Explore our International Development taught Master's degree.

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P-M9PT

MA

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

30 September 2024

Politics and International Studies

University of Warwick

International Development is an interdisciplinary field of research, policy and practice concerned with challenges of economic growth, inequality, justice, human freedom and global governance.

Join experts at Warwick's Politics and International Studies Department and Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Centre for International Development (WICID)Link opens in a new window and develop your critical thinking and research skills as well as learning how to translate these into practical solutions for pressing global challenges.

This programme will introduce you to the intellectual and political foundations of International Development, to the key events and themes which have shaped its evolution, and to the major issues that have (and have not) been addressed in the scholarship and practice of International Development. You will examine the institutions of International Development put in place through the Bretton Woods System, the various United Nations institutions, governmental and non-governmental policies and practices in the historical context of Empire and of contemporary globalisation.

We believe that theoretical work and empirical work are both necessary, and complementary with one another. Practical problems stimulate theory construction, and theories inform the ways in which we handle substantive issues. Students will learn to write policy papers and develop skills to translate critical thinking into problem solving.

We offer an exciting package of core and optional modules which include both theoretical and applied learning. This classroom-based work is reinforced and deepened by bringing our MA students into contact with the work of WICIDLink opens in a new window which is housed in PAIS. MA students can join WICID events, engage with the centre’s Think Development BlogLink opens in a new window and learn about the work of its academic, policy and practitioner collaborators.

Students can lead and participate in the Warwick Global Development SocietyLink opens in a new window and a student-led end of the year Development Conference, which offers additional opportunities to learn valuable professional skills and to apply learning throughout the year in shaping the content of the conference.

Most modules are taught via one 2-hour seminar per week. Every seminar will be based on extensive guided reading you will do each week, but there is no strict pattern to how sessions are run. This may include mini-lectures followed by discussion, Q&A sessions, organised debates, peer presentations, policy briefs, small group work, and other projects.

You can also choose to study part-time with us. Find out more about part-time study on our PAIS web pages.

Normally a maximum of 18 per seminar group in PAIS delivered modules.

6 hours of seminars per week for 9 weeks in Terms One and Two plus advice and feedback hours when requested and Dissertation supervision in Terms Two and Three.

Assessment methods include research essays, a policy brief and other (written) assignments throughout the year, culminating in a 10,000 word dissertation at the end.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules in a module pre-registration process about which you will receive information at the beginning of September.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

Visit our PAIS web pages for department-specific advice on applying to ensure your application has the best chance for success.

Postgraduate FAQs (PAIS specific)

Postgraduate FAQs (General)

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Thinking Critically About Development – Knowledge, Theories and Frameworks 

This module explores the key theories which underpin the emergence, foundation and evolution of the field of International Development. No study of International Development can be comprehensive or uncontested. By examining ‘theories’ we explore the ways that knowledge is constructed – What assumptions do we make? What concepts do we employ? What explanations do we propose? What normative judgements do we make? This module will give students a sound basis for further study, including work that could explore alternative approaches and different problems. 

Development in Policy and Practice – Issues, Approaches and Skills  

Globalisation has fundamentally altered the context of development and we need to understand how and in what ways this new context poses challenges for development. One of the ways in which globalisation and development are speaking to each other is through the reconstitution of governance mechanisms and processes, which are then provoking new theoretical debates, research trajectories and development agendas.  

This module explores definitions, measurements, chronologies and explanations of International Development and its proposed solutions to global challenges; assessing the implications of development in a globalised world for the workings of governance at both international and national levels; and evaluating policy alternatives in respect of key problems of International Development. 

Dissertation 

The Dissertation is an opportunity to study a topic of your choosing, in autonomy and in-depth, under the guidance of an advisor selected among the many experts in the Department. The Dissertation topic should be related to your course. It is an original empirical and/or theoretical investigation, led over terms 2 and 3, that takes further the work done in regular seminars in terms 1 and 2. The Dissertation is the closest you will get to real research during your degree. It is a key experience if you have a PhD in view, or extra-academic research, or any future employment that will require the ability to lead investigations and write reports in autonomy. 

• Transitional Justice and International Development
• Citizenship, Migration and Cultural Diversity
• East Asian Development Models

The optional module listsLink opens in a new window are updated regularly.

You may select up to 40 CATS (normally two modules) from a list of specialist modules for this course, and a further 40-80 CATS from our extensive range of optional modules for a total of 120 CATS of taught modules.

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

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