MSc International Development: Poverty, Inequality and Development / Course details

MSc International Development: Poverty, Inequality and Development is designed to help you understand and tackle the problems of poverty and inequality in a critical and constructive way.

The current impoverishment of more than 1.4 billion people, plus the growing levels of inequality at national and international levels, present the world with its greatest moral challenge.

You will learn about the different conceptualisations and characteristics of poverty and inequality through high-level academic training from leading academics, in a vibrant and stimulating environment.

• Provide critical insights into different theoretical and disciplinary perspectives on how poverty, inequality and development can be understood, measured and explained
• Provide you with a thorough conceptual framework and the skills necessary to critically analyse key theoretical and practical issues relating to poverty, inequality and development;
• Provide critical insights into the key strategies, policies and practices currently employed to promote development, equality and poverty reduction
• Provide a wide range of options for advanced training in areas of specialist expertise relevant to poverty, inequality and development;
• Develop advanced competencies in transferable areas, including developing reasoned arguments, gathering, organising and using evidence and information from a wide variety of sources, undertaking both team-based and independent work to deadlines, and both written and verbal forms of communication
• Assist you in developing your specialist area of expertise within the field of poverty, inequality and development, and applying your understanding and skills through supervised individual research culminating in a dissertation.

• We're Europe's largest dedicated development research and teaching institute and have been at the forefront of development studies for over 60 years .
• We're ranked 6th in the UK and 9th in the world for development studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020).
• Our research was ranked first in the UK for impact and second in the UK for quality in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014).
• We are proud to tackle global inequalities and rank first in the UK for our impact on the Sustainable Development Goals ( THE Impact Rankings 2020 ).
• We bring cutting-edge insights from our research into all our postgraduate teaching. Our courses bring different development perspectives and voices to Manchester, from activists from the Global South to the leaders of multinational companies.
• We are home to the internationally-recognised Effective States and Inclusive Development and FutureDAMS research centres.
• Students are part of our vibrant research community this includes our public lecture series which brings world experts, former heads of state, and leading development thinkers, to discuss current issues in development.
• We have numerous scholarship opportunities for outstanding applicants.

An overseas field visit is an integral part of the course. Recent fieldtrip locations have included Uganda, Ghana, Sri Lanka and India.

Please note that field visits may be scheduled at any point during the course, including during University vacations. You are expected to be available to attend.

Part-time students complete the course over 24 months. There are no evening or weekend course units available; you should, therefore, discuss course requirements with the Programme Director and seek approval from your employer. Timetabling information is usually available from late August. You can discuss course unit choices during induction week with the Programme Director.

The School of Environment, Education and Development aim to run advertised fieldwork in the 21/22 Academic Year and we very much hope that students will be able to enjoy the fieldwork experience in the usual way.

The ability of fieldwork to proceed, and whether any changes to proposed fieldwork might be necessary, will remain subject to the current global situation and factors such as the:

• rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments;
• outcome of any risk assessments conducted by the University;
• educational value and student experience of the fieldwork, if significant changes to the proposed fieldwork would be necessary;
• availability of appropriate insurance cover; and
• availability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs.

We will therefore assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any decisions to our students at the earliest possible opportunity. Any fieldwork that does go ahead will be subject to a rigorous risk assessment process and the implementation of any protective measures identified by the risk assessment to ensure the health and safety of all of our students and staff. If the fieldwork does not go ahead as planned then the School's focus will be on seeking to offer a suitable alternative and ensure that the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) of the programme are met.

The taught elements of the course, carrying 120 credits overall, is continuously assessed by a variety of methods (eg project-based reports, essays), involving largely individual submissions, but also elements of group work.

You must also complete a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation on a topic of your choice approved by the Programme Directors. You are encouraged to base your dissertation on topics of direct professional concern.

I chose to study at The University of Manchester because of the post-graduate programs offered and GDI's reputation for impactful research and I decided to study International Development as it was perfectly aligned with my career aspirations.

It has been an incredible journey to tap into the lecturer's wealth of expertise. I was able to relate most of the courses to real work experience beyond developing a theoretical background.

What I enjoyed the most was the diversity of the people and that I was able to meet and share experiences with different people from all over the world.

It has been an asset Having a degree from the prestigious University of Manchester, ranking 27 ^th in the world, and GDI being one of the ten best developmental schools in the UK.  My GDI qualification coupled with my previous work experience has allowed me to explore promising opportunities and to stand out.

Aida Erkihun Bayissa, MSc International Development