Masters Degrees in Development Studies, United Kingdom

The MSc Development Studies course is interdisciplinary and innovatory. It is designed for those who wish to pursue careers with governments, non-governmental organisations, international agencies, public and private organisations and enterprises. It provides a thorough grounding in the development field, and its emphasis on research enables students to specialise in their particular areas of interest.

The MSc Development Studies is led by Professor Gaim Kibreab and taught by excellent research-active lecturers who specialise in social and economic development, as forced migration. See the current research projects tied to the International Development, Emergencies and Refugee Studies (IDEARS) Research Group.

Through the use of case studies you'll analyse a range of issues, crucial for Development policy and practice, such as:

• Globalisation: markets, trade and the global economy;
• Trade and Aid: the role of international institutions and agencies;
• Strategies for Industrialisation: economic growth and human development;
• Social Development: livelihoods, poverty and poverty reduction;
• Developing the Rural Sector: Agrarian Policies, migration and urbanisation;
• Environmental policies and sustainable development;
• Political empowerment, participation, and human rights.

The course develops the skills required to undertake development research, focusing on appropriate methodologies, data collection, policy and project design and implementation. A research dissertation forms a central part of your work on the course.

Modules

Contemporary issues in development
Human development in a globalised world
Research methods for development
Economies in transition: strategies for industrialisation
Forced migration and development
Human rights and development
Research dissertation (triple module)

The MSc also offers a series of workshops in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, providing these essential skills for student's Development careers

Teaching and learning

Class contact time is typically 12 hours per week on the full-time mode of the MSc, and six hours on the part-time mode plus individual tutorial and independent study. This accumulates to typically two days a week, afternoons and evenings typically two evenings a week.

All staff members teaching on the course have considerable experience of working and conducting research in developing countries. They have all published work on Development issues and are well known in their respective fields.

Placements

Our social policy students have taken up work placements at the following organisations:

• Chance UK, a unique early intervention mentoring organisation who provide adult volunteer mentors to work with children aged 5-11 years at risk of developing anti-social behaviour in later life)
• Kairos in Soho (a pan-London LGBT Community Development Organisation)
• Naz Project London (a sexual health organisation that works to mobilise Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in relation to HIV and other sexual health concerns)
• Richmond Advice and Information on Disability (RAID)
• Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) one of the UK's largest charities and voluntary organisations who aim to give older people the opportunity and choice to get more out of life

Professional links

The MSc has excellent relations with Development Agencies and NGO working in the development field. Students from these organisations are regularly enrolled on the course and members of these organisations gave regular presentations to MSc students.

Research in the Development field

Recent and current research by staff includes projects funded by the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the UK Department for International Development, and the Economic and Social Research Council.

In recent years, staff members have conducted research in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. Staff teaching on the MSc regularly publish books and articles both on development issues, and on the countries in which they have expertise.

Employability

A humanities masters has the real advantage of opening up careers in a number of professions such as teaching, social work, administration and higher level education. Graduates have forged exciting careers in research-related work, public relations, advertising, retail, management and media-related work.

Previous students have entered careers in many fields working for international organisations such as the United Nations and its constituent organisations, the World Bank, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation. Many students take up posts in their home countries within government, non-government and civil society organisations, or with non-governmental development organisations in the UK, in addition to teaching posts in universities and colleges specialising in Development research and practice.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study International Security and Development (Extended) at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in International Security and Development introduces students to issues and debates within International Security. This includes coverage of both ‘traditional’ security issues such as war and conflict and ‘non-traditional’ issues such as economic security, environmental security, health, identity and migration.

Key Features of MA in International Security and Development

Issues of security, violence and conflict have become central to international politics and to development policy and discourse. In order to comprehend the modern world, a full appreciation of the realities of conflict and violence, has become essential.

Drawing on the Department’s expertise in the field of security, International Security and Development students are also provided with an advanced introduction to key approaches in the study of security including realism, securitization theory, feminist approaches, critical theory and poststructuralism.

Students enrolled on the MA in International Security and Development benefit from the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study including those in International Security and Development. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

The full-time International Security and Development course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. Students study four compulsory modules, the research module and one optional module. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.

Part-time study in MA in International Security and Development is available.

The Extended MA (EMA) in International Security and Development is a 240-credit postgraduate qualification that is equivalent to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and is thus a recognised Masters qualification throughout the European Union. The EMA is a standard UK MA plus an additional 60 credits (30 ECTS) and this additional coursework is undertaken in one semester at a partner institution overseas. The EMA in International Security and Development is therefore not only an EU recognised postgraduate qualification it also adds a study abroad experience thus enhancing the qualification’s employability credentials.

The partner institution for EMA International Security and Development is the Department of International and Area Studies at The University of Oklahoma. The Department of International and Area Studies is an exciting and rapidly growing academic unit within the University of Oklahoma. It has approximately twenty faculty members and, critically for this EMA in International Security and Development, their expertise lie within the fields of security and development. The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located approximately 20 minutes south of Oklahoma City on a breathtaking campus. Created in 1890 The University of Oklahoma enrols more than 30,000 students, it has achieved the Carnegie Foundation’s highest tier of research activity classification, and is ranked in the top 400 universities in the world according to the Times Higher rankings.

MA in International Security and Development Programme Aims

- To develop advanced knowledge and understanding of International Security and Development.

- To develop critical, theoretical and analytical skills, improve written and oral communication skills.

- To acquire research skills in International Security and Development.

Modules

Modules on the MA in International Security and Development typically include:

• Violence, Conflict and Development

• Critical Security

• International Security in the Asia Pacific

• Civil Society and International Development

• Approaches to International Relations

• War, Identity and Society

• Governance: From State Formation to Global Governance

• War in Space

• State of Africa

• Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention

• Rights Based Approaches to Development

Who should Apply?

Students interested in International Security and Development, from a politics, international relations, development studies, law, humanities, social science, international business or related background. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to International Security and Development.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for International Security and Development graduates. MA in International Security and Development degree holders may move on to doctoral study or enter employment sectors such as the diplomatic corps, the armed forces, intelligence and risk analysis, relief and humanitarian organisations, law and finance, government and politics and international business.

Research Interests

The following research groups at Swansea provide a distinct international and multi-disciplinary forum for the advancement of the

study of international security and development including:

• International Relations & Security

• Development Studies

• Cultural Political Economy

• Policy and Governance

• International Communication

Regular research seminars and lectures are run through these groups and also through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) which students are encouraged to attend.

Student Quote

“I am now in my fourth year at Swansea University and can honestly say that I have enjoyed every moment. My undergraduate years were so good that I choose to stay on for another year to complete my Masters in International Security and Development and this is a decision I certainly do not regret. I feel like my degree has provided me with the tools needed to thrive in the world of employment, and the MA in International Security and Development I am now studying towards will only improve my chances of getting a high end job.”

Chris Harber, International Security and Development, MA

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Why take this course?

This course will allow students to gain specialism in a chosen topic through a production of an extended piece of academic writing building on their choice of optional units taken in the second year covering the areas of health, education, gender, international relations, criminology and making use of the applied research methods in development skills acquired in the first year.

The distance learning and part time mode of the programme provides a flexible learning framework with opportunities for students to undertake a full Master's qualification, a postgraduate Diploma or a postgraduate Certificate.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Critically engage with an international development studies topic of choice, assembling information from a variety of sources to compose clear detailed and logical argument;
Learn to formulate a systematic and methodologically sound research process through undertaking a literature review and empirical research;
Where applicable, justify ethical considerations surrounding research carried out.

What opportunities might it lead to?

You can expect to graduate from this course with enhanced career prospects in the international development sector, greater knowledge of development issues and an increasing professional network that may allow you to identify career opportunities. You will also be prepared for doctoral study.

Module Details

You will study the following core units:

Theory & Practice of Development:
Explore the history, theory and practice of international development studies, through topics from colonialism to globalisation. You will be introduced to the tools, such as social enterprise, that are used in development practice. Assessment includes a social enterprise project alongside a traditional essay.

Applied Research Methods for Development:
Learn the strategies and methods of collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data in the social sciences. You will learn to use SPSS for data manipulation, quantitative data analysis and interpretation, using a range of data sets relevant to international development studies.

Dissertation:
Demonstrate your achievement on the course as a whole, through the production of a 15,000-word research project on a topic of your choice, informed by the optional units you have selected, under the advice and guidance of a personal supervisor.

You will also select two optional units:

International and Comparative Criminal Justice:
Compare differing systems of criminal justice, including international courts and criminal tribunals, as well as international norms and standards. You will examine the role of international criminal justice bodies within the UN and the EU, institutional development, and criminal justice capacity building.

Gender for Development Cooperation:
Combine study of theories in gender (including masculinities) with practical knowledge of the tools used by practitioners to approach gender mainstreaming in development. You will also look at the application of a gendered lens to the design and implementation of development programmes.

Contemporary Security in International Relations:
Examine the most pressing international security challenges facing policy makers, reflect on new debates in security studies, and explore the enduring relevance of strategic thought in the face of contemporary challenges.

Education and Development:
Consider key issues in contemporary debates relating to education and international development, through a range of approaches, theories and research in historical and regional contexts. Themes include fair access, inclusivity, diversity and equity in education and skills policy.

Health and Development:
Examine the challenges in defining and measuring population health, and explore a variety of health topics relevant to both the developed and developing countries including obesity, ageing, health and migration, health inequalities and child under-nutrition.

Economics of Development:
Gain insights into the ways in which economics and economists play a critical role in terms of development policy. You will examine resource endowment and exploitation, poverty and inequality, historic trade theory and the role of finance and microfinance in economic development.

Units (30 credits per unit, 60 credits for the dissertation) are offered individually as credit-bearing short courses, or as part of the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits), Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), or MSc International Development Studies (180 credits).

Programme Assessment

This course will be offered entirely through distance learning methods. All course materials and readings, lecture notes, as well as additional links to useful organisational sites, social media hubs and further resources, will be posted and regularly updated in our virtual learning environment. Human contact will be an important part of the programme too, with regular ‘webinars’, discussion forums, one-on-one tutorials with lecturers, email correspondence and skype meetings where necessary.

The assessment methods used on this programme are varied and test all the skills developed in the different modules at different stages of the learning process. These include essays, leading and participating in discussion forums and blogs, portfolios, policy briefs and research projects, allowing for a balance between formative and summative assessment.

Student Destinations

The course is designed to support the needs of those who hope to be, or are already, engaged in the international development sector. It offers highly desirable transferable skills such as communication, qualitative data collection, quantitative data manipulation and data analysis and writing skills. Additionally, the applied nature of this course means that students will be working within ‘live’ development contexts from the start. This will ensure that they are able to develop their professional networks and identify career opportunities. Additionally students will benefit from the advice and guidance regarding career progression given by the experts and development practitioners who teach on this course.

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The MSc in Human Resource Development (International Development) enables you to critically understand the role of human resource development (HRD) in enhancing performance within your own institutions and societies. Emphasis is placed on how HRD can support economic and social advancement by improving public services, and in building capabilities within individuals, organisations and communities to effectively cope with social change. The programme aims to develop students' critical appreciation of globalisation processes, policy initiatives and development management plans to support skills development, competitiveness and human capabilities, including development issues associated with eradicating gender inequalities, fostering human well being and maintaining sustainable livelihoods.

The course aims to develop your professional understanding of HRD strategies and development tools to support skill and knowledge acquisition, and build organization and community capabilities. A focus on developing human knowledge and skills enables you to appreciate how education supports skills development. Students also acquire knowledge of the role of International Organizations (through governments and MNCs) such as the World Bank and the UN in supporting education and development initiatives. There is a strong emphasis on acquiring cross cultural leadership knowledge, relevant for many social change and development projects in the public sector, or in the private sector, MNCs, NGOs or international organizations like the World Bank The objectives are that, by the end of the programme, participants will have:
-Knowledge and understanding of the linkage between international development, education and HRD practices and policies

-Knowledge of how approaches to national human resource development affect organisation and societal performance in developing and transitional economies

-Knowledge and understanding of comparative education policy and governance frameworks, for capacity building, the political economy of skills formation and how national HRD training systems affect organization, industrial and societal development, including gender national planning

-Knowledge of globalisation and cross-cultural factors affecting the application of HRD theories and methods in developing, transitional and newly industrialised countries

-An understanding of HRD and development policies in diverse geographic regions and how they enhance human capabilities and support poverty reduction, empowerment, help eradicate gender inequality and advance human well being especially within transitional and developing country contexts

-A critical understanding of cutting edge international HRD policies including talent management, knowledge management, private sector management and entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility (CSR), social justice and ethics, social capital, and strategies for managing inequality including gender and other differences

-Knowledge of leadership for development (lead4dev) and different HRD strategies for the building of leadership skills in the workplace/society, especially those from disadvantaged/marginalized groups including the poor and women

-An understanding of how to analyse and design HRD strategies at societal and organisational level, including gender national planning and empowerment

The programme is designed for individuals of any professional background in international organisations, public administration, transnational organisations and private sector companies who are involved in the HRD, leadership and capacity planning aspects of organisations in developing and transitional countries. These may include managers/leaders of HRD/training/learning, HRD and education in government administration; direct trainers, staff of training centres, staff involved in human development planning in governments; HRD and Leadership consultants involved in change projects, change consultants involved in community development; NGO managers and line managers concerned with the development of their staff.

Aims

You will gain:
-Knowledge and understanding of the linkage between international development and HRD practices and policies
-Knowledge of globalisation and cross-cultural actors affecting the application of HRD and education theories and methods in developing, transitional and newly industrialised countries
-Knowledge of education and HRD interventions and their role in building leadership skills and capacity
-Knowledge of how approaches to national human resource development (NHRD) affect organisation and societal performance in developing and transitional economies
-Knowledge of how new approaches to HRD strategies including private sector management and development, social capital, knowledge management, gender planning affect the context for competence and performance enhancement in organisations and societies
-Understanding of how to analyse and design HRD strategies at societal and organisational level
-Understanding of your own learning and leadership skills and how they may be improved

Special features

The course usually includes a field visit to a UK or overseas destination, enabling you to visit public sector organisations, companies and agencies to learn about HRD systems and practices. The cost of the visit is included in the course fee.

Career opportunities

Graduates acquire a range of skills and knowledge valuable in the global economy and relevant for a variety of professional careers in international development. Recent graduates have gained positions including: HRD consultants/managers/directors in Ministries of HRD or Ministries of Education and as NGO Leaders (Middle East, Thailand, Indonesia, Latin America); Knowledge Management Consultants (Middle East, Canada); university HRD and training directors (Middle East, Africa); leadership and capacity development advisors in the public sector (Africa, Asia), education and HRD leadership consultants (Pakistan, Middle East). Some go on to work for the UN or World Bank, for example, gender and HRD specialist, or capacity building advisers (Kazakhstan, India, USA, China) and development project leaders (Nigeria). Some students progress to PhD study and a career in academia.

The course is unique as it demonstrates understanding of institutional HRD practices within the context of globalisation, social change and economic development so graduates acquire relevant development, HRD, leadership and education knowledge for directing culture and social change.

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Why take this course?

This course builds on the knowledge in theory and practice of development and applied research methods for development gained in the first year to allow for an in-depth understanding of two optional courses depending on students’ interest and background taken in the second year. Optional units will cover the disciplines of health, education, economics, politics and criminology and the topic of gender.

The distance learning and part time mode of the programme provides a flexible learning framework with opportunities for students to undertake a full Master's qualification, a postgraduate Diploma or a postgraduate Certificate.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Study with academic staff that are actively engaged in research in your chosen optional unit and with an area/regional specialism
Critically engage with a range of topics from the field of international development studies, assembling a clear argument from a variety of information sources
Take advantage of flexible provision that aims to meet your specific needs

What opportunities might it lead to?

You can expect to graduate from this course with enhanced career prospects in the international development sector, greater knowledge of development issues and an increasing professional network that may allow you to identify career opportunities.

Module Details

You will study the following core units:

Theory & Practice of Development:
Explore the history, theory and practice of international development studies, through topics from colonialism to globalisation. You will be introduced to the tools, such as social enterprise, that are used in development practice. Assessment includes a social enterprise project alongside a traditional essay.

Applied Research Methods for Development:
Learn the strategies and methods of collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data in the social sciences. You will learn to use SPSS for data manipulation, quantitative data analysis and interpretation, using a range of data sets relevant to international development studies.

You will also select two optional units:

International and Comparative Criminal Justice:
Compare differing systems of criminal justice, including international courts and criminal tribunals, as well as international norms and standards. You will examine the role of international criminal justice bodies within the UN and the EU, institutional development, and criminal justice capacity building.

Gender for Development Cooperation:
Combine study of theories in gender (including masculinities) with practical knowledge of the tools used by practitioners to approach gender mainstreaming in development. You will also look at the application of a gendered lens to the design and implementation of development programmes.

Contemporary Security in International Relations:
Examine the most pressing international security challenges facing policy makers, reflect on new debates in security studies, and explore the enduring relevance of strategic thought in the face of contemporary challenges.

Education and Development:
Consider key issues in contemporary debates relating to education and international development, through a range of approaches, theories and research in historical and regional contexts. Themes include fair access, inclusivity, diversity and equity in education and skills policy.

Health and Development:
Examine the challenges in defining and measuring population health, and explore a variety of health topics relevant to both the developed and developing countries including obesity, ageing, health and migration, health inequalities and child under-nutrition.

Economics of Development:
Gain insights into the ways in which economics and economists play a critical role in terms of development policy. You will examine resource endowment and exploitation, poverty and inequality, historic trade theory and the role of finance and microfinance in economic development.

Units (30 credits per unit, 60 credits for the dissertation) are offered individually as credit-bearing short courses, or as part of the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits), Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), or MSc International Development Studies (180 credits).

Programme Assessment

This course will be offered entirely through distance learning methods. All course materials and readings, lecture notes, as well as additional links to useful organisational sites, social media hubs and further resources, will be posted and regularly updated in our virtual learning environment. Human contact will be an important part of the programme too, with regular ‘webinars’, discussion forums, one-on-one tutorials with lecturers, email correspondence and skype meetings where necessary.

The assessment methods used on this programme are varied and test all the skills developed in the different modules at different stages of the learning process. These include essays, leading and participating in discussion forums and blogs, portfolios, policy briefs and research projects, allowing for a balance between formative and summative assessment.

Student Destinations

The living contexts of the work undertaken on this course will offer valuable experience and contacts in the international development sector, while the advice and guidance regarding career progression given by lecturing staff will be invaluable. You may use this career to support work in governmental bodies and NGOs, or charities.

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Would you like to develop the specialist skills and knowledge required to work in a range of careers across the international development sector?

The MSc International Development course will equip you with a critical and up-to-date understanding of this broad sector.

You will engage with contemporary debates on the issues that are currently defining the sector, whilst critically examining key international development policies, theories, strategies and practices. You will also analyse the operation of development organisations, and the ways in which individuals and communities experience and challenge poverty and marginalisation.

As part of your dissertation, you will have the opportunity to undertake a research placement to allow you to apply your knowledge in a real-world environment.

This course is delivered by our specialist teaching team, who draw on their extensive experience to ensure that you graduate with knowledge that is at the forefront of the sector.

Our relationship with the MSc International Development programme at Northumbria University gives COCO the opportunity to tap into the minds of students who are up to speed on current development thinking and possess the drive and determination to help us expand our research. The findings from university research projects are invaluable, allowing us to monitor and evaluate our work, learn from each project and put this learning into action to deliver more robust and effective programmes year on year. - Lucy Philipson, CEO COCO

This course has several available start dates and learning methods - for more information, please view the relevant web-page:
January full time - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/msc-international-development-dtfitd6/

September part time - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/international-development-dtpitz6/

January part time - https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/msc-international-development-dtpitd6/

Learn From The Best

This course is delivered by a team of internationally-recognised academics with extensive experience in international development research and practice across the global south.

Our staff research specialisms and diverse range of national and international practitioner links will further enhance your learning experience.

In addition to the teaching delivered by our team, you will have the opportunity to attend enhancement sessions on ‘Working in International Development’, where experts who are currently working within the industry will share their first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in the sector.

We also work with the Centre for International Development to provide additional opportunities for real-world engagement with key organisations and individuals.

Teaching And Assessment

This course examines a wide range of subjects such as conflict and security, civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs), the impacts of China and India’s rising economic power, gender, the environment and resource conflicts, advocacy and citizenship.

On graduation you will be able to understand and critically engage with key development theories, tools and techniques, including participatory methodologies, rights-based approaches and monitoring and evaluation strategies.

This course is delivered via interactive workshops, involving a mixture of small group discussion, lectures, and seminar activities, which are further supported by networking and placement opportunities.

The assessment methods utilised on this course have been specifically developed to prepare you for employment, and incorporate the writing of funding bids, policy briefs, stakeholder statements and academic poster presentations. Traditional essays and a dissertation also form part of the assessment process.

If you choose to do a placement, you will have the opportunity to develop your own real-world research project.

Module Overview
EF0126 - E.S.A.P. in FADSS Level 7 (Optional, 0 Credits)
SO7001 - Advanced Study Skills (Core, 0 Credits)
SO7002 - Social Sciences Postgraduate Dissertation (Core, 60 Credits)
SO7005 - Development Research, Management and Practice (Core, 30 Credits)
SO7006 - Critical Development Thinking (Core, 30 Credits)
SO7007 - Changing Geopolitics and New Development Actors (Core, 30 Credits)
SO7008 - Contemporary Development Challenges (Core, 30 Credits)

Learning Environment

When studying the MSc International Development course you will be part of the Centre for International Development – a vibrant, multidisciplinary virtual research centre that provides an engaging, supportive and research-rich learning environment.

The Centre brings together academics, practitioners and students to promote research, consultancy, teaching, training and public engagement on issues of global poverty and inequality, the communities and individuals who experience this, and the policies, practices and approaches that seek to address it.

Technology is embedded throughout all areas of this course. Learning materials such as module handbooks, assessment information, lecture presentation slides and reading lists are available via our innovative e-learning platform, Blackboard. You can also access student support and other key University systems through your personal account.

Research-Rich Learning

When studying the MSc International Development course you will benefit from our multidisciplinary teaching team’s cutting-edge research experience which they bring into the classroom through case studies, problem-solving activities and group discussion.

Research is integrated into all aspects of teaching and each member of our team boasts their own individual specialisms, in subjects such as environmental governance and development; natural resource conflicts, including anti-mining activism; public engagement and development education; cosmopolitanism and global citizenship; wellbeing and development; international volunteering; transnationalism, migrant mobilities and their impacts on development. Staff research expertise spans Africa, Asia and Latin America.

All members of the MSc International Development teaching team are internationally recognised academics who publish in high impact international journals and regularly receive research funding from prestigious organisations such as the ESRC, the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust and the Newton Fund.

You are also encouraged to undertake your own research projects to further aid your learning and will have the opportunity to engage with development organisations such as Traidcraft, Lifeworlds Learning, Shared Interest Foundation, and COCO, as well as development NGOs working in India and Latin America.

Give Your Career An Edge

This course has been designed to enhance your employability in international development practice and research thanks to the diverse range of knowledge and skills you will acquire whilst you study.

You will regularly engage in real-world research and problem-solving, in addition to developing the practical skills required to successfully pursue a career in this sector.

Core employability skills are also embedded throughout all aspects of this degree, ensuring you leave with skills that can be transferred to a broad spectrum of organisations.

Completion of an optional research placement will also help to further enhance your career edge by providing you with industry contacts and experience of international development in a real-world environment. You will also benefit from bespoke careers development support throughout the programme.

Your Future

On graduation you will possess the specialist skills and knowledge required to work in a range of careers across the international development sector.

Our graduates are able to work in a broad range organisations such as charities and third sector organisations, UK and international government agencies, NGOs and international organisations. They may also wish to pursue careers in research, consultancy or to launch their own NGO.

The MSc International Development course will also prepare you for doctoral study should you wish to further advance your learning.

Former graduates have gone on to work for national and international organisations including Barnardo’s, Leprosy Mission, and International Service.

The MSc International Development course regularly attracts students from a wide variety of professional and disciplinary backgrounds including government, the private sector and NGOs. It is also popular with continuing students who have just graduated from a wide range of undergraduate programmes, including Social Sciences, Law, Human Geography and Business.

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Why take this course?

International Development Studies is a multidisciplinary course that can be approached from different angles of various disciplines. However, any international development professional needs to have knowledge in the theory of development and skills required in international development practice. This course combines theories of development with core professional skills needed for a successful career in development such as quantitative and qualitative research methods and social enterprise.

The distance learning and part time mode of the programme provides a flexible learning framework with opportunities for students to undertake a full Master's qualification, a postgraduate Diploma or a postgraduate Certificate.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Engage in debates on what is development, how development is measured and the historical influences and theories of development;
Be introduced to the tools used in development practice;
Learn to undertake quantitative data analysis using books that are light hearted and have a gentle treatment to statistics;
Take advantage of flexible provision that meets the needs of different stakeholders, including those already professionally employed in international development.

What opportunities might it lead to?

You can expect to graduate from this course with enhanced career prospects in the international development sector, greater knowledge of development issues and an increasing professional network that may allow you to identify career opportunities.

Module Details

You will study the following core units:

Theory & Practice of Development:
Explore the history, theory and practice of international development studies, through topics from colonialism to globalisation. You will be introduced to the tools, such as social enterprise, that are used in development practice. Assessment includes a social enterprise project alongside a traditional essay.

Applied Research Methods for Development:
Learn the strategies and methods of collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data in the social sciences. You will learn to use SPSS for data manipulation, quantitative data analysis and interpretation, using a range of data sets relevant to international development studies.

Units (30 credits per unit, 60 credits for the dissertation) are offered individually as credit-bearing short courses, or as part of the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits), Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits), or MSc International Development Studies (180 credits).

Programme Assessment

This course will be offered entirely through distance learning methods. All course materials and readings, lecture notes, as well as additional links to useful organisational sites, social media hubs and further resources, will be posted and regularly updated in our virtual learning environment. Human contact will be an important part of the programme too, with regular ‘webinars’, discussion forums, one-on-one tutorials with lecturers, email correspondence and skype meetings where necessary.

The assessment methods used on this programme are varied and test all the skills developed in the different modules at different stages of the learning process. These include essays, leading and participating in discussion forums and blogs, portfolios, policy briefs and research projects, allowing for a balance between formative and summative assessment.

Student Destinations

The course is designed to support the needs of those who hope to be, or are already, engaged in the international development sector. It offers highly desirable transferable skills such as communication, qualitative data collection, quantitative data manipulation and data analysis and writing skills. Additionally, the applied nature of this course means that students will be working within ‘live’ development contexts from the start. This will ensure that they are able to develop their professional networks and identify career opportunities. Additionally students will benefit from the advice and guidance regarding career progression given by the experts and development practitioners who teach on this course.

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This programme examines political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations in the Global South and interrogates the dynamics, challenges and opportunities confronting its societies – with a focus on key contemporary debates about Africa's politics, culture, society and sustainable development.

You’ll learn about the experiences and viewpoints of people and nations of the Global South regarding development issues, as well as the inter-relationships between global, national and local actors in contested strategies for development.

You’ll also review strategies, programmes and policies in development, including organisations and donors promoting development, and assess the progress made by different development actors towards key international development goals.

You’ll explore controversies at the centre of contemporary development challenges and analyse both the theories and realities of development, to understand the different approaches, practices and discourses involved.

Research insight

MA Global Development has a close working relationship with the Global Development and Justice research group that aims to examine central debates within the field of global development from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Global Development and Justice research group is also actively involved, amongst others, in the Centre for Global Development, a university-wide network that promotes cross-disciplinary approaches to the field, as well as the Leeds Centre for African Studies.

Course content

Core modules examine key issues surrounding global development, such as markets, inequality, democratisation, gender, health, education, human rights, conflict, violence and crime. You’ll also learn about various aspects of development practice, like the theoretical and analytical principles of Project Cycle Management. Additionally, you’ll hone your research and writing skills and then showcase them in your compulsory dissertation – an independent piece of research on a topic of your choice.

These modules will equip you to analyse, understand and discuss the major changes, problems and opportunities facing societies and people in the Global South. You’ll study some of the broader social, political, and economic causes of the problems, and the achievements and setbacks that people have experienced in their efforts to tackle them at the global, national and local levels and improve their societies and lives. You’ll learn to analyse, understand, and discuss development in the Global South in the 2010s in all its dynamism, complexity and significance.

The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you, including natural resources struggles, global health, gender and globalisation, education, international political economy or issues related to Africa and China.

If you are a part-time student, you can choose how to spread your studies across two years. However, we recommend that you at least take your compulsory modules in your first year, and you have to take the compulsory dissertation module in your second year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Africa in the Contemporary World 30 credits
• Global Inequalities and Development 30 credits
• POLIS MA Dissertation 60 credits

Optional modules

• The Global Politics of Health: Power and Inequity 30 credits
• Conflict, Complex Emergencies and Global Governance 30 credits
• Education in Development 30 credits
• Gender, Globalisation and Development 30 credits
• Political Economy of Resources and Development 30 credits
• Global Justice 30 credits
• Development Management Techniques 15 credits
• Research Methodology for Development 15 credits
• International Political Economy 30 credits
• The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict 30 credits
• The Rise of China 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and Africa MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and Africa MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Modules are conducted through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops. Tutors also provide you with individual advice on written work and you should begin to develop expertise in improving your work through face-to-face discussion with your tutors, formative assessment and through detailed feedback. You’ll be expected to carry out a good deal of independent, detailed and considered study.

All part-time students attend exactly the same classes as full-time students which usually take place between 9am and 5pm; there are no evening classes.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately, through assessments that range from long essays to projects and assignments, offering you the opportunity to work in your particular field of interest within each topic area. You will also carry out a dissertation into a research area of your choice.

Career opportunities

This programme is aimed at students who would like to pursue either a professional career or further research in international development and related fields, and generally have a desire to put their education into practice in the Global South.

You’ll gain a wide range of professional skills on top of your subject knowledge. You’ll have an understanding of project design and management in a development context, as well as being able to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll be able to construct clear arguments, critically assess different options for action, analyse policy documents, write research reports and give presentations. You’ll also be trained to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

Our programme equips you for various career paths. Compatible careers include working in international development agencies, international organisations, governments, politics, NGOs, research organisations, policy making, companies, media, and academia.

Graduates have gone on to work in, for instance, non-governmental organisations in the UK or overseas, research and consultancy firms, international organisations (such as the UN), the Civil Service, the media, or have continued with further study (e.g. PhD research).

We encourage you to seek practical work experience in the international development field, and advise you on how to go about it.

Read less

This programme examines political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations in the Global South and interrogates the dynamics, challenges and opportunities confronting its societies.

You’ll learn about the experiences and viewpoints of people and nations of the Global South regarding development issues, as well as the inter-relationships between global, national and local actors in contested strategies for development.

You’ll also review strategies, programmes and policies in development, including organisations and donors promoting development, and assess the progress made by different development actors towards key international development goals.

You’ll explore debates and controversies at the centre of contemporary development challenges and analyse both the theories and realities of development, to understand the different approaches, practices and discourses involved.

Optional modules will also allow you to specialise in aspects of development that suit your interests.

Research insight

MA Global Development has a close working relationship with the Global Development and Justice research group that aims to examine central debates within the field of global development from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Global Development and Justice research group is also actively involved in the Centre for Global Development, a university-wide network that promotes cross-disciplinary approaches to the field, and the Leeds Centre for African Studies.

Course content

Core modules examine key issues surrounding global development, such as markets, inequality, democratisation, gender, health, education, human rights, conflict, violence and crime. You’ll also learn about various aspects of development practice, like the theoretical and analytical principles of Project Cycle Management. Additionally, you’ll hone your research and writing skills and then showcase them in your compulsory dissertation – an independent piece of research on a topic of your choice.

These modules will equip you to analyse, understand and discuss the major changes, problems and opportunities facing societies and people in the Global South. You’ll study some of the broader social, political, and economic causes of the problems, and the achievements and setbacks that people have experienced in their efforts to tackle them at the global, national and local levels and improve their societies and lives. You’ll learn to analyse, understand, and discuss development in the Global South in the 2010s in all its dynamism, complexity and significance.

The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you, including natural resources struggles, global health, gender and globalisation, education, international political economy or issues related to Africa and China.

If you are a part-time student, you can choose how to spread your studies across two years. However, we recommend that you at least take your compulsory modules in your first year, and you have to take the compulsory dissertation module in your second year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Global Inequalities and Development 30 credits
• Development Management Techniques 15 credits
• Research Methodology for Development 15 credits
• POLIS MA Dissertation 60 credits

Optional modules

• The Global Politics of Health: Power and Inequity 30 credits
• Africa in the Contemporary World 30 credits
• Conflict, Complex Emergencies and Global Governance 30 credits
• Education in Development 30 credits
• Gender, Globalisation and Development 30 credits
• Political Economy of Resources and Development 30 credits
• The Rise of China 30 credits
• The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict 30 credits
• International Political Economy 30 credits
• Global Justice 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Modules are conducted through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops. Tutors also provide you with individual advice on written work and you should begin to develop expertise in improving your work through face to face discussion with your tutors, formative assessment and through detailed feedback. You’ll be expected to carry out a good deal of independent, detailed and considered study.

All part-time students attend exactly the same classes as full-time students which usually take place between 9am and 5pm; there are no evening classes.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately, through assessments that range from long essays to projects and assignments, offering you the opportunity to work in your particular field of interest within each topic area. You will also carry out a dissertation into a research area of your choice.

Career opportunities

This programme is aimed at students who would like to pursue either a professional career or further research in international development and related fields, and generally have a desire to put their education into practice in the Global South.

You’ll gain a wide range of professional skills on top of your subject knowledge. You’ll have an understanding of project design and management in a development context, as well as being able to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll be able to construct clear arguments, critically assess different options for action, analyse policy documents, write research reports and give presentations. You’ll also be trained to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

Our programme equips you for various career paths. Compatible careers include working in international development agencies, international organisations, governments, politics, NGOs, research organisations, policy making, companies, media, and academia.

Graduates have gone on to work in, for instance, non-governmental organisations in the UK or overseas, research and consultancy firms, international organisations (such as the UN), the Civil Service, the media, or have continued with further study (e.g. PhD research).

We encourage you to seek practical work experience in the international development field, and advise you on how to go about it. Careers support.

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Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Palestine Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab).

We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Palestine.

Students taking the Palestine Pathway will develop a specialist understanding of Development Studies in the context of Palestine. Development issues in Palestine are a major focus of NGO and international organisations that work in the Middle East. SOAS' recognised strengths in this area, including the establishment of the Centre for Palestine Studies, makes this a unique and exciting opportunity for those interested in Palestine.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/development/programmes/msc-development-studies-palestine-pathway/

Structure

Applicants apply for, and will be formally enrolled on, the MSc Development Studies programme. Students wishing to follow the Palestine Pathway will take two core modules in Development Studies (Political Economy of Development and Theory, Policy and Practice of Development), two modules specific to Palestine and a dissertation (which must be written on a Palestine-related topic).

If the following combination of modules has been successfully completed, students may request that the following specialism appears on their final degree transcript: 'MSc Development Studies with special reference to Palestine'.

- Non-Assessed Courses

All MSc students in Development Studies are eligible to attend the one-term , non-assessed module, Economics for Beginners,which introduces students to basic concepts in microeconomics, macroeconomics, development economics, and statistics and econometrics.

Programme Specification

Programme Specification 2015/16 (pdf; 90kb) - http://www.soas.ac.uk/development/programmes/mscdevstud/file101803.pdf

Materials

- SOAS Library
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Teaching & Learning

Modules are taught by a combination of methods, principally lectures, tutorial classes, seminars and supervised individual study projects.

The MSc programme consists of three taught modules (corresponding to three examination papers) and a dissertation.

- Lectures

Most modules involve a two hour lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.

- Seminars

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work. Students make full-scale presentations for each unit that they take, and are expected to write papers that often require significant independent work.

- Dissertation

A quarter of the work for the degree is given over to the writing of an adequately researched 10,000-word dissertation. Students are encouraged to take up topics which relate the study of a particular region to a body of theory.

Employment

A postgraduate degree from the Department of Development Studies at SOAS will further develop your understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised, with an emphasis on transferable analytical skill. These skills have been of great benefit to the many graduates who have taken up professional careers in development in international organisations,
government agencies and non-government organisations. This, in addition to your detailed subject knowledge, will also equip you with a set of other specific skills, including: critical skills; the ability to research extensively; a high level of cultural awareness; and the ability to solve problems.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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This programme examines political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations in the Global South and interrogates the dynamics, challenges and opportunities confronting its societies – with a specialist focus on how globalisation, international economic interdependence and the internationalisation of political structures and processes are changing politics globally.

You’ll learn about the experiences and viewpoints of people and nations of the Global South regarding development issues. You’ll also review strategies, programmes and policies in development, including organisations and donors promoting development, and assess the progress made by different development actors towards key international development goals.

You’ll explore debates and controversies at the centre of contemporary development challenges and analyse both the theories and realities of development, to understand the different approaches, practices and discourses involved.

Research insight

MA Global Development has a close working relationship with the Global Development and Justice research group that aims to examine central debates within the field of global development from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Global Development and Justice research group is also actively involved, amongst others, in the Centre for Global Development, a university-wide network that promotes cross-disciplinary approaches to the field, as well as the Leeds Centre for African Studies.

Course content

Core modules examine key issues surrounding global development, such as markets, inequality, democratisation, gender, health, education, human rights, conflict, violence and crime – with an additional compulsory module focusing on your specialism.

You’ll also learn about various aspects of development practice, like the theoretical and analytical principles of Project Cycle Management. Additionally, you’ll hone your research and writing skills and then showcase them in your compulsory dissertation – an independent piece of research on a topic of your choice.

These modules will equip you to analyse, understand and discuss the major changes, problems and opportunities facing societies and people in the Global South. You’ll study some of the broader social, political, and economic causes of the problems, and the achievements and setbacks that people have experienced in their efforts to tackle them at the global, national and local levels and improve their societies and lives. You’ll learn to analyse, understand, and discuss development in the Global South in the 2010s in all its dynamism, complexity and significance.

The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you, including natural resources struggles, global health, gender and globalisation, education, international political economy or issues related to Africa and China.

If you are a part-time student, you can choose how to spread your studies across two years. However, we recommend that you at least take your compulsory modules in your first year, and you have to take the compulsory dissertation module in your second year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Global Inequalities and Development 30 credits
• International Political Economy 30 credits
• POLIS MA Dissertation 60 credits

Optional modules

• The Global Politics of Health: Power and Inequity 30 credits
• Gender, Globalisation and Development 30 credits
• Political Economy of Resources and Development 30 credits
• The Rise of China 30 credits
• The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict 30 credits
• Global Justice 30 credits
• Africa in the Contemporary World 30 credits
• Conflict, Complex Emergencies and Global Governance 30 credits
• Development Management Techniques 15 credits
• Education in Development 30 credits
• Research Methodology for Development 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and International Political Economy MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and International Political Economy MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Modules are conducted through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops. Tutors also provide you with individual advice on written work and you should begin to develop expertise in improving your work through face-to-face discussion with your tutors, formative assessment and through detailed feedback. You’ll be expected to carry out a good deal of independent, detailed and considered study.

All part-time students attend exactly the same classes as full-time students which usually take place between 9am and 5pm; there are no evening classes.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately, through assessments that range from long essays to projects and assignments, offering you the opportunity to work in your particular field of interest within each topic area. You will also carry out a dissertation into a research area of your choice.

Career opportunities

This programme is aimed at students who would like to pursue either a professional career or further research in international development and related fields, and generally have a desire to put their education into practice in the Global South.

You’ll gain a wide range of professional skills on top of your subject knowledge. You’ll have an understanding of project design and management in a development context, as well as being able to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll be able to construct clear arguments, critically assess different options for action, analyse policy documents, write research reports and give presentations. You’ll also be trained to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

Our programme equips you for various career paths. Compatible careers include working in international development agencies, international organisations, governments, politics, NGOs, research organisations, policy making, companies, media, and academia.

Graduates have gone on to work in, for instance, non-governmental organisations in the UK or overseas, research and consultancy firms, international organisations (such as the UN), the Civil Service, the media, or have continued with further study (e.g. PhD research).

We encourage you to seek practical work experience in the international development field, and advise you on how to go about it.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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This programme examines political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations in the Global South and interrogates the dynamics, challenges and opportunities confronting its societies. It also allows you to specialise in issues surrounding resource scarcity and depletion, and the challenges faced by oil and mineral-rich developing countries.

You’ll learn about the experiences and viewpoints of people and nations of the Global South regarding development issues. You’ll review strategies, programmes and policies in development, including organisations and donors promoting development, and assess the progress made by different development actors towards key international development goals.

You’ll explore debates and controversies at the centre of contemporary development challenges and analyse both the theories and realities of development, to understand the different approaches, practices and discourses involved.

Research insight

MA Global Development has a close working relationship with the Global Development and Justice research group that aims to examine central debates within the field of global development from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The Global Development and Justice research group is also actively involved, amongst others, in the Centre for Global Development, a university-wide network that promotes cross-disciplinary approaches to the field, as well as the Leeds Centre for African Studies.

Course content

Core modules examine key issues surrounding global development, such as markets, inequality, democratisation, gender, health, education, human rights, conflict, violence and crime – with an additional compulsory module focusing on your specialism.

You’ll also learn about various aspects of development practice, like the theoretical and analytical principles of Project Cycle Management. Additionally, you’ll hone your research and writing skills and then showcase them in your compulsory dissertation – an independent piece of research on a topic of your choice.

These modules will equip you to analyse, understand and discuss the major changes, problems and opportunities facing societies and people in the Global South. You’ll study some of the broader social, political, and economic causes of the problems, and the achievements and setbacks that people have experienced in their efforts to tackle them at the global, national and local levels and improve their societies and lives. You’ll learn to analyse, understand, and discuss development in the Global South in the 2010s in all its dynamism, complexity and significance.

The wide-ranging list of optional modules means that you can explore a diverse range of related subjects of interest to you, including natural resources struggles, global health, gender and globalisation, education, international political economy or issues related to Africa and China.

If you are a part-time student, you can choose how to spread your studies across two years. However, we recommend that you at least take your compulsory modules in your first year, and you have to take the compulsory dissertation module in your second year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Global Inequalities and Development 30 credits
• Political Economy of Resources and Development 30 credits
• POLIS MA Dissertation 60 credits

Optional modules

• The Global Politics of Health: Power and Inequity 30 credits
• Africa in the Contemporary World 30 credits
• Conflict, Complex Emergencies and Global Governance 30 credits
• Education in Development 30 credits
• Gender, Globalisation and Development 30 credits
• The Rise of China 30 credits
• The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict 30 credits
• International Political Economy 30 credits
• Global Justice 30 credits
• Development Management Techniques 15 credits
• Research Methodology for Development 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and Political Economy of International Resources MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Global Development and Political Economy of International Resources MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Modules are conducted through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops. Tutors also provide you with individual advice on written work and you should begin to develop expertise in improving your work through face-to-face discussion with your tutors, formative assessment and through detailed feedback. You’ll be expected to carry out a good deal of independent, detailed and considered study.

All part-time students attend exactly the same classes as full-time students which usually take place between 9am and 5pm; there are no evening classes.

Assessment

Each module is assessed separately, through assessments that range from long essays to projects and assignments, offering you the opportunity to work in your particular field of interest within each topic area. You will also carry out a dissertation into a research area of your choice.

Career opportunities

This programme is aimed at students who would like to pursue either a professional career or further research in international development and related fields, and generally have a desire to put their education into practice in the Global South.

You’ll gain a wide range of professional skills on top of your subject knowledge. You’ll have an understanding of project design and management in a development context, as well as being able to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll be able to construct clear arguments, critically assess different options for action, analyse policy documents, write research reports and give presentations. You’ll also be trained to make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

Our programme equips you for various career paths. Compatible careers include working in international development agencies, international organisations, governments, politics, NGOs, research organisations, policy making, companies, media, and academia.

Graduates have gone on to work in, for instance, non-governmental organisations in the UK or overseas, research and consultancy firms, international organisations (such as the UN), the Civil Service, the media, or have continued with further study (e.g. PhD research).

We encourage you to seek practical work experience in the international development field, and advise you on how to go about it.

Read less

Applicants apply for the MSc Development Studies programme but can decide to follow the Contemporary India Pathway upon arrival by choosing the combination of modules required for this pathway (see Structure tab).

We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues in Contemporary India.

Students taking the Contemporary India Pathway will develop a specialist understanding of Development Studies in the context of Contemporary India. Development issues in Contemporary India are a major focus of NGO and international organisations that work in the India. SOAS' recognised strengths in this area, including the establishment of the SOAS South Asia Institute, makes this a unique and exciting opportunity for those interested in Contemporary India.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/development/programmes/msc-development-studies-contemporary-india-pathway/

Duration:

One calendar year (full-time) Two (part-time, daytime only) We recommend that part-time students have between two and a half and three days free in the week to pursue their course of study.

Structure

Applicants apply for, and will be formally enrolled on, the MSc Development Studies programme. Students wishing to follow the Contemporary India Pathway will take two core modules in Development Studies (Political Economy of Development and Theory, Policy and Practice of Development), one module specific to Contemporary India and a dissertation (which must be written on a Contemporary India-related topic). The dissertation will include the option of undertaking a 2-4 week internship during the summer months, either arranged by the student to be approved by the Convenor or, through the Careers Office who have a database of organisations offering internship positions in India.

If the following combination of modules has been successfully completed, students may request that the following specialism appears on their final degree transcript: 'MSc Development Studies with special reference to Contemporary India'.

- Non-Assessed Courses

All MSc students in Development Studies are eligible to attend the one-term , non-assessed module, Economics for Beginners,which introduces students to basic concepts in microeconomics, macroeconomics, development economics, and statistics and econometrics.

Materials

- SOAS Library
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Teaching & Learning

Modules are taught by a combination of methods, principally lectures, tutorial classes, seminars and supervised individual study projects.

The MSc programme consists of three taught modules (corresponding to three examination papers) and a dissertation.

- Lectures

Most modules involve a two hour lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.

- Seminars

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work. Students make full-scale presentations for each unit that they take, and are expected to write papers that often require significant independent work.

- Dissertation

A quarter of the work for the degree is given over to the writing of an adequately researched 10,000-word dissertation. Students are encouraged to take up topics which relate the study of a particular region to a body of theory.

Employment

A postgraduate degree from the Department of Development Studies at SOAS will further develop your understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised, with an emphasis on transferable analytical skill. These skills have been of great benefit to the many graduates who have taken up professional careers in development in international organisations,
government agencies and non-government organisations. This, in addition to your detailed subject knowledge, will also equip you with a set of other specific skills, including: critical skills; the ability to research extensively; a high level of cultural awareness; and the ability to solve problems.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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MSc in Development Management

This MSc provides learning opportunities, culminating in a research project that will enhance your capacity to manage development. If you have responsibility for development interventions, you will find your practice challenged and developed. If you are a professional – engineer, health worker, educationalist, banker, for example – working in development contexts, you will develop an understanding of those contexts, and a grasp of the skills necessary to negotiate them. And if you are thinking about moving into development work, you will find a guide to the world you are entering and build up a variety of skills needed to manage development.

Key features of the course

• Links a critical understanding of theory with the realities of development, policy and practice
• Develops key skills, including strategic thinking and planning, relationship building, mapping and modelling, negotiation and brokering
• Builds the research skills needed to create evidence-based understandings of development management problems and to make cases for change
• Encourages critically reflective practice, produces practitioners willing and competent to ask questions about how development is being managed, and how it might be managed better.

This qualification is eligible for a Postgraduate Loan available from Student Finance England.

Modules

There are two routes through this qualification:

•Route A for students starting their studies from May 2015 onwards
•Route B for students who started their studies before May 2015. If you are following this route you must complete your studies by 31 December 2021.

For both routes, we recommend that you study Capacities for managing development (T878) before Institutional development (TU872).
If you are interested in international development, and in particular if you are new to the subject, we recommend that you begin with the optional module Development: context and practice (T877) before moving on to T878 and TU872.
You must finish your MSc with the Development management project (TU874).

You can find additional information about postgraduate development management studies on the OU Development Policy and Practice website.

Route A – to gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:

90 credits of compulsory modules:

Compulsory modules

• Capacities for managing development (T878)
• Conflict and development (T879)
• Institutional development (TU872)

Plus

60 credits from this list (or 30 credits plus 30 credits from any other postgraduate modules):

Optional modules

• Business, human rights law and corporate responsibility (W822)
• Development: context and practice (T877)
• Leading healthcare improvements (K827)
• Making environmental decisions (T891)
• Managing systemic change: inquiry, action, and interaction (TU812)
• MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716)
• MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (fast-track) (BXFT716)
• Problem solving and improvement: quality and other approaches (T889)
• Project management (M815)
• Thinking strategically: systems tools for managing change (TU811)

Plus

Compulsory module

• Development management project (TU874)

Route B – to gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:

60 credits of compulsory modules:

Compulsory modules

• Capacities for managing development (T878)
• Institutional development (TU872)

Plus

90 credits from this list (or 60 credits plus 30 credits from any other postgraduate modules):

Optional modules

• Business, human rights law and corporate responsibility (W822)
• Conflict and development (T879)
• Development: context and practice (T877)
• Leading healthcare improvements (K827)
• Making environmental decisions (T891)
• Managing systemic change: inquiry, action, and interaction (TU812)
• MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (B716)
• MBA stage 1: management: perspectives and practice (fast-track) (BXFT716)
• Problem solving and improvement: quality and other approaches (T889)
• Project management (M815)
• Thinking strategically: systems tools for managing change (TU811)

Plus

Compulsory module

• Development management project (TU874)

The modules quoted in this description are currently available for study. However, as we review the curriculum on a regular basis, the exact selection may change over time.

Credit transfer

If you have already completed some successful study at postgraduate level at another institution you may be able to transfer credit for this study and count it towards this Open University qualification. If you wish to apply to transfer credit you must do so as soon as possible as it may affect your choice of OU modules. If you are awarded credit for study completed elsewhere, you may find that you need to study fewer OU modules to complete your qualification with us. Visit our Credit Transfer site for more information and details of how to apply for credit transfer.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study International Security and Development at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in International Security and Development introduces students to issues and debates within International Security. This includes coverage of both ‘traditional’ security issues such as war and conflict and ‘non-traditional’ issues such as economic security, environmental security, health, identity and migration.

Key Features of MA in International Security and Development

Issues of security, violence and conflict have become central to international politics and to development policy and discourse. In order to comprehend the modern world, a full appreciation of the realities of conflict and violence, has become essential.

Drawing on the Department’s expertise in the field of security, International Security and Development students are also provided with an advanced introduction to key approaches in the study of security including realism, securitization theory, feminist approaches, critical theory and poststructuralism.

Students enrolled on the MA in International Security and Development benefit from the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study including those in International Security and Development. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

The full-time International Security and Development course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. Students study four compulsory modules, the research module and one optional module. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.

Part-time study in MA in International Security and Development is available.

MA in International Security and Development Programme Aims

- To develop advanced knowledge and understanding of International Security and Development.

- To develop critical, theoretical and analytical skills, improve written and oral communication skills.

- To acquire research skills in International Security and Development.

Modules

Modules on the MA in International Security and Development typically include:

• Violence, Conflict and Development

• Critical Security

• International Security in the Asia Pacific

• Civil Society and International Development

• Approaches to International Relations

• War, Identity and Society

• Governance: From State Formation to Global Governance

• War in Space

• State of Africa

• Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention

• Rights Based Approaches to Development

Who should Apply?

Students interested in International Security and Development, from a politics, international relations, development studies, law, humanities, social science, international business or related background. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to International Security and Development.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for International Security and Development graduates. MA in International Security and Development degree holders may move on to doctoral study or enter employment sectors such as the diplomatic corps, the armed forces, intelligence and risk analysis, relief and humanitarian organisations, law and finance, government and politics and international business.

Research Interests

The following research groups at Swansea provide a distinct international and multi-disciplinary forum for the advancement of the

study of international security and development including:

• International Relations & Security

• Development Studies

• Cultural Political Economy

• Policy and Governance

• International Communication

Regular research seminars and lectures are run through these groups and also through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) which students are encouraged to attend.

Student Quote

“I am now in my fourth year at Swansea University and can honestly say that I have enjoyed every moment. My undergraduate years were so good that I choose to stay on for another year to complete my Masters in International Security and Development and this is a decision I certainly do not regret. I feel like my degree has provided me with the tools needed to thrive in the world of employment, and the MA in International Security and Development I am now studying towards will only improve my chances of getting a high end job.”

Chris Harber, International Security and Development, MA

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