Development Studies MA

at University of Sussex

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
 

Autumn teaching

• Ideas in Development and Policy, Evidence and Practice
• Spring and summer teaching
• Research Design
   

Summer teaching

• Dissertation Development Studies
   

Options

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.
 

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
 

Autumn teaching

• Economic Perspectives on Development
• Gender, Identity and Inclusion
• Political Economy Perspectives on Development
• Power and Social Perspectives on Development
   

Spring teaching

• Aid and Poverty: the Political Economy of International Development Assistance
• Business as a Development Actor
• Climate Change and Development
• Competing in the Green Economy
• Debating Poverty and Vulnerability: Policy and Programming
• Democracy and Public Policy
• Designing Critical Enquiry
• Development in Cities
• Governance of Violent Conflict and (In)security
• Health and Development
• Nutrition
• Poverty, Violence and Conflict
• Public Financial Management
• Reflective and Creative Practice for Social Change
• Sustainability and Policy Processes: Issues in Agriculture, Environment and Health
• Theory and Practice of Impact Evaluation
• Unruly Politics

Degree requirements    

Bachelors degree with a minimum overall mark of at least 50-65% depending on your university.
 

Subject-specific requirements
   
Your qualification should normally be in anthropology or another humanities or social sciences subject; alternatively, you should have relevant professional experience or engagement. 
 

Please note    

Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.
 

English language requirements

IELTS (Academic)  Standard level (7.0 overall, including at least 6.5 in each component).

Home students:

£9,500 per year for full-time students
 

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students:

£9,500 per year for full-time students
 

International students:

£18,975 per year for full-time students

Institute of Development Studies (IDS) postgraduates have gone on to work as ministers in national governments, high-level officials in development organisations, civil servants, leaders of civil society organisations and high profile academics at universities across the world. Many of them are working to understand and tackle some of the most pressing global challenges. 
 

They also apply their expertise to research and policy work in governments, NGOs, think tanks and universities such as:
 

• the Women’s Research Institute
• Educational Trust Malawi
• the British Institute of Human Rights
• Korea International Cooperation Agency
• Greenpeace
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.