International Development MSc
16 Months Full-Time | January Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
International
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Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
The MSc International Development will equip you with a critical and up-to-date understanding of the field of international development. It is hosted by Northumbria's Centre for Global Development, which brings together students, academics and practitioners to address issues of global poverty, inequality and injustice. The Centre places collaborative and participatory approaches to global challenges at the forefront of its work.
You will engage with contemporary global challenges including poverty, inequality, the climate crisis and the wider Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We explore critical concerns such as decolonising development, activism, volunteering and solidarity for development, conflict and displacement, the influence of technology and innovation and the impacts of environmental injustices.
The programme integrates the theoretical, methodological and practical skills that you will need for working in international development. We do this through a range of teaching styles, much of which is participatory and interactive, and a variety of assessment methods, for example group presentations, podcasts, policy briefs and reflective diaries. Your dissertation will provide you with an opportunity to develop specialist in-depth understanding on a topic of your choice, and apply the skills you’ve learnt during the programme, including undertaking your own independent research.
As part of the programme, you can choose to participate in an international study visit, gaining real world experience of the challenges of tackling global inequalities and the ways that NGOs and other development actors address key global challenges.
This International Development course is delivered by our specialist teaching team of internationally recognised academics from the Centre for Global Development. Our staff draw on their extensive networks and experience to ensure that you graduate with knowledge that is at the forefront of the sector.
The course attracts a cohort of students from a wide variety of professional and disciplinary backgrounds. This includes those from government, the private sector and NGOs. It is also popular with students who have studied Geography, Politics, Social Sciences, Law and Business at undergraduate level.
When studying the MSc International Development course, you will be part of the Centre for Global Development. The centre is a vibrant, multidisciplinary research hub, providing an engaging and supportive research-rich learning environment.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the programme further, please contact Dr. Sarah Peck (Programme Lead) on sarah.peck@northumbria.ac.uk.
The MSc International Development will equip you with a critical and up-to-date understanding of the field of international development. It is hosted by Northumbria's Centre for Global Development, which brings together students, academics and practitioners to address issues of global poverty, inequality and injustice. The Centre places collaborative and participatory approaches to global challenges at the forefront of its work.
You will engage with contemporary global challenges including poverty, inequality, the climate crisis and the wider Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We explore critical concerns such as decolonising development, activism, volunteering and solidarity for development, conflict and displacement, the influence of technology and innovation and the impacts of environmental injustices.
The programme integrates the theoretical, methodological and practical skills that you will need for working in international development. We do this through a range of teaching styles, much of which is participatory and interactive, and a variety of assessment methods, for example group presentations, podcasts, policy briefs and reflective diaries. Your dissertation will provide you with an opportunity to develop specialist in-depth understanding on a topic of your choice, and apply the skills you’ve learnt during the programme, including undertaking your own independent research.
As part of the programme, you can choose to participate in an international study visit, gaining real world experience of the challenges of tackling global inequalities and the ways that NGOs and other development actors address key global challenges.
This International Development course is delivered by our specialist teaching team of internationally recognised academics from the Centre for Global Development. Our staff draw on their extensive networks and experience to ensure that you graduate with knowledge that is at the forefront of the sector.
The course attracts a cohort of students from a wide variety of professional and disciplinary backgrounds. This includes those from government, the private sector and NGOs. It is also popular with students who have studied Geography, Politics, Social Sciences, Law and Business at undergraduate level.
When studying the MSc International Development course, you will be part of the Centre for Global Development. The centre is a vibrant, multidisciplinary research hub, providing an engaging and supportive research-rich learning environment.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the programme further, please contact Dr. Sarah Peck (Programme Lead) on sarah.peck@northumbria.ac.uk.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
16 months Full Time
3 other options available
Department
Geography and Environmental Sciences
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
January 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Read our latest news and events from our Centre of Global Development, and hear from our student, James, as he talks about why he chose to study this course.
Newsletters
Click here to read the Centre for Global Development's latest newsletters
MSc International Development student James Haswell tells us about his experience as a postgraduate student, what modules he undertook, the skills he developed and why he enjoyed studying at Northumbria University. For more information on MSc International Development, please visit: northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/international-development-dtfitz6/ To read about how a postgraduate degree can prepare you for professional success, please visit: northumbria.ac.uk/the-hub/entries/curating-my-own-future/ See why postgraduate students chose Northumbria University here: northumbria.ac.uk/the-hub/entries/why-northumbria-why-postgraduate/
Discover the funding options available to you.
Explore our immersive 360 tours, informative subject videos, inspirational student profiles, ground-breaking research, and a range of life at university blogs videos and articles.
On graduation you will be able to understand and critically engage with key development theories, tools and techniques, including participatory methodologies, rights-based approaches and monitoring and evaluation strategies.
This course is delivered via interactive workshops, involving a mixture of small group discussion, lectures, and seminar activities, which are further supported by networking, an international field trip, and career development opportunities.
The assessment methods utilised on this course have been specifically developed to prepare you for employment, and incorporate the writing of funding bids, policy briefs, and academic poster presentations. Traditional essays and a dissertation also form part of the assessment process.
Technology is embedded throughout all areas of this course. Learning materials such as module handbooks, assessment information, lecture presentation slides and reading lists are available via our e-learning platform, Blackboard. You can also access student support and other key University systems through your personal account. During the course you will also learn how to create relevant content including podcasts and posters.
Our staff research specialisms and diverse range of national and international practitioner links will further enhance your learning experience.
In addition to the teaching delivered by our team, you will have the opportunity to attend guest lectures and seminars with experts who are currently working within the sector, and who will share their first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in the field of international development.
The MSc International Development is embedded in the Centre for Global Development, which provides additional opportunities for real-world engagement with key organisations and individuals.
Dr Sarah Peck
Programme Leader
Professor Katy Jenkins
Professor Matt Baillie Smith
Dr Inge Boudewijn
Dr Joanna Allan
Dr Oliver Hensengerth
Dr Ana Zavala Guillen
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
The Centre brings together academics, practitioners and students to promote research, consultancy, teaching, training and public engagement on issues of global poverty and inequality, the communities and individuals who experience this, and the policies, practices and approaches that seek to address it. Through the Centre for Global Development, you will have the opportunity to engage with guest speakers and visiting practitioners, as well as connecting with the Centre’s extensive network of partners and organisations.
The Centre for Global Development is also home to our Research Peak of Excellence ‘Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises and Development’, bringing together world-leading research in this area, which our academics also bring into the classroom throughout the MSc programme.
Hear from our academics talk about their Research Peak of Excellence, Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises and Development
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR STEVE TAYLOR
Discover more about our Research Peak of Excellence
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR KATY JENKINS
Discover more about our Research Peak of Excellence
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR MATT BAILLIE SMITH
Discover more about our Research Peak of Excellence
WATCH NOW: PEAK OVERVIEW
Research Peak of Excellence: Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises and Development
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SUITE
This is a dedicated space for staff and students to undertake qualitative research including interviews, focus groups and small group workshops. The Suite is equipped with audio and visual recording capabilities, specialist transcription and analysis software, a large screen television and is soundproofed for privacy. The space can also be used to analyse sensitive information not suitable for use in open access study areas.
Throughout your time at Northumbria, you will also have access to use study spaces such as:
THE ZONE
The Zone is a 24/7 light and airy open plan area popular with students undertaking group work or individual study. Computer work stations with large screens help students tackle group assignments comfortably.
THE HUB
The Hub is a working space with computer stations and large round tables to facilitate individual working and group work. Based on the second floor of Ellison Building B-block, it is ideally located for breaks in lectures and seminars.
Discover more about some of the facilities you will have access to during your studies
Research is integrated into all aspects of teaching and each member of our team boasts their own individual specialisms, in subjects such as environmental governance; natural resource conflicts and debates around extractivism and development, including volunteering and humanitarian crises; climate change adaptation and mitigation; public engagement and development education; gendered inequalities; decolonial approaches to development; transnationalism, migrant mobilities and their impacts on development. Staff research expertise spans Africa, Asia and Latin America, and involves collaborations with NGOs, academics and policy makers across the global South. Visit the Centre for Global Development to find out more about the research projects our teaching team are currently leading.
All members of the MSc International Development teaching team are internationally recognised academics whose research is contributing to addressing the most pressing global challenges. They are regularly invited to speak at international events and undertake research and consultancy in partnership with leading global development organisations. Their research is published in high impact international journals and is funded by prestigious funders such as the ESRC, the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust and the Newton Fund.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake your own research project to further aid your learning and will have the opportunity to engage with development organisations in the UK and internationally, including development NGOs working in India and Latin America. The optional field trip to Kerala, India, provides a further opportunity to gain first-hand understanding of the role in research in development practice, engaging with practitioners and academics, and learning about the development challenges that they are tackling.
Globally recognised for impactful and co-produced research, bringing together academics, practitioners and students.
Centre for Global Development
Newsletters
Click here to read the latest Centre for Global Development newsletters
Hear from our academics talk about research into teaching
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR STEVE TAYLOR
Professor Steve Taylor talks about research into teaching
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR KATY JENKINS
Professor Katy Jenkins talks about research into teaching
WATCH NOW: PROFESSOR MATT BAILLIE SMITH
Professor Matt Baillie Smith talks about research into teaching
WATCH NOW: PEAK OVERVIEW
Research Peak of Excellence: Volunteering, Humanitarian Crises and Development
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
Throughout your studies you will engage in real-world research and problem-solving, developing the practical skills and analytical required for a successful career in this sector. You’ll have the option to base your dissertation on independent field work, providing you with industry contacts and valuable experience of international development in a real-world environment.
Our graduates work in a broad range of organisations such as charities and third sector organisations, UK and international government agencies, NGOs and international organisations. Many of them also choose to pursue careers in research, consultancy or to launch their own NGO. Continuing on to doctoral study and a career in academia is also an option.
Former graduates have gone on to work for government agencies, national and international organisations, and NGOs and charities including Barnardo’s, Leprosy Mission, The Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, International Service, UTSAAH Initiative, the Barzani Charity Foundation, or they have set up their own consultancies or NGOs, while others have progressed to PhDs and careers in academia.
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any subject. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
Full UK Fee: £9,250
Full International Fee: £18,250
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Optional Field Trip module - should students opt for the module 'International Development Study Trip', costs for flights and visas (to India) up to £1300.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
KE7006 -
Health and Well-being in Disaster and Development (Optional,20 Credits)
You will learn approaches to physical, psychological, social, political, economic, cultural and environmental aspects of health and well-being associated with immediate crises and longer-term health burdens. This lays foundations for comparing and contrasting strategic policy for preparedness and responses to emergent health hazards, complex political disasters, resilient health care and ways of looking at communities and the socio-economic, political, psychological and environmental characteristics they exhibit. This agenda is based on a demand to understand the nature and context of changes in human health and well-being in response to local and global crisis. It provides grounding in applied principles and practices of health and well-being centred disaster risk reduction and health care relative to conceptions of ‘health and well-being’ in emergency’, and transformations, bottom-up capabilities, leadership and hopes from inside and outside a community. Critical issues in both minority and majority worlds are examined either in terms of health hazards, vulnerability, resilience, coping, individual and institutional health care and societal responses and in terms of a virtual or real project in community well-being. These central themes, which are adjustable to most health and well-being phenomena, are addressed for the cases of infectious disease, nutrition, mental health and well-being, primary and emergency health care systems, the political economy of care, self-care, one health and other integrated well-being perspectives. A prime purpose of the module is that students from varied backgrounds will be equipped to contribute to policy and practice debates or health disaster avoidance, survivability and sustainable well-being.
More informationKE7015 -
Research or Work Related Dissertation (Core,60 Credits)
You will learn to identify research questions and project ideas by critically evaluating current research and /or practice in a discipline and identifying an appropriate topic for your own exploration through reviews and analyses of appropriate literature and the planning, development and management of a study. The module enables you to design your research using appropriate project methodologies including through analysis and evaluation of data and within the context of existing literature. You will learn to apply concepts, models or theories to consolidate an extended knowledge in your chosen field of study whilst being aware of your own influence on the research and project process. In formulating, researching, and writing your dissertation you will be guided by your dissertation supervisor. The dissertation is the culmination of your taught experience and will enable you to deploy the skills develop during the taught programme.
The module enables you to apply combinations of theoretical, empirical or practice-based analysis in proceeding to further research and/or practice and to present findings effectively using academic conventions. You will learn to comprehend the importance and application of research and project ethics, good practice and health and safety aspects of field research and projects including confidentiality and data protection. You will be able to write up the research in the form of a 20,000-word dissertation. The dissertation module equips you to cope with an extended piece of work that significantly increases your employability in the sectors represented by the MSc programme. This may include through an internship with an external organisation.
KE7022 -
Postgraduate Research Methods (Core,20 Credits)
You will learn about the foundations (research theories), benefits / advantages and limits /drawbacks of a range of advanced standard social science research methodologies. You will thus be in a better position to design a research strategy and operationalise this, particularly for your Masters Dissertation or Project, but also for future graduate employment in knowledge societies and research-rich or informed careers and professions. You will also be better prepared to scrutinise other people’s / organisations’ research, and to what extent it is appropriate, robust and meaningful – particularly the connection between research objectives / questions and methods and interpretation of findings.
Research methods covered will include both qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques to explore issues in disaster and development studies, and global development from a human / societal / social processes / organisations / communities perspective. Particular attention will be devoted to evidence-based policy making and “wicked issues”. “Natural” environmental processes will be within the scope of the module as far as a social science-based exploration of “produced nature” is fruitful and necessary.
Key topics/themes/issues covered can include, but are not limited to: Approaching Research Methods, Designing Your Research Process, Ethics and Risk Assessment, Fieldwork Research Issues, Consultancy / Stakeholder issues, Case study research, Qualitative / Institutional Research Methods and Analysis, Quantitative Research Methods and (spatial and thematic) Data Analysis, Development Fieldwork through Interviewing, Participatory methods, Survey research, qualitative versus quantitative research and its applications, mixed methods research, research analysis and communication (writing-up and for of presentation).
KE7028 -
Academic Language Skills for Geography (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home institution can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject area in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’.
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
KE7044 -
Global Development Futures (Core,20 Credits)
This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of key debates shaping Global Development Futures. The module examines cutting edge developments in the sector, in the context of demands for innovative responses to issues such as climate change and adaptation, equitable resource management, and decolonising development, including nascent technical fixes and conceptual frameworks disrupting the contemporary development landscape. The module uses the lenses of ‘infrastructures’, ‘economies’ and ‘communities’ to develop an in-depth understanding of innovations across a range of scales, which are re-shaping local and global economies, and the way development is practiced. Practical exercises will help you apply your critical understanding to real-world case studies.
More informationKE7045 -
Geopolitics of Development (Core,20 Credits)
This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the key contemporary experiences, policies and debates that characterize development in a time of significant geopolitical change and shifting relationships. The module will enable you to develop cutting edge and nuanced analyses of the changing landscape of global development, and to locate a range of important actors in the global development arena. The module critically debates historical relationships between aid and development, and the predominance of western development agendas and approaches; the emergence of new state and non-state actors, and with this new forms of development cooperation that may transcend the traditional and hierarchical North-South aid relationship; and the implications for development theory and practice. Practical exercises will apply your understanding of geopolitical change and its impacts, to real-world case studies.
More informationKE7046 -
Critical Development Thinking (Core,20 Credits)
How can we explain the continued presence of poverty in many parts of the world? How does development happen? What does development actually mean? This module will critically debate theories of development and the roles of key actors including international organisations, the state, transnational civil society, NGOs and local communities. This will include the different and often contrasting and contradictory roles these actors play, and the ways in which this is captured in different approaches to development theory.
The module will begin by examining debates within development theory and the different propositions that were made to overcome the ‘development impasse’ between state and market led approaches, and post-colonial critiques of traditional development theories espoused after World War II (modernisation theory, dependency theory and World Systems Theory). The module then goes on to explore the meaning of development and ideas of Orientalism, before examining the mainstream neoliberal development project. The module will then engage with a range of critical responses to development, including postcolonialism, the work of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum and the capabilities approach; alter-globalization; cosmopolitanism; and feminist approaches to theorising development, as well as alternative theoretical approaches coming from the Global South.
KE7047 -
Contemporary Global Challenges (Core,20 Credits)
What are some of the key problems in global development? How can we provide solutions for poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, health and sanitation? This module provides you with an opportunity to explore contemporary global challenges and to develop problem solving skills around real world issues.
The module will bring together the theory and methods part of the programme. Topics you will explore include – but are not limited to – poverty and inequality, hunger, health, sanitation or environmental degradation. You will learn about conflicting theories of solving these problems, contested debates about what poverty and inequality mean and how they are produced and who produces them, and what the best ways are to combat widespread problems such as hunger or environmental pollution.
KE7048 -
International Development Study Visit (Optional,20 Credits)
This is an innovative experiential module that will involve you preparing for, taking part in and reflecting on an overseas study visit. Visits will take place in various locations and will draw on the expertise, partnership, and experiences of the teaching staff. You may visit India, Indonesia, Peru, Uganda or other countries where teaching staff maintain well-established research projects and professional relationships. The location of each study visit will be advertised in advance.
Through this module you will (a) seek to develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the development trajectory of the country/region you are visiting, (b) engage with key civil society development actors and educational partners in that context, (c) deepen your understanding of development practice, (d) develop key transferrable fieldwork skills and (e) develop a critical appreciation of the importance of experiential learning in your own personal and academic development.
The central part of this module will be your experiences whilst overseas in which you will be supported through a range of activities to engage with development practitioners and development challenges as well as the cultural life of the location visited. In order to prepare you for this, workshop will focus on cultural awareness training, the development of core fieldwork skills and planning for enhanced group work activities.
The following alternative study options are available for this course:
Sep start
Sep start
Jan start
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Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
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