children. It also provides the chance to experience psychological work in 'real world' settings and in collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams of professionals.... [-]

Are you interested in population issues like ageing, integration of migrants and poverty? The MSc Population Studies trains you in theories, methods and skills needed to comprehend population dynamics.

Essential to understanding population dynamics is the study of the demographic behaviour of people, in terms of their life events, e.g. birth, marriage, divorce, health, migration, and death. The master programme focuses on these demographic events, on how decision-making regarding these life events is influenced by the historical, economic, societal, cultural, and medical context, and on how these demographic events have an impact on population-level trends.

You will learn about:... [-]

In Peace and Development Work, you study the relationship between poverty, conflicts and sustainable development as well as political room for maneuver for change.

Peace and Development Work is for students who are looking for a specialization in issues linked to peace, development and international development co-operation. We focus on current research concerning development as well as the practical work carried out by international institutions, non-governmental organizations, and social movements.

As a Master student, and in writing your final thesis, you have the possibility to work together with an organization or to conduct a field study in a developing country. The interdisciplinary approach of the programme - where we also discuss how development issues can be solved in real politics - allows us to keep a close connection with people who are employed within our field and to learn from them. Moreover, most of our teachers have long experience of working with peace and development in developing countries.... [-]

LUMID is a two-year interdisciplinary programme focusing on international development and management. In recognition of the complexity of development issues at hand, the programme welcomes lecturers and students from various disciplines (including engineering, natural sciences, medicine and humanities in addition to social science).

The programme offers students a unique combination of theoretical knowledge, applied research methods, and management tools and skills pertaining to a range of current development areas and challenges. These different aspects of international development research and practice are being integrated through programme courses, internships, fieldwork research, and complementary initiatives, such as the Development Practitioners Seminar and the alumni network, giving LUMID an edge over other Master’s programmes in the same field.... [-]

"Meeting the challenges of change and development in an urbanising world, promoting excellence in professional practice."

The MSc International Planning and Development tackles the challenges of urbanisation in the 21st century. Since 2008, more than half the world's population has lived in cities. Cities are crucibles of culture, knowledge and innovation, but also harbour poverty and exclusion; globalisation, environmental pollution, and climate change all threaten the well-being of urban residents.

This course spans the disciplines of spatial planning and development studies, enabling students to acquire the knowledge and critical awareness to make significant contributions to the design and management of cities.... [-]