MA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MA AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Gain first-class training in how agriculture can contribute to poverty alleviation and rural development in low-income countries.
This course combines theoretical knowledge with empirical insights and case studies, giving you a well-rounded view of the issues at hand.
You’ll take advantage of the teaching team’s hands-on experience with agriculture and rural development in a large variety of low-income countries – giving you a unique and relevant perspective from the people who’ve been there.
You’ll cover agriculture, rural livelihoods and rural policy and politics and get to grips with the policies and practices of the major international institutions in rural development. You’ll even cover civil society organisations such as La Via Campesina who fight for workers’ rights and Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement – the mass social movement formed by rural workers who fight for land reform and against injustice and social inequality in rural areas.
About
Gain an overview of agriculture, rural livelihoods, rural policy and politics. You’ll strengthen your analytical prowess and graduate with a set of widely transferable skills.
Focus on the dynamic interactions between local livelihoods and agriculture as a globalised industry. Take an interdisciplinary perspective on the global, national and local level processes that shape agriculture and rural development. And integrate your knowledge by using a mix of social sciences, economics and natural resource studies.
You’ll cover the policies and practices of the major international institutions in rural development – including the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations Development Programme and La Via Campesina. You’ll also gain cutting-edgeinsights on the relationship between agriculture and rural development.
With these topics back at the top of the international development agenda, you’ll graduate ready to take on a fulfilling career or further study in the area.

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Important Information
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.After the Course
Upon completing your MA, you’ll be equipped with a range of transferable skills, which means you can pursue a variety of exciting careers both in and beyond international development.
You’ll also be well qualified to enter a PhD programme with a view to continuing to an academic career both in the UK and overseas.
Career destinations
A career in international development can take you in all kinds of directions such as international organisations, governmental and non-governmental organisations, local governments, private sector and PhD programmes.
Previous graduates have gone on to work for the British High Commission in Ghana, UNITAR in Japan, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and PhD studies in related fields.

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Assessment for Year 1
You’ll be assessed using a variety of methods, including presentations, essays, exams and an optional dissertation. Further assessment methods will differ depending on the optional modules you choose.
You’ll also receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you develop skills in articulating an argument orally.
You’ll be encouraged to prepare essay plans or outlines in advance of essay deadlines, and to discuss these with the relevant lecturer during their office hours or by email. In addition, you’ll typically receive oral and/or written feedback on an initial coursework assignment well in advance of your deadline for the main coursework assignment.
Finally, the dissertation enables you to develop specific research skills such as conducting research using primary and secondary data, researching specific topics and questions, thinking critically, and linking theoretical concepts to practical issues.
Assessment for Year 1
You’ll be assessed using a variety of methods, including presentations, essays, exams and an optional dissertation. Further assessment methods will differ depending on the optional modules you choose.
You’ll also receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you develop skills in articulating an argument orally.
You’ll be encouraged to prepare essay plans or outlines in advance of essay deadlines, and to discuss these with the relevant lecturer during their office hours or by email. In addition, you’ll typically receive oral and/or written feedback on an initial coursework assignment well in advance of your deadline for the main coursework assignment.
Finally, the dissertation enables you to develop specific research skills such as conducting research using primary and secondary data, researching specific topics and questions, thinking critically, and linking theoretical concepts to practical issues.
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.Entry Requirements
Degree classification
2.1 or equivalentDegree subject
Social SciencesAdditional 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.
Students for whom english is a foreign language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
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IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in all components)
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PTE (Pearson): 58 (minimum 42 in all components)
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests
INTO University of East Anglia
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study one of the International Graduate Diploma programmes offered by our partner INTO UEA. These programmes guarantee progression to selected masters degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details please click here:
International Graduate Diploma in International Development
INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be offering Pre-sessional courses online from June to September 2020. Further details can be found on our Online Pre-Sessional English webpage.
Intakes
This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

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Fees and Funding
TUITION FEES FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/21 ARE:
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UK/EU Students: £8,000 (full time)
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International Students: £16,400 (full time)
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,015 per month.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FUNDING
A variety of Scholarships may be offered to UK students. Please click here for more detailed information about UK/EU Scholarships and Funding.
The University offers around £1 million of Scholarships each year to support International students in their studies. Scholarships are normally awarded to students on the basis of academic merit and are usually for the duration of the period of study. Please click here for further information about funding for International students. International candidates are also actively encouraged to access the University's International section of our website.
Course related costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of additional course-related costs.

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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.
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
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.

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