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Global Development at UEA
Find out more about studying Global Development at UEA, and browse our other courses.
Find out moreMA Agriculture and Rural Development with a Placement Year
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- January 2027
Course options
Other Start Dates
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1st
UEA is ranked 1st overall for research quality in Development Studies
Times Higher Education REF 2021Course Overview
Why MA Agriculture and Rural Development with a Placement Year at UEA?
Learn about how agriculture contributes to poverty alleviation, food security, and rural development in low-income countries, during rapid socio-economic change. And how can rural livelihoods in those countries be diversified beyond relying on just agriculture, as new opportunities emerge?
Why choose UEA
- Taught by experts: Our lecturers are specialists of the field with wide international experience and expertise
- Focused expertise: This course is designed with a unique, distinctive focus on rural development
- Leading development studies: You’ll graduate with a degree from the UK’s top-ranked Development Studies department (THE REF Analysis 2021)
What is the MA Agriculture and Rural Development with a Placement Year course?
Our unique MA in Agriculture and Rural Development blends theory, practical skills, real-world case studies, and empirical insights. This course will give you a solid foundation in global issues surrounding agriculture, rural livelihoods, and rural policies and politics.
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What is Global Development?
Learn how global development is understood and its effects on communities, with a focus on Nairobi, Kenya, in this free, online course. Thro...
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Our Research - 1st in the UK for Development Studies
The School of Global Development is globally recognized for research excellence and ranked first in development studies (Times Higher REF An...
Placement Year
By choosing a Master’s course with the placement route, you’ll have the placement as a compulsory part of your programme. The placement will take place in the second year of your course. During the first semester of your second year, you'll continue the structured employability development programme, which includes an intensive period dedicated to securing an industry work placement.
Your industry work placement will be typically undertaken with a UK company for eight to ten months. The university works in partnership with a specialist, award-winning provider to deliver a tailored package of support for students on the placement year route, giving you the strongest possible opportunity to secure a paid role.
While comprehensive support is available throughout your studies, securing an appropriate industry work placement in a relevant sector is ultimately your responsibility. You'll need to engage fully with your academic programme and with our specialist partner to maximise your chances of success.
If an industry work placement couldn’t be secured, or you don’t meet the academic requirements for the industry work placement, through another of UEA’s placement partners you’re guaranteed the opportunity to complete three structured industry projects with different UK organisations. These projects give you the opportunity to build real-world experience across multiple companies. These placements are available in different formats depending on your preference.
Therefore, you’ll graduate with practical, career-ready skills that will strengthen your future employment prospects.
Find out more about the Postgraduate Placement Year.
Careers
Career Pathways
With an MA Agriculture and Rural Development with a Placement Year degree, you could launch a career in:
- International Development agencies
- Field Non-Governmental Organisations
- Private sector companies working in agriculture and food value chains
- Self-employed in social enterprises
Career Support
Our course offers exceptional careers support, including events tailored to the School of Global Development, guidance on volunteering and internships to strengthen your CV. The School of Global Development also offers a dedicated extracurricular professional skills programme, designed to enhance your employability on graduation. Responsive to the ever-changing demands of the development sector, the programme evolves continuously to ensure you graduate with the most relevant and sought-after skills.
Discover more about the career support UEA provides on our Career Central webpage.
After the Course
As agriculture and rural development is now back at the top of the international development agenda, you’ll graduate ready to take on a fulfilling career or further study in this dynamic and rewarding area.
Previous graduates from the School of Global Development have gone on to work for the British High Commission in Ghana, British Civil Service, CARE International, European Union, Overseas Development Institute, Oxfam, Save the Children International, UNITAR in Japan, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and WaterAid.
Depending on your degree outcome, you'll also be well qualified to enter a PhD programme with a view to continuing an academic career both in the UK and overseas.
Study and Modules
Structure
You'll explore how global forces (such as trends in farming and trade, environmental change, policy shifts, and social movements) shape food and agriculture. You’ll examine competing definitions of food security and the international debates surrounding it. Topics also include environmental change, evolving diets (including increased meat and processed food consumption), post-production challenges, and fluctuations in global food prices.
You’ll also study themes such as rural livelihoods and agrarian change, exploring key developmental challenges like poverty, farming livelihoods, migration, and gender equity.
You’ll examine different approaches to understanding rural livelihoods and develop the tools and frameworks to critically assess various livelihood-building strategies and their impacts on poverty and inequality, including issues of class and gender.
You’ll explore rural policies and politics, recognising that around three-quarters of the world’s poor live in rural areas, and that the gap between rural poor and better-off urban residents continues to widen in many developing countries. The lives of rural communities are deeply affected by policies relating to agriculture, land, social protection, natural resources, health, education, and trade. You’ll study these key policies and issues, learning to critically analyse policy choices within specific contexts.
You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules, allowing you to focus on areas that interest you most.
A variety of optional seminars and workshops are offered to help strengthen your skills. Sessions supporting learning, especially essay and dissertation writing, take place throughout the year.
The School of Development is a great place to study. We’re a friendly and welcoming group, and engage our students in a wide range of activities, both formal and informal, including:
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Field trips around Norfolk, a predominantly rural areas of England, and where Britain’s ‘agricultural revolution’ began in the mid 17th century with the innovation of the ‘Norfolk four course rotation’
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Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development is our research centre linking agricultural practice and development, highlighting the priorities and concerns of farming communities, while working closely with leading scientific research institutions, including the John Innes Centre based here on campus.
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DEV Farm & student society(opens in a new window) is our on-campus student-led farming area, maintaining an illustrious history
You can also benefit from world-class research at UEA. The School of Global Development addresses contemporary challenges in developing and transitioning economies through disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Regular seminars featuring cutting-edgeresearch are open to you within the school.
During your first year of your Master's degree at UEA, you’ll undertake a year-long Employability Skills module which will help to equip you with the relevant skills you’ll need to seek, secure and undertake your placement in year two of your master’s degree. You’ll benefit from workshops on CV writing, interview practice, and use of LinkedIn. You’ll have one-to-one meetings that will help you plan your application strategy and give you opportunities for mock interviews. Sessions will be a mixture of online and in-person. This is a pass/fail module, and you need to ensure you attend 75% or more of the sessions in order to pass and progress to the placement year in your second year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 40)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional C Modules
(Credits: 40)Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your second year, your placement module is designed as a single 60 credit bearing module, providing you with the opportunity to undertake a placement aligned to your discipline during the second year of your master's course. In the first semester of your second year, you'll undertake an intensive period of placement search. You'll receive dedicated support throughout your placement search, along with six in-person workshops at UEA that provide opportunities for critical reflection on your progress. At the end of your placement search, if you haven’t managed to secure an industry work placement, you’ll undertake a series of three industry projects.
At the end of the module, you'll be required to submit the assessment materials, which consist of documents relating to your job search (in the first semester) and a reflective report on your placement. You’ll highlight skills learnt, increased sector awareness, and development needs for the future. This module will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. By the end of the placement module, you'll have enhanced your career confidence and strengthened your CV and professional network. You’ll be ready to step into the next stage of your career, whether in the UK or anywhere in the world.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
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Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
This course is led by scholars who have decades of experience in field research, teaching , and consulting on these issues.
Modules are taught by a range of experienced experts. Our lecturers have first-hand experience of both community mobilisation, especially around women’s rights, and policy engagement at the global level.
Modules are taught based on weekly lectures and student-led seminars, along with field trips and other exercises.
Assessment
We use a mix of assessment formats in each module, which can include writing essays, policy briefs, presentations, tests, or exams.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Social Sciences- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants should normally have a good undergraduate degree from a recognised higher education institution. The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Social Sciences- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants should normally have a good undergraduate degree from a recognised higher education institution. The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each component).
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, our partner UEA International Study Centre offers a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner UEA International Study Centre. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,400
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International Students: £23,850
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
If you choose to take this course with a placement year, your tuition fees for the first year will be as shown above. An additional fee of £3,500 will apply for the placement year (see our FAQs page for further details).
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.