Course description
This course will give you a firm understanding of development theory in an international context, with a particular focus on how to bring theory into practice and build your practical expertise in range of development disciplines.
The course aims to enhance your capacity to critically evaluate economic, political and social factors that are affecting the development policy environment, on a national and international level. Throughout this Master’s degree, you will develop management techniques and skills, and the ability to apply them in a development context.
Through empirical research and analysis, you will have the opportunity to develop specialist expertise in a particular aspect of development management.
The course is designed to prepare you for a career in development management with an international organisation, a non-governmental body or a government development agency. Our graduates are NGO programme officers, trade advisors, project managers, micro finance specialists and development consultants. Some of our graduates have also set up their own development charities or proceeded to PhD research and teaching.
Course content:
Our regular contributors to teaching and learning activities include experienced field practitioners drawn from international development organisations and NGOs.
Active and enquiry-led learning is a central learning method on the course. Learning is based studying on real-world case studies with official project materials and survey data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other development agencies.
As part of this course, you have the opportunity to obtain a PRINCE2 Foundation certification in project management.
A highlight for many students are the field trips and social events organised throughout the course which provide an opportunity for networking and extending learning in new environments.
You will also benefit from free access to part of the material on the course reading list.
Modules:
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course. For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the full course document.
Core modules:
Current Issues in International Development.
This module will track and highlight current issues within the field of international development, and challenge you to engage in critical analysis of their socio-economic impact. It will also strengthen your ability to appraise their policy implications and sharpen your capacity to proffer effective and sustainable solutions in addressing such issues.
Development Economics and Policy
By exploring the concepts and theories that have been developed and applied by economists to the study of the problems of developing countries, this module explores the implications for the framing of development policy.
Human Resource Strategies for the International Manager
This module introduces you to the key human resource management concepts at international and national levels.
International Development Finance
This module will introduce new concepts in development financing techniques. You will acquire the skills to understand modern project financing techniques, enhancing your ability to effectively manage and complete development projects in the face of the ongoing global financial austerity threats.
Managing Data
This module will provide the necessary skills you will need to analyse and interpret development data, and to use those skills to enhance the decision-making process.
Managing Development Interventions
This module will provide the conceptual and practical skills you will need to evaluate various tools and techniques appropriate for managing development interventions at regional and global levels. Using appropriate case studies, it will also provide you with the skills to appraise and manage national and international NGO-sponsored, government-sponsored and privately sponsored projects.
Project
An 8-10,000-word dissertation in the area of international development management.
Research Methods
You will acquire the skills necessary to complete your final year project. Essentially, this module will develop your competence in research design, information gathering and questionnaire structuring. It will also develop your understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and how they can be applied.
Option modules
You can choose one option module from the University's postgraduate programme, subject to approval by the Course Leader. This gives the unique benefit of allowing you to choose according to your past academic studies, work experience or, perhaps, in line with your future career pathways or interests.
Accredited internship
All students on our full-time business Masters courses can apply to undertake the PG/MBA Internship Programme Reflective Practitioner Module. This is an 8 week unpaid accredited internship, which can be taken in addition to option modules and will help students to gain invaluable work experience. The internships, which are with London-based organisations, take place during the summer period. To apply, students must submit a completed application form and a copy of their updated CV to the Business Experience Team; the team then shortlist from the applications and conduct group meetings with the applicants.
Ultimately it is up to our internship employers to decide whether they would like to interview the candidate(s) and offer him/her an internship. We have received very positive feedback from both postgraduate students and employers and expect that the internship programme will continue to remain popular amongst our students.?
