The programme offers a multidisciplinary introduction to the study and practice of reconciliation and peacebuilding, with the work and experience of St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace informing its design. Drawing on insights from subject areas including psychology, religious studies and the arts, students are encouraged to examine key ideas and theoretical frameworks in the study of reconciliation in a wide variety of different contexts.
Students are supported in identifying and understanding the root causes of conflict, and in critically assessing a range of methods and practices which have the potential to turn violent and destructive conflict into positive and sustainable outcomes. Students are encouraged to reflect on the pivotal relationship between theory and practice and to consider a variety of factors which impact upon the effectiveness of peacebuilding and reconciliation activities.
Students have the opportunity to become involved with peacebuilding projects and organisations throughout the duration of the programme.
Graduates pursue careers working in the fields of international development, conflict management, peacebuilding and international relations. This work is often on international and local Non-Governmental Organisations and government, civil service and peacekeeping institutions such as the United Nations and European Union.
UK, EU, World
There are opportunities for students to take part in voluntary work placements or carry out a pre-determined piece of work for a relevant organisation.
Students have the opportunity to get involved with peacebuilding projects and organisations throughout the duration of the programme.
Start date: September
Distance learning available: MA Reconciliation and Peacebuilding is offered as distance learning only
Teaching takes place: Evenings
The programme is taught by a team of highly qualified and enthusiastic staff including internationally renowned scholars working in the areas of reconciliation and peacebuilding. The programme is delivered through a combination of distance and blended learning. Participation in practical modules requires intensive periods of attendance. All students have access to dedicated tutors and can converse with other students through the University's Learning Network and online forums.
King Alfred or West Downs, University of Winchester
Types of assessment include portfolios, presentations, reflective journals, practical work, essays and reports. There are no examinations. For the final assessment students have the option of completing a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words; undertaking a consultancy placement with an organisation working in the field, or participating in and reflecting on a practical peacebuilding project.
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used in the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening or by contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
This online course is for practitioners in humanitarian and peacebuilding field. This course has been designed using the knowledge and expertise of both the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP).
Built on the experiences and expertise developed by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University, the MA explores the interactions between humanitarian action and peacebuilding. It links applied knowledge and practice with theory through online lectures, action research, sharing of experiences, discussions with key practitioners, and critical reflection on practices.
This programme is designed mainly for practitioners working in the fields of humanitarian action and peacebuilding, though it is open also to those working in related fields. It allows you to broaden your perceptions, critically review your role, and develop and refine hard and soft skills needed to work effectively in the fields of humanitarian action and peacebuilding. The programme is also relevant for practitioners working in other fields, interested in exploring new opportunities in conflict transformation.
This is the first MA aimed at investigating the interactions between humanitarian action and peacebuilding, merging knowledge and know-how developed in both fields to promote better targeted initiatives and comprehensive responses. This MA is also one of the first Masters working on the principle that long-term and sustainable peace can only be built by local and national actors and initiatives. Therefore culture sensitivity, community initiatives and local responses are at the core of the learning process.
To explore the links between humanitarian action and peacebuilding and learning from field practices, the MA relies on three distinctive features brought together to propose a unique and innovative learning approach:
This part-time programme is usually studied over 30 months. However, you are able to take up to 5 years to complete the necessary credits or to finish it in 24 months if you can take time out of work to complete the programme.
It is constituted of three core modules; three issue-based modules as well as a research skills module as preparation for the dissertation.
This course is ideal for a career in the field of humanitarian action, conflict transformation or related fields - such as civil servants or diplomats in charge of humanitarian affairs, academics teaching humanitarian practices, journalists seeking a better understanding of humanitarian issues, or military personnel ready to be deployed in a field of operation where humanitarian actions are taking place.
This interdisciplinary MA explores the processes through which actors have attempted to define and build peace in areas affected by war and violence, particularly since the end of the Cold War. Drawing on expertise from the fields of history, politics, anthropology and the arts, this newly revamped course will offer students the opportunity to engage with conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and statebuilding theories and practices.
Moreover, the programme will critically address the conceptualization of peace and the implementation of peacebuilding projects by global, regional, national and local actors, including the UN, the International Financial Institutions, development agencies and donors, INGOs, and local organisations in conflict-affected environments. In particular, it will focus on social agency for peace, the question of the nature of the `peaceful state', and the ever-fraught question of the reform of the international system. The dynamics of these various contributions to peace will be the focus of a guided engagement, via local partner organisations, with the range of peace and conflict management actors present in either Bosnia Herzegovina or Cyprus (in Semester II).
Students will be able to show a critical understanding of:
1. Key issues and debates related to the theories of peace and practices of peacebuilding, statebuilding, conflict management, resolution, and transformation. They will become familiar with the range of international actors and organisations, their policies and practices, and their pros and cons.
2. The range of social science topics that influence peacebuilding, statebuilding, conflict management, etc., (including political, historical, anthropological understandings of peace and related programming strategies). Students will become familiar with the methodological and normative underpinnings of these disciplines.
3. The analytical and policy literature concerning peacebuilding, international governance structures, statebuilding, and the role of key actors and institutions including NGOs and military and other security actors. Concurrently, students will be able to evaluate the theory and policy tools in the context of the recent history of peacebuilding and statebuilding since the end of the Cold War, in a range of examples, including across the Balkans, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, the recent and various Arab Revolts, and others.
4. An understanding of local approaches to peacebuilding, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with `bottom up' approaches. Students will examine current debates on the nature of everyday peace and hybrid forms of peace, related questions about `local agency' and forms of resistance, activism, and social mobilisation.
5. Students will experience the on-the-ground realities of peacebuilding and statebuilding through a guided research visit to the range of actors involved in Bosnia-Herzegovina or Cyprus. This will form a key part of one of the core modules of the programme and will be run in association with local partners.
6. The development of a range of academic and professional/transferrable skills through both independent and group-based work.
7. A detailed understanding of a specific conceptual and/or policy-related area of peacebuilding along with the implications and limitations of research findings on this subject, and of how to produce an original piece of academic research. This will be delivered via the dissertation.
The Institute is developing a novel configuration for research and teaching which will uniquely associate practitioners, non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners, theoreticians, policy makers and analysts in sustained intellectual engagement. Combining a targeted programme of research with the provision of timely analysis on current emergencies and conflicts, the institute will seek to develop new methodologies in the emerging field of humanitarian and conflict response research.
Additional voluntary workshops and events throughout the year further enhance study including:
The evidence of objects, a trip to the Imperial War Museum (North)
Other Case Briefings (e.g., Cyprus, Arab Uprisings)
Policy Sessions: UN system and INGOs (Professor Dan Smith, International Alert)
Manchester Peace and Social Justice Walk
Working with Governments (Professor Dan Smith, International Alert)
Regular `Leading Voices' workshops, with key thinkers in the field
Students studying this programme will also benefit from possible additional activities, such as:
Student organised trips to London (International Alert ), New York (UN/IPA ) and Brussels
Case Study Internships
Attendance at the annual Peacebuilding conference in Manchester and potential participation in student panels.
Delivery of the course will take a range of forms, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, directed reading, a guided walk, a museum trip, a field trip and independent study. Much of the delivery will be problem based/enquiry based learning.
This MA will be influenced and informed by the research of both staff and postgraduate research students at the Institute including research projects on:
Students completing this MA may consider a wide range of career choices, including careers with:
The Reconciliation programmes at Winchester draw on insights from a range of academic disciplines, case studies, and cultural and faith traditions from around the world. They give you a multidisciplinary introduction to the study and practice of reconciliation and peacebuilding, with the work and experience of St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace informing their design.
Drawing on insights from subject areas including psychology, religious studies and the arts, you examine key ideas and theoretical frameworks in the study of reconciliation in a wide variety of different contexts. We discuss and reflect on the pivotal relationship between theory and practice and to consider a variety of factors which impact upon the effectiveness of peacebuilding and reconciliation activities. You also have the opportunity to become involved with peacebuilding projects and organisations throughout the duration of the programme.
Study core modules including Research Methods and Skills, Understanding the Nature and Causes of Conflict, Theories and Dynamics of Reconciliation, and The Practice of Reconciliation. Supplement these with options including Skills for working with divided groups, Building Networks of Peace, Multi-faith Cooperation on Peacebuilding, Religion and Globalisation, and Theology, Religion and Ethics. You also complete a final assessment, for which you have the option of writing a dissertation of 15,000 to 20,000 words; undertaking a consultancy placement with an organisation working in the field; or participating in and reflecting on a practical peacebuilding project.
Graduates pursue careers working in the fields of international development, conflict management, peacebuilding and international relations. This work is often in international and local Non-Governmental Organisations and government, civil service and peacekeeping institutions such as the United Nations and European Union.
Graduates pursue careers working in the fields of international development, conflict management, peacebuilding and international relations. This work is often in international and local Non-Governmental Organisations and government, civil service and peacekeeping institutions such as the United Nations and the European Union.
UK, EU, World
There are opportunities for students to take part in voluntary work placements, or carry out a pre-determined piece of work for a relevant organisation.
The programme is taught by a team of highly qualified and enthusiastic staff who include internationally renowned scholars working in the areas of reconciliation and peacebuilding. The programme is delivered through a combination of distance and blended learning. Participation in practical modules requires intensive periods of attendance. All students have access to dedicated tutors and can converse with other students through the University's Learning Network and online forums.
DISTANCE LEARNING AVAILABLE
Majority of programme
TEACHING TAKES PLACE
Evenings
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred Campus (Winchester) or at our West Downs Campus (Winchester).
Types of assessment include portfolios, presentations, reflective journals, practical work, essays and reports. There are no examinations. For the final assessment students have the option of completing a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words; undertaking a consultancy placement with an organisation working in the field, or participating in and reflecting on a practical peacebuilding project.
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
The MSc will provide students with advanced knowledge of the complex and specialised areas of peacebuilding, among it conflict analysis, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and conflict transformation, community driven reconstruction, peace processes within the context of contemporary conflicts and in the context of broader international (humanitarian) interventions. Integrated into the MSc structure are opportunities to develop operational and vocational skills for example in negotiations, conflict mediation, conflict sensitive programme design and programme management, or urban peacebuilding. Students are provided with theoretical and empirical knowledge and with practical skills that are helpful for current and future employment opportunities. The courses are thus attractive to both graduates and mid-career practitioners. Whilst the academic and applied focus of the MSc comes through a peace and conflict studies analytic lens, course material will also draw from traditional strategic/security and development studies, enabling cross fertilisation between different perspectives. It allows the exploration of unique and new paradigms and practices in the fields of conflict, peace, security, defence, diplomacy, development and humanitarian intervention.
Five core modules worth 75 credits plus a Dissertation worth 60 credits plus three optional modules to the value of 45 credits.
Core Modules
Optional Modules
Optional modules in previous years have included:
At the beginning of the academic year, as well as the general induction programme offered by the School and the university, Durham Global Security Institute (DGSi) students are invited to a programme specific induction. This induction provides an overview of the programme an opportunity to meet members of the team and an opportunity to discuss optional module choices.
The 180 credits one-year MSc degree programme is divided into five core and three optional modules of 15 credits each. Students also have to submit a dissertation (60 credits) of not more than15,000 words. Practitioners have the option of writing an in-depth policy document as their dissertation.
Most of the modules are delivered during the first two terms and students spend the remaining time to write the dissertation. Assessment methods include: an examination, essays, presentations, reflective journal, reports, article reviews and policy briefs.
Although all modules have 18/19 contact hours, the core modules are spread over 9/10 weeks and 132 hours of self-directed learning. The modules are mainly delivered through weekly 2-hour sessions which take the form of a one hour lecture and a one hour tutorial. The form in which seminars are conducted can differ from one module to another. Typically modules would have elements of lectures, discussions, and presentations from students—the extent of each of these components would differ from one module to another. The optional modules of the programme are either delivered over two full days, through a mixture of lectures, Q&A sessions, seminar discussions, and role plays or over a single term in 2-hour seminar sessions. There is also the opportunity to participate in a study visit which provides an opportunity to investigate issues ‘in the field’ concerned with conflict prevention, conflict resolution, state and peace-building. Of particular interest is the theory-practice linkage
Students can also meet their module coordinators or programme coordinator during their weekly contact hours or by making an appointment. When students are working on their dissertations during the latter half of the year, they are required to attend two 4-hour workshops. In addition, they have the opportunity to meet their assigned supervisors for an average of 6 meetings. Students also have access to the MSc Programme Director and the School’s Director of Taught Post Graduate Studies whenever there is a need.
The School hosts events throughout the year which all postgraduate students are invited to attend. Students are also fully integrated into the Durham Global Security Institute which also hosts guest lectures and seminars throughout the year. These events provide students with the opportunity to engage with, and debate, the most important issues in current political and international studies, and in conflict, peace and security studies.
Towards the end of the programme students can contact the Careers Office of the University to get advice on available job prospects and get assistance on applying for these.
Our students go on to a wide range of successful careers including civil service and other government agencies, UN/INGOs/CSOs, journalism, media, teaching, law, banking and finance, diplomatic services and risk analysis.
Are you interested in advancing your knowledge of contemporary conflict studies, and developing the skills and qualities needed for professional conflict and peace practice?
Do you want to spend a year studying in a stimulating academic environment, working with staff who are at the forefront of their field and with students from all over the world?
Are you looking for a challenging learning experience, solving real-world problems, addressing complex ethical dilemmas, undertaking independent research projects, and practicing advanced skills for conflict engagement?
Would you like to build a portfolio of work that demonstrates your achievement of a set of professional competencies relevant to employment in the peace, conflict and development fields?
The MA Advanced Practice in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution is offered by the internationally recognised Department of Peace Studies and International Development, drawing on over 40 years of experience as a leading centre of peace research and education.
The programme will develop your understanding of the causes and dynamics of social conflict, with a strong focus on case-study analysis. It will allow you to develop informed judgements about when and how to engage constructively with conflict, recognising the strengths and limitations of different approaches to intervention. And you will consider critical questions surrounding and problematising efforts to build peace in different contexts, and in the light of contemporary trends, including converging environmental, economic and political developments.
Through a diverse programme of study, including a significant applied, practical element, you will develop and demonstrate knowledge and recognised competencies essential to effective, ethically-aware practice within conflict engagement and peace practice - locally, nationally or internationally.
Core Modules
Option Modules
There is an increasing demand for professional education relating to careers in peace and humanitarian work internationally. You’ll develop the skills required by employers in this area, such as conflict analysis, leadership and decision-making, making you highly employable as a graduate.
The programme also designed to meet the needs and expectations of early/mid-career professionals looking to take the next step in their career.
The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. 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 programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.
If you want to know more about what happens before and after conflict occurs in a country from understanding the issues of the 21st century, economic issues, political issues, justice in specific territories to the fundamental issues of conflict management this programme is an ideal method of analysing and understanding this area. You will learn theory and history of the subject area to reflect on processes by considering the boundaries of peace, justice and reconciliation after conflict. You study periods of conflict and territories such as the Balkans, West Africa, Central Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. You can also study for a PGCert or Diploma if you want to study a shorter programme.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out more from the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Develop an in-depth understanding of contemporary development issues, and gain the specialist skills to work in peacebuilding, conflict analysis and humanitarian response.
Whether you are a graduate aiming to pursue a development or humanitarian career in conflict-affected regions, or a professional wishing to deepen your knowledge and critical thinking, this course is for you.
The course addresses the core global challenges of conflict and humanitarian crisis and explores a variety of tools and approaches for responding in these contexts. Rooted in real-world practical and policy challenges, the course is founded on Bath’s outstanding international expertise in international development. It uses innovative learning approaches to promote in-depth investigation of cases and issues, while drawing links across global, regional, national and local scales.
The course offers you the opportunity of a placement-based research project, providing hands-on experience to complement classroom-based learning.
You will leave the course with:
You will join the Department of Social & Policy Studies here at Bath. We are ranked in the top 50 for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2017.
Our staff are all active in this field, research-led, and united in their commitment to finding better solutions to the world’s development problems.
We encourage diversity of intake, in experience, qualifications and interests, to stimulate the richness of experience and learning.
Our international development courses provide an excellent grounding for careers in international development, humanitarian action, and working for social, economic and environmental justice in both global North and global South. They provide the core skills required in a range of policy, communication, advocacy, research and programmatic roles.
Many of our graduates from similar courses have found jobs with high profile organisations, including:
Other graduates have chosen to work for themselves and set up their own charities, while some have stayed in academia to complete doctoral studies.
This course lasts 1 year. Occasionally we make changes to our programmes in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in research and the field of studies, and the requirements of accrediting bodies. You will be advised of any significant changes to the advertised programme, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.
The total number of credits for the taught-stage is 60 credits, with most units being 12 Credits. A typical week would approximately average between 6-10 hours of classes or seminars a week depending on options taken. The dissertation or practicum are 30 credits.
These compulsory units are currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new units.
These optional units are currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new units.
As an alternative to writing a dissertation, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a six-week placement (practicum), working with an organisation involved in international development. You'll write a report reflecting on a particular area of professional practice.
The Criminology & Criminal Justice MA/LLM is distinct in covering a range of criminal justice and criminological debates. It enables you to engage in more specialised socio-legal studies and offers the opportunity to explore discourse on international human rights, criminal law and transitional justice. It opens doors to a wide range of careers.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice; these centres underpin our postgraduate teaching, which is research-led and research-informed. You will be taught by lecturers who are nationally and internationally renowned researchers.
The course of study is the same for the MA and the LLM apart from the final dissertation. Core modules are Crime & Criminal Justice in the 21st Century, Criminological Theory, and Criminological Research in Practice. You’ll also choose three from: International Criminal Law; International Human Right Law; International Terrorism and the Law; Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights; and Transitional Justice, Human Rights and Peace Building. You’ll complete your degree with either a Criminology or Criminal Justice Dissertation (MA), or a Law Dissertation (LLM).
Your postgraduate degree leads to research jobs in the Home Office, Probation Service, and Social Services, and to work with non-profit-making organisations, including the NHS, educational institutions and charities working with young offenders or victims of crime. You will develop the skills required to critically evaluate criminological research, which are highly prized by employers in both the public and private sectors. The analytical and communications skills developed through your studies are a real boost if you opt for a career outside of the criminal justice sector.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
This programme recognises an area of increasing importance in the academic and policy worlds, namely the links between peace, conflict and development. The programme reflects the international debates about the nature of peace and conflict in the developing world and the approaches of the international community to support and create peaceful governance in areas of conflict.
The programme makes a direct link between academic and practical policy approaches to analysing and recovering from conflicts, with an emphasis on developing countries, and will provide an extensive menu of choices for masters level students. Contemporary debates cover issues as broad as accountability and transparency, corruption, conflict, political settlement, human rights, participation, access to justice, democratisation and state building and will be of interest to individuals already working in development or recent graduates with some work/volunteer experience seeking careers in development or government, or in NGOs related to governance, state-building and peace.
The International Development Department is well-regarded internationally by sponsors, donor agencies, governments and NGOs. Study with us to benefit from:
Each programme is taught by a team of multi-disciplinary specialists who work closely with students to address individual interests and concerns. Every student is allocated an academic tutor to support them in their academic progress throughout the year. The department has a long history of teaching students from across the world, and recent students have come from 99 different countries and a wide variety of professional and academic backgrounds.
This is an innovative programme taught by one of the leading centres of excellence in this field internationally. IDD hosts the Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding and the Journal of Civil Wars and has produced the leading textbook in this area, Conflict, Security and Development. IDD staff also edit two book series in Statebuilding and Conflict and Development for Routledge. As such the programme draws on our world-leading research to provide an offering that is research-led but also strongly informed by our regular involvement in policy in this area. We are a development department that is looking at peace and conflict. This gives us a particular range of modules and an approach that is unique amongst our competitors, most of which are delivered from an international security perspective. We are currently one of the market leaders in security and development and that particular relationship is in demand with increasing concerns about development aid, refugees, civil wars and the implications for post conflict reconstruction.
The programme looks at the dynamics of conflict and post-conflict politics, including the linkages between good governance, state-building, state resilience, fragility or collapse and approaches to reconstructing peace following violence. It draws on relevant debates, theories and approaches to development, innovations in theories and practices of good governance and state-building in application to developing and transitional countries. All students have access to significant knowledge of the design and implementation of post-conflict peacebuilding and development strategies, including contemporary debates related to international intervention, local political systems, hybridity and the politics of peacebuilding.
Teaching takes place over two ten-week terms, utilising a range of teaching and learning methods, including short lectures, problem solving, role play and group work.
Enhancing your Student Experience
In the School of Government and Society we offer much more than a degree. As a student here, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, you have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events, with some or all of the costs paid for by the School.
This programme provides a framework for exploring academic synergies and for students to undertake genuinely interdisciplinary study. Students leaving this programme will be academically well-trained but also be in a position to undertake careers in conflict analysis, good governance and management in the developing world. This offers careers in NGOs, Government agencies and international organisations as well as organisations concerned with international risk and business within conflict areas.
See what some of our alumni are doing now and what they thought about studying with us at IDD
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.
Innovative learning approaches promote in-depth investigation of particular cases and issues. These will draw out connections and contradictions between different actors and analytical perspectives, across global, regional, national and local scales.
The opportunity of a placement, leading to a work-based project, will provide hands-on experience to complement classroom-based learning.
You will leave the course with:
The MSc International Development with Conflict and Humanitarian Action pathway enables you to gain an in-depth and interdisciplinary understanding of the theories and concepts that underpin contemporary humanitarian action and conflict response. You will also form a critical understanding of humanitarian, peacebuilding and development policy and practice. You will learn how to interpret and evaluate research information and evidence on topics related to humanitarianism, conflict and development.
The MSc International Development with Economics pathway covers the key economic concepts, theories and tools required to understand development issues, policies and practices, including those of heterodox and social economics. You will learn how to apply them to analyse specific development problems, such as through appropriate combinations of quantitative and qualitative methods.
The MSc International Development, Social justice and Sustainability pathway enables you to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of theories and concepts of social and environmental justice, wellbeing and sustainability. You will develop in-depth knowledge of people’s practical struggles globally and locally for a better life, and the forms of policy and politics that can support or frustrate these. You will also explore how integrated perspectives can capture the complex interactions between social and ecological systems. Additionally, you will consider areas of complementarity and the trade-off between economic development, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
You will join the Department of Social & Policy Studies here at Bath. We are ranked in the top 50 for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2017.
Our staff are all active in this field, research-led, and united in their commitment to finding better solutions to the world’s development problems.
This course provides an excellent background for those wishing to pursue an international development career and improve people’s lives.
You will be qualified to work in a wide variety of roles, including social research, public policy, public information and campaigning.
Many of our graduates from similar courses have found jobs with high profile organisations, including:
Other graduates have chosen to work for themselves and set up their own charities, while others have stayed in academia, to complete doctoral studies.
This course lasts 1 year. Occasionally we make changes to our programmes in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in research and the field of studies, and the requirements of accrediting bodies. You will be advised of any significant changes to the advertised programme, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.
The total number of credits for the taught-stage is 60 credits, with most units being 12 Credits. A typical week would approximately average between 6-10 hours of classes or seminars a week depending on options taken. The dissertation or practicum are 30 credits.
These compulsory units are currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new units.
These optional units are currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new units.
As an alternative to writing a dissertation, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a six-week placement (practicum), working with an organisation involved in international development. You'll write a report reflecting on a particular area of professional practice.
New master’s courses in International Development launched at the University of Bath
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New part-time MSc Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development at the University of Bath
