International Development

Explore the politics of poverty and inequality in a globalised world, and find out what works for international development. Gain insights into key debates, theories, policies and practices, as well as practical skills such as project design, monitoring, and evaluation. Prepare for a career in the not-for-profit and humanitarian sectors, or many other local, national, and international organisations.

Our MA International Development postgraduate degree will provide you with critical and analytical insights into the key debates, theories, policies and practices of international development in the Global South and the Global North.

Focusing on key concepts such as power, poverty, inequality, international cooperation, and colonial legacy, as well as policies related to climate change, gender equality, social protection, and post-conflict reconstruction, you'll use a range of data sources to explore three key pillars of international development - theory, policy and practice - and discover the important links between them.

You'll also have opportunities to link up with local and global international organisations. For example: guest seminars with practitioners and activists in the field, ARU’s membership with Chatham House, and our practice-based dissertation option. These will help you create and nurture new networks in the field, and can also help you meet potential employers.

What will you do on our MA International Development?

Discover the theories of international development, from modernisation, dependency, and neoliberalism, to post-colonial, post-development, and post-modernist perspectives. Explore their evolution in a historical context, examine their implications on development policy and practice, and identify their links to current debates and development agendas, such as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and the ‘Leave No-one Behind’ agenda.

Unpack and critically analyse key development policies, including those related to gender, migration, human rights, rising powers, and national and global governance. You will track and critically evaluate recent shifts and trends in such policies; debate a range of related topics such as social protection programmes, advocacy, and public action; and examine key development challenges including climate change, poverty, inequality, conflict, migration, and human rights.

Critically examine the development practices and actors in the field of international development, including international organisations, national governments, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, as well as social movements and local grassroots initiatives. Focusing on the politics of ‘doing’ development and the challenges encountered by different actors at each level (global, national, and local), you will explore the literature on ‘best practice’ and ‘what works for international development’ through a variety of case studies and examples.

Gain practical skills related to the field of international development, such as project design, project monitoring and evaluation, and other abilities related to development management, particularly in the NGO sector. Your transferable skills such as research, analysis, communicating, and presenting, will also be developed, preparing you for your future career.

Design your own pathway. Take modules from our other MAs, including International Relations, Sociology, International Social Welfare and Social Policy, Criminology, and History, to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of development theory and practice, and allowing you to study topics that fit with your own interests and career goals.