MA International Development (Part Time)

Key details

MA INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PART TIME)

Start Year

2020

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

On this MA, you’ll benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to international development, drawing from areas such as politics, economics, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, geography, and environmental science.

You’ll discover the importance of historical context when trying to make sense of current development challenges. You’ll also discover how to fully get to grips with international development issues by viewing them as a complex interrelation between society, economics, politics and the environment.

You’ll be able to tailor your studies to your interests and ambitions, choosing from a large range of modules within and beyond the School of International Development. You’ll also choose whether to write a dissertation or do a summer placement – so there are plenty of opportunities to shine.

Not only will you gain comprehensive knowledge of your subject, you’ll also build the necessary skills for a successful and effective, career in the field, and/or PhD study.

About

On this course you will cover the key issues in international development within the context of contemporary global change.

You’ll address your subject from social, economic, historical, political and environmental standpoints. You’ll learn to ask, and propose answers to, questions about the origins and persistence of poverty, inequality, illiteracy, gender discrimination, oppression, environmental change, and much more.

You’ll address how international development has been shaped by discussions such as the state vs. market debate, by processes such as neoliberalism, globalisation and urbanisation, by intellectual frameworks such as the basic needs, human development and the capability approach, and by moral dilemmas such as cosmopolitan justice and the existence of obligations towards poor citizens in poor countries.

You’ll consider the long-term processes which have shaped and hindered progress in many regions of the world. You’ll also discover the main theoretical and pragmatic approaches to international development that have been proposed and adopted since the post-World War II period.

You’ll learn to critically analyse different development patterns and pathways, as well as exploring the causes and effects of recent trends in major development areas.

In addition, you’ll become familiar with concrete case studies of problems affecting developing areas and evaluate possible policies and strategies at both national and international levels to overcome these problems.

Most importantly, you’ll develop the ability to think critically about development issues. This will be enhanced by insider perspectives on our lecturers’ own research findings within a wide range of areas.

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Course Reference Number: 664770

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.

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. This helps you identify areas for improvement, and areas of strength.

Finally, your dissertation will enable 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.

Structure

The backbone of your studies are the compulsory Development Perspectives and Contemporary World Development modules. These are highly complementary - the first one is more theoretical, while the second is policy focused and empirical, drawing heavily on case studies.

In Development Perspectives, you’ll look back over the past 70 years, starting with the late 1940s when the ‘era’ of development is considered to have started.

We’ll look at the main ideas and theories about development which have emerged in this period, how these have been challenged, how some ideas have fallen by the wayside, while others have remained remarkably resilient and have impacted upon the most recent approaches.

In the process, you’ll discover how ideas are influenced by key world events – like the oil crisis of the 1970s, and the collapse of communism in the 1990s. You’ll also see how ideas in development are deeply contested, and discuss what conclusions we can draw for development in practice.

The objective of Contemporary World Development is to examine key debates around development objectives, processes and agencies. While issues discussed here are of contemporary significance, references will be made to the historical contexts in which these debates arose. You’ll review concerns central to development policymaking through theoretically grounded critical perspectives.

Beyond these two modules, you’ll have the opportunity to choose four modules from a large variety of options offered in the School of International Development. These cover a number of areas including education theory and policy, gender, globalisation, environmental issues, climate change, water security, rural livelihoods, agrarian change, rural policies, political ecology, conflict, humanitarian assistance, democracy, food, micro-economics, macro-economics, impact evaluation, health, and a host of others.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will learn through lectures and seminars. Your lectures will go beyond the customary “chalk-and-talk” approach, and include a range of interactive tasks and activities. The use of technology is also widespread, for example through visual representation of empirical evidence in international development (e.g. through statistical programs). Other examples include the use of online reading materials and lecture screencasts.

Through seminar group work and presentations you’ll be able to develop essential transferable skills such as articulating an argument both orally and in writing and presenting academic information in a lucid and cogent manner.

Independent study

You’ll read suggested academic articles and books, submitting assignments as specified for each module. Your independent study gives you the chance to prepare for in-class sessions and assignments, and to concentrate on the areas that interest you the most.

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Assessment for Year 2

You’ll also receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you develop skills in articulating an argument orally.

Structure

In Development Perspectives, you’ll look back over the past 70 years, starting with the late 1940s when the ‘era’ of development is considered to have started.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Independent study

Admissions Live Chat

Apply

Open Days

This is the first year of your taught Masters programme.

Assessment for Year 1

You’ll also receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you develop skills in articulating an argument orally.

Compulsory Modules

CONTEMPORARY WORLD DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7000B

Credits 20

The objective of Contemporary World Development is to examine key debates around development objectives, processes and agencies. While issues discussed here are of contemporary significance, references will be made to the historical contexts in which these debates have arisen. Concerns central to development policy making will be reviewed through theoretically grounded critical perspectives. Topics covered include the Millennium Development Goals, donors and aid politics, state and NGOs, and poverty.

DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES

Code DEV-7001A

Credits 20

You will explore different theoretical ideas and debates about development, and place these in their historical and political contexts. You will critically assess the various ways in which development has been conceptualised, from the end of the Second World War to the present day. You will cover topics including modernisation theory; dependency theory; the role of the state; neo-liberalism and the Washington Consensus, neo-institutionalism and the post-Washington Consensus; poverty and basic needs; human development and capabilities; equity and justice; rights and empowerment; and sustainable development. A key point of the module is to show how ideas in development emerge and how they shape policies and practice in development in the present day.

Optional A Modules

(0-20 credits)

INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7002A

Credits 20

The aim of the module is for you to gain an understanding of current debates on the principles and theories linking education to development in a range of social contexts. The module will introduce you to theories of education and development including international and comparative education. These are examined in relation to the broader challenges of development. Topics in the module may include: theories of human development and capabilities, human capital and rights based approaches, theories of equity, social justice and inclusive education. You will examine schooling in contexts of chronic poverty, models of schooling and de-schooling, formal and non-formal education, the challenges of linguistic and cultural diversity, inclusive education and disability, gender inequalities, and the education of nomads and other migratory groups.

GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7003A

Credits 20

The aim of this unit is to provide you with a solid grounding in gender analysis of development, and to enable you to understand the link between gender and key debates within development studies such as poverty, violence, religion and the role of men in gender and development. The module introduces and explains the range of ideas, debates and tools, which are the foundations of gender analysis, within a discussion of key issues in gender analysis of development: the nature of the household and kinship, gender roles, power and empowerment, and environmental change. The unit stands alone as a foundation for gender analysis of development, it also builds the necessary basis for the more applied units which follow in the spring semester, and for dissertations based on gender topics.

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7005A

Credits 20

The course lectures and seminars will include the following topics: • Development research & research ethics • Research design and method; sampling, questionnaire design, interviews • The role of qualitative methods in quantitative research and mixed methods • Participatory and action research • Design and implementation of household surveys on various topics, e.g. income, consumption, employment, health, nutrition, education, etc. Basic data processing and statistical analysis and presentation are shown based on tools such as Excel, SPSS and STATA.

UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Code DEV-7014A

Credits 20

This module provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the analysis and understanding of issues of environmental change, and of the relationships between environment and development. Students will have a critical understanding of social constructions of cause and effect relationships in environment and development issues, including a critical understanding of scientific assessments. They will be able to link these understandings to topics encountered in other courses, and to develop their own perspectives on environment and development issues. In particular they should understand the somewhat different perspectives in ‘less developed countries’ on environment and development issues. The course consists of weekly workshops and seminar sessions, which include videos and discussions oriented around core issues and readings. Assessment is based on coursework and written examination.

RURAL LIVELIHOODS AND AGRARIAN CHANGE

Code DEV-7020A

Credits 20

Poverty and hunger remain key developmental challenges, driving poor health and ill-being on the one hand and conflict and violence on the other. This is the central question addressed by this module. In this module, you will explore different approaches to understanding rural livelihoods. You will be equipped with the tools and frameworks to critically assess different strategies for livelihoods-building and their implications for poverty and inequality, including those of class and gender, at the micro-level. Starting with an understanding of key concepts of poverty, food security, gender, capabilities, capitals and entitlements, you will apply these to a host of contexts and programmes through seminar discussions. This will enable a deeper understanding of the interconnections between the wider policy context, the social structure that shapes entitlements, the assets available to groups and individuals and their livelihood strategies. You will also explore the links between the rural and urban, and the changes over time. You will have an opportunity to experience some of the dilemmas confronting the rural poor through an experiential game.

SOCIAL ANALYSIS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7021A

Credits 20

Effective social development and policy are based on sound conceptual foundations, and this module focuses on the conceptual tools that underpin policy relevant social analysis. You will develop skills to analyse social contexts which influence interventions and social change (‘development’), using concepts from sociology, anthropology and political analysis. There is an old development adage that ‘if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you give him a fishing rod you feed him for a lifetime’. Think about social theory and concepts as a fishing rod! The module is about social concepts and theory, but we always apply these concepts to practical social development issues and interventions. You will apply your knowledge and understanding of social concepts to important international development issues, for example (and these can vary each year) the social analysis of HIV, the social analysis of poverty & micro-credit interventions, or the social analysis of conflict and peace.

GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7023A

Credits 20

“Good governance” and durable democracy are key items on the International Development agenda. However, despite their prominence in the development discourse, it remains contested not only how to achieve these political development goals, but also how to define them in the first place. The aim of Governance, Democracy and Development is to critically assess the possible definitions, contested causes and arguable consequences of “good governance” and democracy. Key topics to be discussed include how to define and measure democracy and “good governance”, explanations for the emergence of democracy, theories on the survival of democracy and dictatorship, local forms of governance and democracy, aid and governance, trust and cooperation, the effects of democracy and dictatorship on prospects of economic development, and key challenges to democracy in the 21st century. Throughout the module, you will be expected to assess the strengths and limitations of central concepts and theories from the academic debate by applying them to relevant empirical evidence, such as political regime trends in Turkey or the economic effects of recent elections in Kenya.

PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBALISATION

Code DEV-7028A

Credits 20

Globalisation refers to the increasingly interconnected nature of social life on our planet. It has been described as ‘the most important change in human history’. You will critically examine a number of key debates about globalisation: about what is driving the process, and about what impacts it is having – for example, on economic development, poverty and inequality, conflict, and the environment. This module takes an inter-disciplinary approach, presenting different conceptual frameworks within which contemporary globalisation is analysed.

MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7030A

Credits 20

The media plays an increasingly important role in international development - from promoting mass mobilisation and participation to facilitating the flow of information locally, nationally and internationally. The media are also central to encouraging charitable donations, promoting democracy and human rights, and delivering public health messages during emergencies. You’ll gain a critical introduction to the broad range of issues relevant to the relationship between media and development. You’ll explore the fields of development communication, media development and media representations of development.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT I: SCIENCE, IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION

Code DEV-7042A

Credits 20

Climate change presents a challenge to development that is both complex and urgent. Populations in less developed countries are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A multi-disciplinary approach allows us to understand the causes, consequences and responses to climate change in the 21st century. This module explores the causes of climate change, its impacts on development and the role of adaptation in reducing vulnerability to climate change and promoting climate resilient development. The first part of the module covers key aspects of climate change science necessary for an essential understanding of the causes and expected future impacts of climate change. The second part of the module focuses on the theory and practice of adaptation to climate change at different scales, from national policy making to local level case studies. A programme of lectures, workshops and group and individual work allow students to explore the module material. This module gives you sufficient grasp of the scientific underpinnings of climate change science to engage confidently in debate with non-specialists on the causes and consequences of climate change. It also gives you the theoretical and applied knowledge to research and plan for adaptation to climate change.

GLOBAL MEDIA STUDIES

Code DEV-7044A

Credits 20

This module will provide you with a broad, current and inter-disciplinary understanding of the changing role of the mass/news media today. You’ll look at the structure of media globally as well as in the UK. You’ll consider, from several different academic perspectives, how media content is produced and circulated and what shapes these processes. You’ll also examine how media affects peoples and societies and review debates about media influence and power. Within this module you will also be introduced to relevant research methods for critically analysing media content and be guided through critical readings of key research in this area.

Optional C Modules

(0-20 credits)

RURAL POLICIES & POLITICS

Code DEV-7004B

Credits 20

Around three-quarters of the world's poor live in rural areas and within most developing countries the gap between the rural poor and better off urban residents continues to widen. The lives of the rural poor can be greatly influenced by policies in areas such as agriculture, land, social protection, natural resources, health, education and trade. This module reviews important policies and issues in these and other areas. It also guides students to critically analyse policy choices within specific contexts. Rural Policies & Politics recognises the importance of looking at rural policies with consideration of particular socio-economic and political contexts, as well as in relation to larger-scale trends that are affecting rural areas including globalisation, urbanisation, de-agrarianisation, and rapid technological change.

EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7011B

Credits 20

The aim of this module is to help you understand and critically examine, policy-making processes and specific policies for educational development. You will discover the relationships between policy and practice in a range of international, national and local development contexts. Through this module you will explore different approaches to policy development and familiarise yourself with dominant global policy agendas in education - asking who makes or influences policy, and considering policies as socially situated documents, practices and processes. The module introduces you to educational policy-making to address a range of development challenges and how related strategies are enacted in practice; drawing on policy theory and ethnographic and school-based research, as well as practical sessions to critique policy-related writing, examine models of educational quality and curricula, and explore issues of school-related gender based violence.

CONFLICT, CIVIL WARS AND PEACE

Code DEV-7015B

Credits 20

The number of violent intrastate conflicts has outweighed the number of violent interstate conflicts for more than five decades. Yet it was only with the end of the Cold War that academics and policy-makers started paying more attention to the possible causes and consequences of large-scale intrastate violence. Today, questions of effective conflict management, especially of large-scale civil wars, are among the top priorities of international development agencies. The aim of the Conflict, Civil Wars and Peace module is to critically assess the possible causes and consequences of violent intrastate conflicts as well as their implications for the wider development agenda. Key topics to be discussed in the module include causes, dynamics and consequences of different types of violent conflict, strategies and causes of terrorism, the role of gender during and after violent intrastate conflicts, the (contested) relationship(s) between natural resource wealth and civil wars, institutional approaches to conflict management, the rationale and possible effects of third-party intervention in civil wars, and post-conflict reconstruction efforts, including state- and peace-building as well as transitional justice. Throughout the module, you will be expected to assess the strengths and limitations of central concepts and theories from the academic debate by applying them to relevant empirical evidence, such as the role of gender during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 or the performance of Bosnia and Herzegovina's post-civil war power-sharing arrangement.

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

Code DEV-7033B

Credits 20

This course seeks to provide students with a solid understanding of political ecology theory and to enable them to apply this theory for analysing environment and development problems. After a brief introduction to key theoretical concepts in political ecology, students review key contributions to major policy fields in environment and development. They do this in a series of reading seminars, covering agriculture and biotechnology, climate change, conservation, fisheries, forestry, water management and other fields. The course ends with a workshop on the role of policy in political ecology.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7036B

Credits 20

The broad aim of the module Advanced Qualitative Research and Analysis (AQRA) is to prepare students who already have a basic grasp of qualitative research methods for carrying out data analysis using different techniques. It will also aim at understanding how to link research questions, theory and methods and the research design more generally, as well as how to collect and manage data, and produce a piece of written work from the data. The module aims to start where the basic courses left off by moving from the research proposal required in the RTA coursework to producing a piece of written analysis based on existing qualitative datasets. Examples of tecnhiques covered are interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and the use of audio-visual and expressive arts. Classes will be practice-oriented in a workshop format, where students can experiement with conducting discourse analysis, thematic analysis, and narrative analysis of the datasets that will be provided.

GLOBALISED AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS

Code DEV-7045B

Credits 20

The aim of this module is to understand how forces operating at the global scale affect food and agriculture. These forces include trends in farming and trade, environmental change, policy developments, and social movements. Food security is a central theme; we explore different ways food security is defined and how it is contested internationally, considering global institutions like FAO, interest groups, and diverse policy agendas (e.g. food sufficiency, nutrition, sustainability). The module considers a range of issues currently affecting food and farming systems - environmental change, changing diets (more meat, processed foods), `post-production' concerns with food safety or farming’s impact on ecosystems, global agribusiness, agricultural innovation systems and global-scale changes in food prices. Students will gain critical understanding of debates around these issues and of how different policy actors engage with them. These actors include firms, public R&D institutions, farmers' movements, and major donors and philanthropic organisations. An abiding concern is understanding impacts for the poor and vulnerable, particularly smallholder farmers, but also consumers in the North and South, and those involved in value chains. The module will help students develop a critical and inter-disciplinary understanding of key international policy debates that have relevance to agriculture.

GLOBALISATION, BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7047B

Credits 20

This module provides an analysis of the way in which global production is organized and the roles played by the state, business and civil society, and the relations between them. It focuses on key business actors, such as transnational, and looks in depth at issues of resource extraction in developing countries. Various aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility, including relations with local communities and workers, as well as the impacts on the environment and human rights, are discussed.

CRITICAL ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE 2

Code DEV-7052B

Credits 20

This module develops an advanced understanding of some of the challenges and changes in aid delivery that are introduced in Critical Issues in Development Practice 1, in the autumn semesters. Together these modules serve as the core foundations for the MA in Development Practice (DP). With the grounding the previous module provides, Critical Issues in Development Practice 2 will expand your understanding to new different areas of concern and practice, across a wide range of approaches and topics in contemporary aid delivery. Themes explored will include specific approaches to aid delivery, such as human rights based approaches to development, and how this intersects with concerns around good governance as a key pillar for development. You will also be exposed to debates about global aid architecture and institutions, and wider global conditions in which aid operates, including around the politicisation of aid and the implications of the ‘securitisation’ agenda. A complementary strand of the module will examine shifting parameters of aid delivery, including around businesses and private sector involvement, for example in how public private partnerships might operate for the sustainable development goals. Examining such approaches includes considering the potential conceptual contradictions underlying social or human development objectives and business motives, and ways forward, such as looking at business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and social enterprise. The overall goal is to give you a deep and broad understanding of the key issues driving change in the sector for coming decades.

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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.

This is the second year of your taught Masters programme.

Assessment for Year 2

You’ll also receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you develop skills in articulating an argument orally.

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(60 credits)

DISSERTATION

Code DEV-7056X

Credits 60

Production of a short (8000-12000 words) dissertation on an approved topic.

DEVELOPMENT WORK PLACEMENT

Code DEV-7057X

Credits 60

This module gives you an opportunity to identify, apply for and do an internship or work placement, worth 60 credits, as an integral part of your Masters programme. You would take this module in the summer semester as an alternative to the Dissertation module, and it is open to most MA /MSc programmes. The placements are for a period of 8-10 weeks between May and, preferably, the end of July. In recent years, students have done placements across a range of United Nations institutions, in specialist consultancy and research Organisations, and non-governmental organisations both in the UK and across the world. You are responsible for finding a suitable placement but will be given a range of support from International Development which includes giving the students access to the International Development internship host data base compiled over nearly a decade; advice on identifying appropriate placements; advice on CV design, fund-raising (where necessary), health and safety, ethical considerations etc.; facilitate communication between student and potential host, in some cases acting as a mediator. Whilst we cannot guarantee a placement we are confident that most students who take this module and apply themselves to identifying an internship, will be successful. The module is assessed by the production of an Analytical Report based on the internship which allows you to reflect both on the content of the placement, and the personal expense of undertaking this work.

Optional B Modules

(20 credits)

INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7002A

Credits 20

GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7003A

Credits 20

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7005A

Credits 20

UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Code DEV-7014A

Credits 20

SOCIAL ANALYSIS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7021A

Credits 20

GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7023A

Credits 20

PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBALISATION

Code DEV-7028A

Credits 20

MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7030A

Credits 20

WELFARE AND EVALUATION IN DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7038A

Credits 20

This module provides you with an introduction to the theory and practice of impact evaluation. The focus will be on issues around evidence-based policy making, approaches to wellbeing, and their practical application in terms of evaluating the effect of development interventions on the quality of people’s lives. The first part discusses the notion of evidence-based policy, introduces the students to the area of evaluation and reviews the role of programme theory in evaluation. The second part addresses the theory of welfare, with particular reference to poverty, inequality, and multi-dimensional ill-being as well as cost effectiveness. The third part considers policy and evaluation in practice looking at a range of sectors and contexts.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT I: SCIENCE, IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION

Code DEV-7042A

Credits 20

GLOBAL MEDIA STUDIES

Code DEV-7044A

Credits 20

CRITICAL ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE

Code DEV-7052A

Credits 20

The module offers you a critical introduction to and perspectives on development interventions and development projects in particular. Our aim is to equip you with the familiarity with key development tools and techniques such that you are confident to use them in a professional setting. The module provides you with both a practical grounding in the key tools and techniques for project design and management, but also a critical awareness of the tools' limitations. We cover the key tools such as context and evidence reviews, theories of change, logframes, monitoring and evaluation plans, and how these must react to different kinds of programming - ranging from a rapid onset humanitarian intervention to longer term development programmes. Central to the module's approach is an experiential learning approach which gives you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the tools and develop your understanding of good practices through worked examples and do-it-yourself exercises. Our exercises stress realistic scenarios and challenges, drawing on the teaching team's experiences in the sector. The assessment is based on an authentic exercise that you may encounter in your careers - the formulation of a proposal for a development intervention. We reflect on the limitations of these tools and this experience, introducing some of the key critiques of projectised development, and giving you the tools to analyse and navigate the power relations of the development sector..

Optional D Modules

(20 credits)

RURAL POLICIES & POLITICS

Code DEV-7004B

Credits 20

EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7011B

Credits 20

CONFLICT, CIVIL WARS AND PEACE

Code DEV-7015B

Credits 20

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

Code DEV-7033B

Credits 20

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7036B

Credits 20

GLOBALISED AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS

Code DEV-7045B

Credits 20

GLOBALISATION, BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7047B

Credits 20

CRITICAL ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE 2

Code DEV-7052B

Credits 20

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

2.1 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.

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:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in all components)
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 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

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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What is International Development

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Water Security Research Centre

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Water Wars

Take a look at the first video in our Thinking Without Borders campaign, looking at Mark Zeitoun's work on water.

WATCH >

Course Reference Number: 664770

International Development

MA INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PART TIME)

Key details

Year of Entry:

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

Important Information

On this MA, you’ll benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to international development, drawing from areas such as politics, economics, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, geography, and environmental science. You’ll discover the importance of historical context when trying to make sense of current development challenges. You’ll also discover how to fully get to grips with international development issues by viewing them as a complex interrelation between society, economics, politics and the environment. You’ll be able to tailor your studies to your interests and ambitions, choosing from a large range of modules within and beyond the School of International Development. You’ll also choose whether to write a dissertation or do a summer placement – so there are plenty of opportunities to shine. Not only will you gain comprehensive knowledge of your subject, you’ll also build the necessary skills for a successful and effective, career in the field, and/or PhD study.

Admissions Live Chat

What is International Development

Enrol on our free online course.

FIND OUT MORE >

Water Security Research Centre

LEARN MORE >

Water Wars

Take a look at the first video in our Thinking Without Borders campaign, looking at Mark Zeitoun's work on water.

WATCH >

MA INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PART TIME)