MA GLOBAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Take on the challenge of social development issues such as vulnerability, cultural complexity, resilience, gender inequality, social exclusion and justice, and education policies for development. These important topics are at the forefront of global development goals, and on the agendas of key international development agencies such as Oxfam, bilateral development agencies, the UN and the World Bank. 

You’ll have the opportunity to learn about theory, analytical skills and practice and policy, all of which inform global work towards appropriate and effective social development interventions. You’ll also be able to acquire professional skills by taking one or more of our professional training workshops. 

Students graduate from this MA with the skills to work in a range of social development fields and organisations, from the community to international levels. 

Please note we are changing our name to the School of Global Development from 1 August 2023, as we mark our 50th Anniversary. 

About

You will tackle fascinating questions and challenges in your degree including: 

• Why do micro-credit interventions often contribute to continuing social inequalities? 
• How does responsibility for climate change become politicised? 
• What social changes explain rising levels of witchcraft accusations across many societies, and how can social development practitioners engage with these cultural practices? 
• How can we, as social development practitioners, build interventions that can support people to reshape their lives and promote wellbeing? 
• What roles should the state or civil society be playing in social development? 

The MA Global Social Development enables you to understand local and global challenges to people’s wellbeing, in order to better inform solutions. You’ll learn about success stories and positive development processes, which offer potential solutions to problems. The academics teaching on the course bring their current research into the learning sessions, so that you have the chance to study at the cutting edge of research and new knowledge. 

The course often analyses social development issues and interventions at the community level, focusing on the social actors on the ground who might be implementing or ‘receiving’ the intervention’s resources. Only by examining how and why people respond to interventions can we understand the effects or outcomes of interventions. 

Whichever topics or themes you wish to focus your learning and expertise on, you’ll be able to tailor and build your degree from the wide range of optional modules available to you – allowing you to make your mark. 

After the Course

After the course you’ll have specialised academic skills, transferable skills and expertise or work experience in an area of social development. You can return better qualified to your existing career, or pursue a new career trajectory in various fields of social development, ranging from community development or project implementation work, to research or policy analysis. 

Our graduates go on to work for international non-governmental organisations (INGOS) or multi-lateral government agencies. Alternatively, you might continue your studies with a PhD, or professional qualification such as a PGCE. 

Career destinations

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

A career in Global Social Development can take you in all kinds of directions such as: 

• International organisations 

• Governmental and non-governmental organisations 

• Local governments 

• Private sector 

• PhD programmes