139 Development Studies Masters Degree Programs

The Master of Arts Degree in Environment, Development, and Peace (EDP) provides comprehensive training in issues of sustainable development, environmental governance, natural resource management, and environmental conflict management from both ecological and social perspectives. It encompasses a broad range of subjects and themes, including Food Systems, Water Management, Forestry, Coastal Resources, Climate Change, Urban Ecology, and Social Movements. The program focuses on the human dimensions of the environment-development nexus, highlighting the connections between local perspectives and broader processes at the national, regional and global levels and emphasizing the importance of political, economic structures and inequality in access to resources as key drivers in environmental conflict and global environmental change. The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in both environmental and development policy and programming in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

The Master’s degree in Local Development provides a thorough understanding of the specific social, organizational, economic, territorial, and institutional forms and dynamics that characterize local development processes in different geographical contexts. It offers an in-depth knowledge of the different methodologies used for the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes for local development and promotes the implementation of sustainability process. Its intrinsic multicultural and multilingual dimension is reinforced by international partnerships and mobility agreements.

Study our on-campus MPhil/PhD in Development Studies at SOAS to realise your potential to tackle global injustice and transform the world with your research impact. As a PhD researcher, you’ll join a renowned globally diverse research community with access to research and teaching opportunities, as well as a substantial series of seminars presented by leading development professionals and practitioners.

With this Development Studies MA you will be encouraged to reflect directly on how questions of social justice should be connected to the theory and practice of development, and about race, class, gender and other identities. You’ll use this concept of social justice to investigate the legitimacy of power relations that shape social, political, and economic inequalities between different regions, states, groups and individuals.

The Master of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies (CADES) is a unique and international advanced Master programme that provides a broad interdisciplinary platform to address development issues and social transformations from an anthropological perspective. The programme brings together students and professionals from all over the world who are involved or interested in social, educational, emancipatory or policy work in the development, or, more broadly, the social sector.

This course focuses on social issues with an international dimension such as humanitarian aid, forced migration, human rights, social justice and social enterprise. In addition to gaining theoretical knowledge, you develop practical skills – such as advocacy and intercultural competence – so you can work effectively with communities and individuals from diverse cultural and social backgrounds, in the UK and abroad. The course also exposes you to innovative approaches to enhancing and decolonising international social welfare and development, with case studies from across the globe.

Communication for Development (ComDev) is an interdisciplinary field combining studies on culture, media, communication, and development. ComDev explores communication within contexts of articulating global and local processes of social change. This is a half-time study programme, combining courses on culture, communication, and development and integrating them with practical fieldwork. It explores the use of communication - both as a tool and as a way of expressing processes of social change - within the context of globalisation.

The International Development Studies program grounds international development practitioners in the theories, policies, and skills necessary for operating at the forefront of the field. The curriculum leverages a combination of field-based research, studies in cultural contexts and ethics, and innovative practices to develop your marketable skills and experience.

The Master of Arts in Development Studies and Diplomacy, offered by UPEACE in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is an interdisciplinary program designed to enhance students' understanding of development, sustainability, and diplomacy while equipping them with essential soft skills for a successful international career. Offered online, the curriculum explores various dimensions of development—environmental, social, economic, and human—along with contemporary diplomatic practices. Students will benefit from skills development and coaching sessions tailored to enhance their professional prospects across diverse sectors, including governments, international organizations, and academia. Additionally, participants can opt for a field visit to Geneva or The Hague, providing a unique immersion in the realms of diplomacy and international law.

Confront the challenges of achieving just and sustainable development outcomes. Address issues in development policy and debate with experts in anthropology, international relations, political economy, linguistics, public health, human geography, economics and sociology. Benefit from workshops, seminars and conferences in a research-driven environment and industry connections.

The Master of Arts in Development Studies and Diplomacy is an interdisciplinary and holistic program that will not only broaden student’s knowledge in the field of development studies, sustainability, and diplomacy but it will also equip them with the required soft skills for a successful international career in any of these areas of expertise. It is offered both online and face-to-face on the UPEACE campus in Costa Rica. During this program, students will analyze the different dimensions of development including, environmental, social, economic, and human dimensions as well as the theory and practice of diplomacy in the 21st century. Students will also attend skills development sessions that are designed to support their professional careers and employability. Careers in this field can be very broad. Prospective employers include governments, international organizations, development agencies, academia, and the private sector.

The MA in Development and Human Rights blends modern insights from the fields of development studies, politics, political theory and international law.

It aims at professionalizing those already working in development or others for whom an e-learning program seems most fitting. It offers a solid academic base in the field of development studies. Students learn relevant theories that are necessary to critically reflect current practices in the field of humanitarian and development aid. Courses such as project planning, monitoring and evaluation advance students’ practical competencies. Academic competencies taught in the area of research methods and writing skills enable a continuation of a scientific career.

In this master’s degree, you will understand the fundamentals of human development and how different cooperation and social economy businesses work. You will acquire the necessary management, financial and organisational tools to lead non-profit entities or to develop transformative projects in your current professional field. 

Decision-making is constantly a challenging process with a growing number of variables and expectations to be met in several fields, all directly impacting society. In this Master’s you will acquire the tools to prompt personal and organizational development both for public and non-governmental companies. The Master’s program in International Development and Public Policy responds to the demand for applied training in the fields of Public Policy and Development, tailored to attract high-quality international students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, from the social sciences and humanities to economics, political science, and engineering.

The Master of Arts in Gender and Development offered by UPEACE, jointly with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), aims to equip students with critical knowledge about gender studies in its intersections with development studies. Gain the skills to advance gender equality with this graduate program focused on the crucial role of women in diplomacy and development.

The Master of Arts in Gender and Development (hybrid) is a graduate programme that offers critical knowledge in gender studies in its intersections with development studies. In addition, this programme equips students with the required soft skills for a successful international career in this field.

The Media and Development MA is an interdisciplinary course that teaches main theories, concepts, case studies and practical media skills around the theme of media and development and its implications for less developed countries. The course will provide you with a unique blend of theory and practice teaching, aimed at deepening your knowledge of the history of communications within the development process of emerging economies.