MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

About the MSc programme

This programme is based in the Department of International Development and offers the following benefits:

• Core courses that employ a political economy approach to examine the institutional roots of development and non-development. Also looking at the consequences and causes of humanitarian disasters and civil wars and the international, national and local responses.
• Involvement in a practical policy project within an humanitarian aid agency, or another kind of humanitarian organisation.
• A choice of options from a wide range of highly rated courses within the Department and in other departments specialising in political economy, public policy and management.
• Contact with a highly selective group of fellow students, bringing practical experience from all over the world.

The development of analytical skills that have secured past students promising professional careers in public, private and voluntary agencies dealing with development problems at both national and international levels.

All students must take the core courses and complete a dissertation of up to 10,000 words. Students also participate in a practical policy project which forms part of their total assessment. You have the opportunity to attend a weekly lecture series that brings to the School prominent scholars and practitioners who discuss the findings and methodological dimensions of development research and/or problems of development practice.

Compulsory courses

• Development: History, Theory, Policy
• Complex Emergencies* or Managing Humanitarianism*
• Humanitarian Consultancy Project*
• Dissertation

Options

(* half unit)

Choose courses to the value of two full units from the following list in consultation with your supervisor.

Anthropology

• The Anthropology of Development*

Development Studies

• Poverty*
• Economic Development Policy
• Population and Development: An Analytical Approach*
• Environmental Problems and Development Interventions*
• Global Environmental Governance*
• African Development*
• Emerging Health Threats and Development*
• Global Political Economy of Development I
• Global Political Economy of Development II
• Managing Globalisation* 
• Public Management of Development*
• Global Civil Society* 
• Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Contemporary India*
• IT and Socio-Economic Development
• Complex Emergencies* (if not already taken)
• Managing Humanitarianism* (if not already taken)
• Human Security*
• The Informal Economy and Non-State Governance*

Government

• Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Totalitarianism*  

International Relations

• Conflict and Peace Studies (with permission)

Social Policy

• Rural Development and Social Policy* (with permission) 

Another MSc level course in the School, selected in consultation with the student's supervisor and approved by the programme director.

Note that not all of the above optional courses will be available every year.

Some options have prerequisites, while others have limited places.

Please check Department of International Development| for the latest information.