Department of Development Studies & Centre for Water and Development

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Duration
2 years
Start of programme
September
Attendance mode
Full-time or part-time
Location
On campus
Fees

Home: £12,220 (+£1,385 placement year fee)
International: £25,320 (+£1,385 placement year fee)

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher.

 

In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

See international entry requirements and English language requirements.

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The MSc Global Development with Work Placement Year programme provides a solid interdisciplinary social science formation in development theory and practice and develops students’ capacities for independent and critical analysis.

Development Studies is a dynamic field concerned with processes of change in the South — social and economic, political and cultural — and the major policy challenges they present to efforts to overcome poverty and insecurity.

For your placement year, you will have the opportunity to take part in a full-time, 10–12 month work placement at an organisation of your choice. Please note: you will be expected to secure the work placement yourself, to be approved by the academic department. The SOAS Careers team are on hand to help you with your CV, interview skills and finding the right organisation for you.  

Why study MSc Global Development with Work Placement Year at SOAS?

  • SOAS is ranked 5th in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings 2025)
  • We are ranked 2nd in the world for Academic Reputation (QS World University Rankings 2025)
  • The programme’s emphasis on transferable analytical skills has been of great benefit to the many graduates who have returned to, or taken up, professional careers in development in international organisations, government agencies and non-government organisations
  • Students also benefit from the wide range of modules on offer, both within the Department and across the School, allowing them to create individualised interdisciplinary programmes.

Who should apply?

The MSc Global Development programme attracts applications from students with a variety of academic and experiential backgrounds. We welcome applications from those who have worked in a broad field of development, but also from students without relevant work experience who can demonstrate a strong interest in, and understanding of, development issues. A good first degree in a social science is preferred.

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Students must take 180 credits per year comprised of 120 taught credits (including core, compulsory and optional modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.

Completion of the placement year comes with an optional additional 60 credits (on top of the 180 mandatory credits that need to be completed for the MSc Global Development degree).

Open modules: Students can choose up to 30 credits from other Departments as open options.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes.

However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. 

Dissertation

All students enrol in the dissertation module.

Core and Compulsory modules

Optional modules

In addition to the above, the following is selected:

  • Modules from the list below to the value of 30 credits
  • Open option module(s) to the value of 30 credits OR a further 30 credits from the modules listed below

Non-assessed module

All MSc students in Development Studies are eligible to attend the one-term, non-assessed module Economics for Beginners, which introduces students to basic concepts in microeconomics, macroeconomics, development economics, and statistics and econometrics.

List of Development Studies modules (subject to availability)

Open options

Students can take a maximum of 30 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

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Our teaching and learning approach is designed to support and encourage students in their own process of self-learning, and to develop their own ideas, responses and critique of international development practice and policy.

We do this through a mixture of lectures, and more student-centred learning approaches (including tutorials and seminars). Teaching combines innovative use of audio-visual materials, practical exercises, group discussions, and weekly guided reading and discussions, as well as conventional lecturing.

In addition to the taught part of the masters programme, all students will write a 10,000 word dissertation. Students develop their research topic under the guidance and supervision of an academic member of the Department. Students are encouraged to explore a particular body of theory or an academic debate relevant to their programme through a focus on a particular region.

Contact hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Pre-entry reading

If you would like some preparatory reading (although this is not necessary), a good starting point is to keep an eye out for the many development related blogs by academics, activists and institutions. 

In addition, good book options include: 

  • Veltmeyer, H. and Bowles, P. 2022. The Essential Guide to Critical Development Studies. Routledge.
  • Sen, Amartya (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press, and Amartya Sen on Development 
  • Rosling, H., O. Rosling, A. Rönnlund. 2018. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. Sceptre.
  • Harrison, G. 2020. Developmentalism. The Normative and Transformative within Capitalism. Oxford University Press.
  • Patnaik, U. and P. 2016. A Theory of Imperialism. Columbia University Press.
  • Cantillon, S., O. Mackett, S. Stevano. 2022. Feminist Political Economy. Agenda Publishing.
  • Wilson, K., 2012. Race, Racism and Development: Interrogating History, Discourse and Practice. Zed Books
  • Jason Hickel, The Death of International Development

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Title Deadline date
Tibawi Trust Award
Felix Non-Indian Scholarship
Felix Scholarships
Sasakawa Studentships
SOAS Master's Scholarships (Home)

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A degree from the Department of Development Studies at SOAS will further develop your understanding of the world and how society is organised, with specific focus on violence and conflict, the role of aid, refugees and forced migration. Graduates leave with a range of transferable skills, including critical thinking, analytical skills and cultural awareness.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • Amnesty International
  • BBC World Service
  • British Embassy Brussels
  • Department for International Development
  • Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
  • Embassy of Japan
  • Government of Pakistan
  • Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office
  • International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • KPMG LLP
  • Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council
  • Overseas Development Institute
  • Oxfam
  • Royal Norwegian Embassy
  • Save the Children UK
  • The World Bank
  • Thinking Beyond Borders
  • US Department of State
  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees
  • WaterAid

Find out about our Careers Service.

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