MA International Development Management
University of Bradford
Key Information
Campus location
Bradford, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
12 - 18 months
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 7,938 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* home (UK) students |international: £20,468 per year
Introduction
This degree is at the cutting edge of development theory, policy, and management. It provides students with the critical and analytical skills to enable them to operate effectively in international development environments. Covering macro and micro-level, perspectives, the course offers rich insights into the challenges of contemporary development theory, policy and management. The course is structured around the compulsory core modules of International Development Theory and International Development Policy, with flexibility built in through the optional course units chosen by students to meet their objectives and interests.
The objectives of the course are to provide an integrated, cross-disciplinary framework for the postgraduate study of development. The unifying focus of the course is the analysis of strategies for overcoming poverty. Students will gain knowledge of different development paradigms and an awareness of their evolution. Students are encouraged to develop comparative perspectives (between different regions/countries, disciplinary approaches, and schools of thought) through individual study, seminars, and written assignments to develop their knowledge and critical and analytical skills in this field.
Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
All module information is for 2023 entry and is subject to change.
First-year
Core
- Issues in Development Theory
- Policy Analysis for Governance and Development
- Assessing Development Practices, Needs, and Outcomes
- Dissertation
Option
- African Politics and Security Dynamics
- Critical Perspective on Sustainable Development
- Economic Growth and Development
- Social-Ecological Systems and Crises
- Africa Study Visit
- Gender, Conflict and Development
- Middle East Politics and Security Dynamics
- Natural Resource Governance
- Project Implementation Management
- Sustainable Cities
- Elective
Learning and assessment
We use a range of innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment to enable you to actively engage with the key concepts and syllabus and to develop not only your academic knowledge and understanding but also your skills and experience for the worlds of policy, practice, and employment.
There are opportunities to take specialist pathways, including thematic specialisms, and to specialize in selected regions (e.g. Africa, Middle East), with opportunities for selected study visits. This includes the high-profile Africa Study Visit to an African country recovering from conflict (which can be taken as an assessed element of the program) or other further voluntary study visits to Northern Ireland, Hiroshima, or to major locations of International Organisations, such as The Hague, Brussels, and London.
You'll also have opportunities to participate in an extended ‘crisis response game’ or the international ‘Model United Nations’ simulation game.
Methods of assessment are varied and include traditional assignments (essay-type tasks) alongside more competency-based assessment through tasks such as reports, policy briefs, case study analyses, oral and audio-visual presentations, and reflective notes.
The program culminates with the research and preparation of a Dissertation project on a subject of your choice, related to the program’s aims and learning objectives. This is a major opportunity for you to produce a substantial scholarly analysis of a specialist area of interest, and to demonstrate an advanced understanding of relevant policy and practitioner agendas and debates - helping you to use this master's degree to pursue your career aspirations.
Career Opportunities
Career support
The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programs. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work, and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.
Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programs, there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.
Career prospects
Many BCID postgraduates have experience in development and related areas of the public, private, and voluntary sectors. This degree course provides the skills and knowledge required to become a development professional.
Placement
You can choose to include an internship as part of your course, in which case you will study over 15 months rather than a year. To do this, you should initially register for the one-year program and then transfer to the 15-month program when you have secured a placement, any time up until the middle of Semester 2.
The internship/placement further enhances the development of professional experience and practical skills during your master's program, integrating practitioner community engagement with your academic studies.
This element is student-centered and student-led, and therefore the initiative for identifying and applying for internships is driven by you. Academic staff can facilitate and support the identification of suitable opportunities with leads and suggestions, help with the writing of applications, and provide supporting letters of reference. They provide customized preparatory training before, and mentoring support during, the placement or internship.
The internship/placement can be taken with an organization anywhere in the world. You'll need to detail your proposed activities and receive approval before the opportunity is finalized.
Once the internship/placement is complete you'll return to the program, submit a completion report summarising key learning points, and then undertake your Master's dissertation. Students often use their placement period and experience to inform and shape their dissertation.
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
Over £4m invested in scholarships every year
The University of Bradford offers a wide range of financial help to assist you on your university journey and invests over £4m annually in the Access Agreement and other scholarships to support students from all backgrounds.
Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU, and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances, or economic hardship. Some of our scholarships are also linked to studies in a specific subject area. You can apply for more than one type of scholarship but you can usually only be granted one award.