MSc International Development: Development Management

Course description

MSc International Development: Development Management analyses the management, planning and policy-making aspects of the development process.

The course aims to blend theory and practice and seeks to explain policy behaviour through an integrated approach, drawing on a range of disciplinary perspectives.

It is designed for social science graduates, or for those working in institutions involved in the management of development activities in developing countries, such as central and local government, parastatal organisations, NGOs and multilateral or bilateral aid agencies.

The course is ideal if you're looking to acquire the practical skills to manage development interventions in an increasingly challenging field.

Aims

• Provide an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of management, planning and policy-making in economic, social and political spheres of development.
• Provide you with a thorough conceptual framework and the skills necessary to analyse effectively the relationships between development management and development processes.
• Develop professionally-oriented skills related to formulating, investigating and implementing different forms of development management.
• Provide a wide range of options for advanced training in areas of specialist expertise relevant to development and management.
• Develop advanced competencies in transferable areas, including developing reasoned arguments, gathering, organising and using evidence and information from a wide variety of sources, undertaking both team-based and independent work to deadlines, and both written and verbal forms of communication.
• Assist you in developing your specialist area of expertise within development management, and applying your understanding and skills through supervised individual research culminating in a dissertation.

Coursework and assessment

The taught elements of the course, carrying 120 credits overall, is continuously assessed by a variety of methods (eg project-based reports, essays), involving largely individual submissions, but also elements of group work.

You must also complete a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation on a topic of your choice approved by the Programme Directors. You are encouraged to base your dissertation on topics of direct professional concern.

Career opportunities

Teaching and research at the Global Development Institute covers a wide variety of topics and as a result our students can be found in a range of jobs and careers.

Our teaching aims to support students from all backgrounds to acquire valuable knowledge, skills and attributes to achieve their educational and professional goals. It includes regular contributions from researchers and practitioners with a view to equip our students to make a positive difference in their chosen sphere.