Online, part-time

International Development MSc

In this module, you'll explore two main areas. Firstly, you'll examine the main theories of development that have emerged since the 19th century. Secondly, you'll discuss development management, its historical place, and how to manage projects.

You'll gain a broad picture of long-term development and intertwine this with an examination of the policy implications following from each theory, such as industrialisation, market construction, or well-being improvements. You'll also review historical case studies of economic development. You’ll focus on successful middle-income countries, their relevant policies and institutions, and the challenges and dilemmas addressed during relevant periods.

You’ll then consider the main challenges to development today, the policy options available for developing countries, and discuss concrete examples and practices of development management.

You’ll also gain the ability to critically identify and use the most up-to-date methods for effective project management within a development context. You’ll be introduced to the main tools used in project design and the latest approaches. You’ll review leading participatory methods used to organise and manage projects and measure their contribution to development.

In this module, you’ll explore the key theories, models, policies and processes of development from a macroeconomic perspective. You’ll focus on middle-income and late developing countries (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Turkey, India, China, Indonesia, as well as South Korea, Singapore, and similar countries).

These economies differ structurally from the advanced economies in important ways in their sectoral composition, relationship with international markets for goods, services and finance, and sources of dynamics.

Examination of these structural features can help to explain the constraints to development in those economies, and their macroeconomic instability and vulnerability to crisis. The theories, models and policies you’ll examine will help you to understand the long-term development of some of the largest, most dynamic, and most interesting economies in the world.

This module offers an in-depth understanding of inequalities and development. You’ll examine concepts, theory and empirical trends in global poverty, global income inequality, inequalities related to gender and race, and methodologies for assessing inequalities.

You'll discuss social policy and the relationship between inequalities and economic development. Case studies provide context-specific insights into the issues.

By fostering nuanced understandings and encouraging critical analysis, this module will equip you with the tools to understand the range of conceptual, methodological, and theoretical questions arising from the study of inequalities and development. 

This module introduces the uses, approaches and techniques to researching development. By drawing on the field's multidisciplinary nature, contested histories, and multifaceted research traditions, you can develop a critical approach to research and practice in development.

Starting from the foundations of research in the social sciences, the module provides an overview of qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis, helping you to outline your own research project for academic and non-academic purposes.

In doing so, the module will equip you with strong foundations to critically engage, assess and challenge development theory and practice. 

The dissertation allows you to showcase your specialised research understanding and independent critical evaluation through a comprehensive research project.

Representing a significant portion of the degree, this module is designed to ensure academic rigor and the practical application of research skills.

You'll engage in a detailed research project, contributing original insights to your field of study. With the autonomy to define the direction and scope of your work, you'll demonstrate your ability to conduct independent research. You'll identify or collect primary or secondary source materials and critically analyse them.

The dissertation framework offers flexibility, enabling self-directed work that enables you to develop your project through a structured approach. Practical skills will be developed and assessed throughout the module.

A key focus will be on research design and execution, particularly through the identification and use of original primary and secondary source materials, including those published in the regions of study, which may include foreign language materials.

Throughout the module, you'll receive supervision support and be encouraged to develop peer networks. Additionally, King’s Foundations provides resources, workshops, and one-on-one appointments with academic skills tutors to enhance your research and writing capabilities.

By completing the dissertation module, you'll demonstrate your expertise, contribute to your field, and prepare for future academic and professional endeavours in International Development.

Hello. I'm Professor Andy Sumner. I'm the Programme Director for the International Development MSc at King's College London. So if you're interested in world events and tackling global inequality, this is the MSc in International Development that can lead to an exciting career in real world, real world impact. In our ever changing and increasingly interconnected world, we need a deeper understanding of some of these complex and big global issues like global poverty, global inequality, and the climate crisis. So this MSc combines interdisciplinary training, development theory, political economy, and social policy, and it also has country and region based case studies.

So let's explore some of the key modules so you can get a sense of what the programme is about and what makes it unique.

So first of all we have module Foundations of Development Theory and Management. In this module, you'll explore the main theories of development since or perhaps over the last fifty or so years, you'll discuss development management and gain a broader picture of some of the long term questions of development, their policy implications, and the historical cases of specific countries. Then we have a module called political economy of development. You'll delve into key theories, key models, policies of development, with perspectives.

This module will really help you understand the constraints, the instability, and the dynamics of development in some of the world's fastest growing economies. Then we have Inequalities in Development.

This module, as the name says, focuses on in-depth understanding of inequalities from, examining concepts, theories, and people trends, thinking about race, income, gender, and you'll discuss social policy and its relationship with inequalities and its relationship with economic development. Again, there are case studies for context specific insights.

Then there's the research methods for international development. Here you'll be introduced to the main tools, techniques for thinking about and conducting rigorous research and development.

This module provides an overview of qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis, helping you to outline your own thinking and operationalise that in a research project.

Then finally, this is a dissertation. So this is really significant. It allows you to conduct independent research, showcasing your own specialized understanding and critical evaluation, engaging with a detailed project on something that you're really interested in and focused on, and to give broad insights into the field of international development. So throughout these modules, you'll gain that whole set of practical skills that really enhance your employability.

The programme is designed for professionals and graduates who are aiming to deepen their understanding in this area and also build their career. Those careers could be in development policy, they could be in non governmental organisations, they could be in related fields, they could be in government. So join us at King's College to advance your career and make a significant impact on the world.