MA (International Development Practice)

Course Overview

Implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs is the biggest challenge facing our planet today. The dynamic MA in International Development Practice (MIDP at University of Galway focuses on the wide-ranging social, economic, political and environmental challenges of our rapidly changing world. Spanning global concerns, from sustainable development and climate action, to food security and alleviating poverty, this MA’s focus on international development challenges enables you to develop your capacities to understand and engage with both theories and practices relating to contemporary international development as a distinct career path, with a strong emphasis on inter-disciplinarity. Given that international development challenges are multi-dimensional, they require interlinked strategies across multiple disciplines and perspectives. The programme is led by highly experienced staff who work in multilateral agencies, and have a backgrounds in human rights, policy, planning, gender, migration etc, along with practical field based research experience across many countries worldwide.

Above: MA in International Development Practice Students on a field trip to the Irish Ploughing Championship on 21 September 2023, where they met with NGOs, Irish Aid, and others to ask about how they view the SDGs.

Objectives of the Programme:

• Equip you with the theoretical and evaluative capacity to critically interrogate development policy and practice from a range of multidisciplinary perspectives.
• Develop the skills required to analyse the multi-dimensional challenges inherent in sustainable development and to work in a development programme implementation environment.
• Build competencies that are required to work professionally in an international development context/organization.

The MIDP contains core modules in development theory, policy and practice that incorporate academic, practitioner and policy orientations to link development theory and practice. Building upon this, the programme then provides a number of elective pathways through which you develop interdisciplinary expertise in key development issues, including environment, gender, human rights, food security, climate change and agriculture. Through these cross-college elective pathways you are afforded a unique opportunity to build on previous learning experiences and develop a specialised prospective career path. You will have the opportunity to combine the study of the socio-technical aspects of development practice with a reflective practice based learning experience. The programme culminates with a practice-based dissertation in which students undertake a research placement in a development organisation.

Learning Outcomes for the Programme

On the successful completion of this programme you will be able to:

• Differentiate between a range of development theories and evaluate how they relate to programmatic outcomes.
• Locate contemporary debates in international development in the context of economic and sustainable development discourses, policy positions and processes.
• Compare, categorise and critique international development institutions such as government agencies, United Nations organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs, philanthropic foundations, and consultancy firms engaged in international development practice, and be able to evaluate their work in terms of impact.
• Apply a range of research methods, perspectives and critical thinking to contemporary international development issues.
• Apply problem-solving, project planning, and management skills to the implementation and evaluation of development initiatives.

In sum, on the MIDP, you will acquire expertise via three core, interlinked pedagogical components—development theory, development policy, and development practice – along with the opportunity to specialise in a range of development practice sectors, including science, human rights, data analytics and project management. In addition, a key research placement element will equip you with vital on-the-ground experience of development practice.

Online learning: there are options for on-campus or on-line mode of delivery in semester 2.

An upper second class degree in wide range of areas, including social or economic sciences, environmental sciences, management, business, health, human rights, engineering or sciences. In other circumstances, those with a lower degree grade or who have relevant work experience in the field of international development will be considered.

Please also see the University’s Recognition for Prior Learning Policy.

The MA in Development Practice enables students to develop their skills so they are competitive for distinct career paths in international development institutions. This includes potential careers within UN agencies (such as the ILO, FAO, UNICEF, IOM etc), international NGOs (e.g., Concern, Oxfam, etc.) or bilateral aid organisations. Some students may want to pursue careers in research institutes, for example as PhD students or Research Assistants. Other students may seek careers in companies or foundations which have an international development component. The combination of theoretical knowledge with a practical focus on skills (such as project planning, monitoring and evaluation, economics, data analytics, statistics, etc.) will position you for a vibrant career in international development and allow you to engage robustly in discussions related to global development.