Asian Institute of Technology School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD)

Master in Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)

Master in Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)

The RRDP focuses on rural poverty, improvement of the quality of life and social and economic development of rural areas. Practice-oriented rural-regional planning is carried out regularly at district and sub-district levels following a participatory and integrated approach. Attention is paid to the management of development institutions, infrastructure, and physical resources. Sectoral and spatial planning is equally emphasized along with the management of rural development programs and local development projects to strengthen rural communities for sustainable development. Selected areas of concern are: poverty analysis; concepts and processes of rural and regional development; community development planning; agricultural development and planning; planning and management of rural development programs and projects; regional planning techniques; rural-urban relations; NGO management policy and development administration; sustainable development theories and practices; and decentralization and governance.

Coursework and Research areas

The curriculum offered by the RRDP program includes courses in:

• Rural and Regional Development
• Agricultural Development Planning
• Sustainable Development Theories and Practices
• Rural-Urban Relations
• Community Development Planning
• NGO Management Policy and Development Administration
• Decentralization and Governance
• Social Research Methods in Development Planning
• Regional Planning Techniques
• Project Planning and Management
• Research Design and Methods
• Rural-Regional Planning Workshop
• Civil Society and Globalization
• Adaptation, Coping & Community Resiliency and Natural Disaster Management Community Development and Participation
• Decentralized Planning (Local Development Planning and Governance)
• Natural Resources Management and Sustainable
• Agriculture
• Regional and Rural Development Planning Inclusive of Methodology, GIS Applications, and Evaluation of Projects
• Rural-Urban Relations
• Watershed Management

Career for Graduates

Job opportunities for graduates of RRDP cover many areas of regional and national and government and non-governmental organizations, community participation, regional planning and project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at international, national and local levels both for government and non-governmental organizations.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the regular master's program, an applicant must:

• hold a Bachelor degree (normally from a four-year program), or its equivalent, in an appropriate field of study from an institution of good standing acceptable to AIT.
• have undergraduate grades significantly above average; the minimum GPA requirement for admission to the master's program is 2.75 or equivalent at the Bachelor degree level.
• be in satisfactory physical and mental health, and have a record of good conduct.