MA Media and International Development (Part Time)

Key details

MA MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PART TIME)

Start Year

2022

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

Get to grips with a fascinating subject on this innovative programme. You’ll address current theories, practice and research surrounding the relationship between media and development, and you’ll have the freedom to choose from a wide range of specialist optional modules and training courses.

This Masters programme has three specialist modules - Media and International Development (MID), Media and Development in Practice (MADIP) and Global Media Studies (GMS).

This core content is taught by specialist staff with expertise in media and development across a range of thematic areas including refugees and communication, humanitarian journalism, charity campaigns and more.

Past graduates have gone on to work in a range of fields including humanitarian communication, NGO communications, development journalism, media development, journalism and academia.

About

This degree follows the same programme as its full-time equivalent but is spread over two years.

You’ll find this course particularly relevant if you’ve recently completed undergraduate study and have an interest in the relationship between media and development, or if you’ve already worked in the media or in the field of development.

We’re connected with the Public Media Alliance, the largest global association of public broadcasters, who are based within the School and provide teaching and resources.

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New Research

Aid recipients call for more dignity and diversity in aid campaigns.

CRISIS COVERAGE

Ongoing research investigating how the news report on humanitarian crises, what shapes their coverage and what effects it has.

Eastminster: a global politics and policy blog from UEA

Expert analysis from the University of East Anglia.

Counter-Terrorism

Responding to the threat of terrorism has become a key global policy priority in recent years. Counter-terrorism policies and the language that surrounds them have gone on to have a big impact on British society.

The Art of Persuasion

Why are political speeches so often boring, predictable and unconvincing?

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 receive oral feedback on your arguments and ideas during seminars, which helps you to develop your skills in articulating an argument verbally.

You’ll also 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. 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 using primary and secondary data, researching specific topics and questions, thinking critically, and linking theoretical concepts to practical issues.

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

Structure

In the first year, you'll study three unique modules.

Media and International Development is a theory module, which provides you with theoretical frameworks for critically understanding the broad range of issues relevant to the relationship between media and development. It addresses the fields of development communication, media development and media representations of development as well as considering the relevance of media to conflict and environmental change and the importance of social media. This is one of the most popular modules in the School.

The Media and Development in Practice module provides students with the opportunity to gain experience of media and development in practice and the opportunity to reflect on that practice. Students work on a live project that uses media in the pursuit of social change. Recent clients include BBC Radio Norfolk, British Red Cross, Content Consultants, Disability and Development Partners, DFID, Future Radio, Girl Effect and WaterAid.

The module Global Media Studies will provide you with a broad, current and inter-disciplinary understanding of the media today. You’ll consider, from several different academic perspectives, how media content is constructed, what shapes content and how content may be controlled and even censored. You’ll explore the media industry, examining how it is currently organised and managed, what factors influence its current organisation and consider how it might develop. You’ll also examine how media affects peoples and societies, particularly with the rise of social media, and review the debates about media influence and power.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Teaching is mostly delivered via lectures and seminars. Your lectures go beyond the customary ‘chalk-and-talk’ approach, and include a range of interactive tasks and activities. The use of technology is also widespread.

Through seminar group work and presentations, you’ll also be able to develop transferable skills such as articulating an argument both orally and in writing, and presenting academic information in a clear 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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Open Days

Assessment for Year 2

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

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

Structure

In the second year, you will study three optional modules. You can choose modules from within the School of International Development and media-related modules from other schools. You’ll also be given the opportunity to either write a dissertation in the summer term or take a work-experience module giving you the kind of experience that sets you apart. In the past, students have secured internships and work placements at various organisations including the UN, Inter Press Service, UNESCO, UNRISD, the BBC, the Overseas Development Institute, BBC Media Action, Save the Children and Video Volunteers.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Independent study

Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

This is the first year of your taught masters programme. Students must select 180 credits in total across years 1 and 2, with a minimum of 160 credits from DEV modules. Up to 20 credits can be selected from modules from other schools, included in the option ranges below.

Assessment for Year 1

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

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

Compulsory Modules

GLOBAL MEDIA STUDIES

Code DEV-7044A

Credits 20

The overarching aim of this module is to enable students to understand how theories and methods within media studies can contribute to a better understanding of the role of media in social change. This module provides an advanced, interdisciplinary overview of key issues and debates in media studies – with a particular focus on how they relate to international affairs. You will examine how media influences audiences and, more broadly, shapes society, as well as reviewing debates about media power. This will include discussion of the role of media in influencing government policy and public attitudes towards overseas aid. You will consider how media coverage of global issues is produced and circulated, and what shapes these processes. Finally, within this module, you will be introduced to relevant research methods for critically analysing media content and be guided through critical readings of key research in this area.

MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7030A

Credits 20

The media play an increasingly important role in international development - from promoting mass mobilisation and participation to facilitating the flow of information locally, nationally and internationally. 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. This module is accessible to students who have not studied media before and to students on degrees relevant to media, with no previous experience of studying international development.

Optional Modules

(0 credits)

Optional C Modules

(0-40 credits)

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.

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.

TOOLS AND SKILLS IN ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7022B

Credits 20

How can sustainable development be achieved in a way that both protects the environment whilst pursuing development that is fair and equitable? Often those who benefit least from development projects are most vulnerable to the costs of development, such as pollution of rivers and loss of land, yet they have little say in development decisions. This module introduces you to important tools and frameworks used by researchers, government agencies, businesses and non-governmental organisations for managing environmental and natural resources for sustainable development. You will learn to critique and apply a range of the most widely used tools. Examples that are covered in this module include climate vulnerability assessment, livelihoods analysis, Environmental Impact Assessment, participatory decision making and scenarios methods. The module places an emphasis on putting concepts and tools into practice and understanding how environmental assessments influence management actions. The module includes lectures and seminars; including a series of ‘competency skills’ based seminars which will provide an opportunity to experience and develop some of the key skills that are used widely in the environment and development sectors (e.g. writing a government policy brief, or an Expression of Interest for tender). For this module, both individual and team working will be important. You will gain confidence and skills in applying and critiquing the leading tools and frameworks used by sustainable development professionals.

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 analyzing 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 main aim of the module is to prepare students for carrying out qualitative data collection and analysis following various approaches and techniques. It will provide you with the skills to use a number of different social science research methods to collect and analyse data. It will also give a basic understanding of how to link research questions and methods and of research design more generally, as well as data analysis, data management, and producing a piece of written work from the data.

APPLIED METHODS FOR IMPACT EVALUATION

Code DEV-7037B

Credits 20

This module will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the most important methods of impact evaluation. For that purpose, it will provide you with instruction in and hands-on experiences of the main quantitative and qualitative impact evaluation methods, with an emphasis on the quantitative.

MEDIA AND DEVELOPMENT IN PRACTICE

Code DEV-7039B

Credits 20

You will be working in the university and in the local community to design, implement and evaluate your own ‘live’ media and development project. The aim of this module is not only to provide you with the opportunity to gain experience of media and development in practice but also to provide the opportunity to reflect on that experience. Past projects have involved content production, audience research, social media strategy, project design and capacity building. This module is not taught through conventional lectures and seminars. Instead, there are opportunities to talk, listen and reflect on our work and the issues and processes encountered. An important element of this process is peer review.

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 organizations. 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.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT II: GOVERNANCE, POLICY AND SOCIETY

Code DEV-7051B

Credits 20

This module critically examines international/national climate change governance, policy and societal impacts from and responses to climate change and climate change policy. The first half of the semester will discuss the history and politics of the international climate change negotiations and then critically examine the way the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change operates. You’ll look in detail at several items under negotiation with significant implications for developing countries and we will discuss global carbon markets. The second half of the semester will turn to the interface of climate change and society. It will discuss participatory governance and urban responses to climate change as well as critically examining ethical/justice related debates, the role of energy demand and lifestyle in tackling climate change. The seminars will be interactive and enable you to understand the international negotiating process and ways to engage positively with climate change.

Optional D Modules

(0-40 credits)

FEMINISMS AND TELEVISION

Code AMAM7009B

Credits 20

You will learn about the relationship between feminisms and the cultural history of (primarily) US and UK television from second wave feminism to the present. Your module charts the dialogue between feminism and television in Anglophone contexts from the 1970s through to the 2010s, focussing on flashpoint moments for feminism (e.g. the women’s liberation movement; millennial postfeminism; the global financial crisis) and touchstone texts (e.g. The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Prime Suspect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sex and the City, Girls, Scandal) that have resonated particularly strongly with female audiences (e.g. soap operas; lifestyle TV; women centred dramas), struck a chord with feminist concerns (e.g. work/life balance, sexual freedoms, empowerment, the politics of relationships/singlehood/friendship), and generated foundational criticism by feminist television scholars. It will be structured chronologically, and topics may include feminism and female audiences; action heroines on television; the figure of the female detective; women’s work; intersectional identities (queerness, post-racial discourse, masculinities) and recessionary culture.

ANALYSING HOLLYWOOD CINEMA

Code AMAM7011B

Credits 20

'Hollywood' as an industry, cultural institution and maker of films has dominated the global cinematic imagination for decades. On this module, we investigate the history, production cultures and texts made by the US film industry from its classic period to contemporary filmmaking. This will include analysing Hollywood from a range of perspectives, which may include things like studio filmmaking, independent filmmaking, genre filmmaking and the blockbuster. In doing so we will discover the multiplicity of cinemas at work within the concept of Hollywood.

ECONOMIC POLICY ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7017B

Credits 20

You will examine a selection of topics in applied development economics that are important for government policy – chosen from areas such as international trade, foreign investment, government taxation and spending, labour markets and employment, agriculture, finance, business regulation, energy and climate change. You will look at the economic theory relevant to each topic, and how government policies have worked in practice.

MACROECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7029B

Credits 20

This module will provide you with an understanding of macroeconomic theory and policy in developing countries. This will include an evaluation of alternative theories of economic growth and their policy implications, and an analysis of the macroeconomic effects of external shocks. By the end of the module, you will have a good understanding of modern theories of economic growth and open economy macroeconomics, and be able to apply those theories to economic policy issues in developing countries.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC7007B

Credits 20

Do you wish to pursue a career in international management and relations, multilingual business, or international development? Are you interested in becoming a more effective communicator in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education, and cultural mediation? In this module we will explore the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. You will examine the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work/organisation-based environments. During the seminars/lecture series, invited practitioners will introduce you to how IC operates in specific organisations, including government agencies or in multilingual business management. On completion of this module, you will have developed the linguistic skills, cultural competence, and critical thinking required for the production of an extended research project in intercultural communication. You will also have acquired a sense of how cultural assumptions may influence communication with others from different backgrounds, and developed a greater willingness to enter into dialogue with the values prevalent in cultures other than your own.

PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE MEDIA

Code PPLX7005B

Credits 20

This module enables students to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of public affairs, interest intermediation, and the strategies used by interest, advocacy groups and others to influence the political process. As well as covering the main debates in the academic literature, it draws directly on the experience of practitioners and offers unique insights into this under-studied area of politics.

FREE SPEECH

Code PPLX7007B

Credits 20

What is free speech? What counts as censorship? What does a plausible free speech principle look like? What deeper values can justify the adoption of such a principle? Is free speech special compared to other freedoms? And to what extent is free speech enhanced or threatened by the Internet? You will critically examine liberal defences of free speech based on values of autonomy, truth discovery, and democracy. And you will explore potential limits of free speech in relation to pornography and hate speech. Contemporary debates around forms of censorship will also be examined including the phenomena of no-platforming, social media content codes, and public shaming. You will examine these pressing issues of political theory, constitutional law, democracy, and Internet regulation by comparing and contrasting the conditions of, and cultural attitudes towards, free speech in China, the UK, and the US. You will also examine human rights instruments protecting free speech as well as key legal cases that have constrained it. The approach will be multidisciplinary drawing on politics, philosophy, sociology, and law. The format will be a weekly two-hour workshop comprising research-led teaching, seminar discussion, practical exercises, textual reading, short videos, and essay writing mini-sessions. The assessment comprises formative feedback on an essay plan and two summative essays.

Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. 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. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

This is the second year of your taught masters programme. Students must select 180 credits in total across years 1 and 2, with a minimum of 160 credits from DEV modules. Up to 20 credits can be selected from modules from other schools, included in the option ranges below.

Assessment for Year 2

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

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

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

(0-40 credits)

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.

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. If you are writing your dissertation on a gender topic you will need to have completed this module.

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.

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 in the module 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.

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.

EMERGING AND STRATEGIC CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

Code DEV-7059A

Credits 20

In this module, you will explore the ways development is changing, at the cutting edge of rapidly shifting geopolitical, social and economic realities. New actors are entering the fieldwork and disrupting the traditional ways aid has been seen and done. New funding models are emerging, from the power of philanthrocapitalism, to the financialization of aid and the presence of private sector partnerships at the forefront of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this module you consider what these trends mean for the sector, and how they are different to the small scale charity and NGO work and formal bilateral institutions which many people associate with development. At the same time, human populations face new challenges, from climate change to migration and chronic poverty, that future aid workers need to understand and know how to stay abreast of. This module looks at a range of these specific sectoral or thematic issues. These include understanding how climate change will shape the futures with our resident experts, as well as considering how and why education goals are and aren’t being met. You will develop an understanding of how the means of aid delivery plays a central role in determining its effects, exploring how concepts of culture are deployed in planning, and how the sector responds to demands for decolonisation. Throughout, you will develop a critical perspective on a range of cutting edge issues and challenges that will help position you to understand the work of the sector today and tomorrow.

Optional C Modules

(0-40 credits)

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.

MICROECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7018A

Credits 20

The module provides the building blocks for microeconomic analysis of development. Topics include: • Poverty, inequality and welfare • Agricultural household production • Intra- household allocation • Risk, uncertainty and insurance • Markets and Institutions: credit • Markets and institutions: labour • Human capital : education, health and nutrition • Public goods, collective action • Institutions, transaction costs • Policy reforms • Household surveys and their analysis. The module consists of lectures, seminars and workshops. Students are assessed by essay and exam.

ECONOMETRIC METHODS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7025A

Credits 20

The aim of this introductory module is to introduce you to basic econometric theory and provide you with sufficient knowledge and practical skill for competent use of econometrics in empirical research. The module also enables you to understand and interpret econometric research results. By the end of the module you’ll have acquired sufficient knowledge and skill to apply multivariate analysis of cross-sectional and time-series data to a wide range of macro- and micro-economic problems of development. In addition to lectures, the module includes computer workshops on Stata (widely used econometrics software) and seminars.

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 relationship between climate change, its impacts on development and the role of adaptation in promoting climate resilient development. The module is organised around three topics or themes that each last three weeks (the first week is given over to a general introduction to the module). The first theme focuses on the science and the modelling of climate change impacts, the second theme explores climate change impacts and the relationship with development, and the third theme focuses on the core concepts of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation.

UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL MEDIA

Code PPLM7000A

Credits 20

Digital technologies are often hyped as revolutionising society. You will be introduced to the ways in which the internet and other digital technologies are (and are not) affecting society from theoretical and empirical perspectives. The module is divided into three blocks: the first introduces the theoretical debates surrounding digital media; the second discusses how our everyday interpersonal relations are affected by digital media; the third addresses the impact of digital technology on media and politics. Topics covered include: the network society; social networking and virtual communities, surveillance, digital journalism and online activism.

STUDYING MEDIA

Code PPLM7004A

Credits 20

This module is intended to provide you with an introduction to the key study skills in media and cultural studies. It will be particularly useful if you are unfamiliar with the British university system and its expectations. You will apply theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary media texts and discuss recent scholarship on changes in the global media and cultural landscape.

ISSUES IN MEDIA AND CULTURAL POLITICS

Code PPLM7014A

Credits 20

The rise of cultural and media studies, themselves shaped by the changing character of systems of communication and entertainment, has prompted detailed consideration of the power of cultural and media forms, whether as sites of oppression and manipulation or of expression and resistance. Such concerns have served to challenge (as has feminism, for example) traditional accounts of human action and traditional definitions of the political realm. This MA module provides an introduction to, and an exploration of, the issues and debates that shape the study of Media and Cultural Politics. The first part of the module is devoted to understanding the ideas behind the development of cultural politics and the politics of media. The second part explores particular issues that arise from these fields and draws upon the research interests of those teaching these sessions

Optional D Modules

(0-20 credits)

CONTEMPORARY WORLD DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7000B

Credits 20

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

TOOLS AND SKILLS IN ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7022B

Credits 20

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

Code DEV-7033B

Credits 20

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7036B

Credits 20

APPLIED METHODS FOR IMPACT EVALUATION

Code DEV-7037B

Credits 20

MEDIA AND DEVELOPMENT IN PRACTICE

Code DEV-7039B

Credits 20

GLOBALISED AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS

Code DEV-7045B

Credits 20

GLOBALISATION, BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7047B

Credits 20

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT II: GOVERNANCE, POLICY AND SOCIETY

Code DEV-7051B

Credits 20

PROJECT DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT

Code DEV-7058B

Credits 20

This module will provide the environment for the student to gain a strong practical and grounding in the key tools and analytical techniques needed for the design and management of development projects. It does this by providing an intensive introduction to a number of key development tools, from the analysis of evidence and context to the design of a theory of change and results framework that reacts to complexity, to the design of the appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning architecture, to the proper resourcing. Students are supported to engage with worked examples of these tools themselves and will be assessed through their preparation of a fully-developed project proposal that they will prepare in a team. The module also encourages student to think critically about development projects, the role that they play – and their own roles in the sector.

Optional G Modules

(0-20 credits)

FEMINISMS AND TELEVISION

Code AMAM7009B

Credits 20

ANALYSING HOLLYWOOD CINEMA

Code AMAM7011B

Credits 20

ECONOMIC POLICY ANALYSIS

Code DEV-7017B

Credits 20

MACROECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-7029B

Credits 20

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE

Code PPLC7007B

Credits 20

PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE MEDIA

Code PPLX7005B

Credits 20

FREE SPEECH

Code PPLX7007B

Credits 20

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

UK 2.1 or equivalent

Degree subject

Social Sciences, preferably media or development

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.

Relevant work experience is desirable.

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

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: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in only two components with 6.0 in the others)
PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)

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 English requirements for this course, our partner INTO UEA run pre-sessional English 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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Course Reference Number: 4478514

MA MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PART TIME)