MSc in Global Development

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this qualification you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the:

• Complex nature and dynamics of different global development issues, and the implications of this complexity for policy and practice.
• Key concepts, theories and methods relevant to global development in a variety of contexts, demonstrating a critical and advanced understanding of them.
• Role of power, cultural values, social, economic and political context, and ethics for practices, concepts and assumptions that influence development research, policy and professional practice
• Complex interrelationships between theory, research, policy and practice relevant to global development.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this qualification you will be able to:

• Define, critically examine and apply concepts, theories and evidence to a range of global development issues.
• Critically select, interpret, evaluate and use different forms of evidence and methods, with a clear awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of different data
• Critically reflect on your standpoint and the standpoint of others concerning theory, policy and practice. This includes making ethical judgments concerning policy and practice interventions within global contexts.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this qualification you will be able to:

• Independently plan, conduct and manage a sequence of work to meet agreed deadlines.
• Make effective contributions to facilitate the collaborative completion of tasks to solve identified problems.
• Develop audio and visual presentations
• Use and reflect on your learning to further develop knowledge and understanding, cognitive skills, and other key transferable skills to achieve your personal and/or career goals

Key skills

On completion of this qualification you will be able to:

• Apply self-direction to identify and generate key questions and issues in the study of global development issues, policy and practice.
• Work independently to produce complex analyses suitable for academic, professional and/or lay audiences.
• Effectively use data of various sorts (numerical, textual), from diverse sources (academic, policy, research, secondary material), and different media (print, electronic, verbal) in a sophisticated and critical manner.
• Effectively use a range of media platforms including blogging and vlogging.

To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits and there are two routes to achieving this with a choice of modules at Stage 1.

Route 1 begins with Understanding Global Development (DD870) which critically interrogates global approaches to contemporary development and sets these in the context of the evolution of development thinking and practice.

Route 2 begins with Global Development in Practice (D890) which is presented on the award-winning FutureLearn platform. With an emphasis on development as practice, this module helps you discover, critically analyse, evaluate, and apply the key tools and techniques needed by a development manager or practitioner.

Route 1

• Stage 1: Understanding Global Development (DD870)
• Stage 2: Key challenges in Global Development (DD871)
• Stage 3: Researching Global Development (DD872)

Route 2

• Stage 1: Global Development in Practice (D890)
• Stage 2: Key challenges in Global Development (DD871)
• Stage 3: Researching Global Development (DD872)

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

Assessment will build on your knowledge and employment experience, and will develop academic skills through a series of formative assessments leading to a summative assessment at the end of each module.

Principles governing the strategy demonstrate the following qualities:

• Student centred, inclusive, personalised and contextualised within the real world
• Articulation of experience put at the centre of the learning process
• Use of reflection and skills of synthesis as part of an integrative learning process
• Continuous formative feedback supported by peer engagement through, for example, blogging and group activities
• Help for you to find connections between topics
• Support for deep and transformative learning

Within this framework ‘assessment events’ will be the means by which you make the link between your experience, knowledge and understanding, and the teaching. In the first two modules, these will include:

• Presentations, with feedback from peers and your tutor on presenting skills
• Academic blogs and comment on peers’ blogs
• Reflections on practice to key concepts
• Report writing
• Case studies
• Collaborative work developing negotiating skills.

In the final module, tutors will provide feedback at each of the five key stages involved in creating your own independent research project: identifying an issue; developing research questions; producing a research design; conducting research; and presenting research. The main summative assessment will take the form of a dissertation.

Throughout the course, tutors will provide formative and summative feedback using the electronic tutor-marked assignment system.

Development scholars and practitioners are highly employable social scientists. They go on to a wide range of destinations after graduation, including:

• Development Managers
• Government Policymakers
• Development Consultants
• Business Managers
• Environmental Consultants
• Data Analysis and Visualisation Using Development Techniques
• Transport Planners
• Commercial Analysts
• Financial Services
• Field Centre Instructors
• Teachers