MA Global Social Development
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Why you should choose us
Course Overview
On our MA in Global Social Development, you'll explore key social development issues such as vulnerability, cultural complexity, resilience, gender inequality, social exclusion, justice and education policies for development.
This dynamic programme offers a specific focus on gender analysis. You’ll study the relationship between economic growth and gender equity, household dynamics, and empowerment. These critical topics are at the forefront of global development goals, and on the agendas of key international development agencies such as Oxfam, the UN and the World Bank.
On this rewarding Master’s course, you'll explore issues like the impact of micro-credit interventions on social inequality and the gendered dynamics of climate change politics. You'll study the significance of gender divisions in development practices and how income generation programmes can empower women. You'll delve into complex cultural topics, such as witchcraft accusations and honour-based violence against women, analysing how social development practitioners can design effective interventions to support community wellbeing.
This course equips you to tackle local and global wellbeing challenges by examining successful development processes. You'll focus on community-level analysis, gaining insights into how people on the ground respond to interventions, which is crucial for assessing impact.
At UEA, you'll learn from world-class academics who incorporate cutting-edge research into their teaching, ensuring your education will be both current and relevant. With a wide range of optional modules to choose from, you can tailor your degree to your specific interests and career aspirations, equipping you to make a unique impact in global social development.
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What is Global Development?
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Our Research - 1st in the UK for Development Studies
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Study and Modules
Structure
Over the course of this Master’s programme, you’ll become familiar with key concepts from social and gender theory, notably from anthropology, sociology and political science, and how these are applied to broader development challenges, policies and practices. Examples you might examine include precarity and gambling, poverty and micro-finance interventions and their implications for women’s empowerment, environmental disaster and responsibility, the impacts of religious fundamentalism on women’s sexual and reproductive health, divisions of labour and gendered wellbeing or the structural drivers of HIV. Concepts of social structure, power and people’s agency are applied to all these key development issues.
You’ll explore relations between public policy, social development, and various forms of diversity and difference, including gender, race, ethnicity and disability. Taking both a practical and theoretical perspective you’ll analyse the importance of understanding intersecting identities and its relevance to social policy and practice at the local, national and international levels. You’ll explore a range of different approaches for addressing diversity and difference, for example targeting and rights-based approaches.
You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your own profile of learning and expertise by choosing elective modules. You can choose from many modules, taught in-house, which help you build more applied and professional skills, research skills (especially if you're thinking of moving on to a PhD) as well as those offering further learning in the fields of politics, gender analysis, climate change, education or the use of media in global development.
In the summer period, you’ll work on your dissertation or development work placement. The dissertation is a substantial piece of independent work undertaken with a supervisor's guidance. The development work placement is similar except that you'll gain work experience in a development organisation and then reflect on the experience in an extended essay in reference to academic debates.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 40)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 40)Optional C Modules
(Credits: 40)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.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
In the School of Global Development, we excel at sharing our enthusiasm and subject knowledge in the classroom with our amazing and diverse postgraduate students from over 40 countries.
You’ll be taught by leading academics in the field of social development. These academics are active in research, with disciplinary or inter-disciplinary specialist expertise from anthropology, sociology, politics, and social geography, and with research expertise in various social development issues such as health, education, conflict, urban livelihoods and migration.
Your learning will be through lectures and participatory workshops and smaller group sessions. We encourage small group work, discussion, and active student-led sessions because these are often the most effective learning methods.
In some modules there are key reading workshops each week, which help you build deeper understanding of the most important materials. We also have pre-assessment workshops to help you think through and prepare your essays or policy papers.
Independent study
In the summer semester, you’ll complete a dissertation where you focus your learning on a specific social development issue and research question. You’ll further develop your independent research and analytical skills, and develop a high level of expertise in one particular subject – expertise which potential employers will be interested in. You can work with published materials, secondary data or – if health and travel advice permit - do fieldwork in the UK or abroad.
Assessment
The modules you complete in the autumn and spring will be assessed through coursework, such as an essay, a seminar presentation or a policy brief. In some of these modules you might also take a test upon its completion.
For each module, you’ll have the chance to practice your skills and ideas for the coursework with a ‘formative’ piece of work, for example the chance to get feedback on your essay plan or a mock test. The course exam is at the start of the summer semester and is based on the two main core modules.
You’ll get feedback on your assignments from the academic staff, who will explain the marks you receive and support you to develop your skills for subsequent work.
Employability
After the Course
After the course you’ll have specialised academic skills, transferable skills and expertise or work experience in an area of social, in particular, gender 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.
Previous graduates from the School of Global Development have gone on to work for the British High Commission in Ghana, British Civil Service, CARE International, European Union, Overseas Development Institute, Oxfam, Save the Children International, UNITAR in Japan, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and WaterAid.
Upon completing your MA, you can pursue a variety of potential careers both in and beyond global development.
Depending on your degree outcome, you'll also be well qualified to enter a PhD programme with a view to continuing to an academic career both in the UK and overseas.
Careers
Example of careers that you could enter include:
- International organisations
- Governmental and non-governmental organisations
- Local governments
- Charities
- Private sector
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2
Degree Subject
Social Science preferred.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants should normally have a good undergraduate degree from a recognised higher education institution. The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Social Science preferred.
- Additional Entry Requirements
Applicants should normally have a good undergraduate degree from a recognised higher education institution. The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall with minimum 6.0 in Writing & Speaking and 5.5 in Listening & Reading
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- INTO UEA
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner INTO UEA. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here:
International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are:
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UK Students: £10,850
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International Students: £22,700
We estimate living expenses at £1,136 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of additional course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.