MSc Global Development

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,700
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £30,500
• MSc (part-time)
  UK students (per annum): £7,350
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £15,200

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

• Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
• Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
• Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

The aim of this course unit is to understand and analyse the contribution of citizen and/or grassroots-led development to achieving inclusive and pro-poor development. The course provides a unique learning experience through a set of lectures given by members of Shack/Slum Dwellers International. To date, we have had community activists from SDI Federations in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Kenya come to Manchester for this teaching.

In its pedagogical approach – bringing community activists from informal settlements of the Global South to share their experiences and insight into the classroom – the course also seeks to bring alternative voices and perspectives into our construction of development knowledge. In doing so the course encourages students to reflect upon and draw across different forms of knowledge and assess their contributions to our understanding of development processes.

The aim of this course unit is to understand and analyse the contribution of citizen or grassroots-led development to achieving inclusive and pro-poor development, and to educate professionals about the contribution of urban poor groups to development.

This course does not run like standard modules. Following on from a series of lectures, in Reading Week we bring over SDI members for 1.5 days of intensive teaching workshops in the classroom. These are very interactive and participatory sessions, offering students the chance to gain unique insight into urban development challenges and processes and the opportunity to interact and ask questions with SDI members.

VLE is used as the platform for sharing information and resources about this course unit. The course handbook, e-copies of lecture presentations and any announcements related to the course are accessible through VLE. If for some reason you cannot access the course unit page let the course unit convenors know without delay. You must check your university email account regularly to receive any course updates through VLE.

• Be knowledgeable about challenges of urban poverty and the ways in which urban governance and politics may exclude certain groups of city residents.

• Demonstrate knowledge of the tools, methods, practices and rituals used by SDI affiliates and have an understanding of their significance to citizen, grassroots and community-led development.

• Understand the significance of citizen and grassroots-led development in terms of social justice, participation, rights-based approaches to development and empowerment

• Engage critically with relevant theories and conceptual frameworks.

• To reflect critically on what academic knowledge can learn from real-life insight from informal settlement residents, and vice versa.

• Have confidence working in small teams of classmates
• Have confidence in presenting to the class.
• Develop skills for presenting their research and findings to different audiences
• Begin to think about research skills through the ability to engage with and ask questions to SDI members.

• Self awareness and an ability to take responsibility for your own learning
• Time management
• Confidence in justifying your arguments in front of others.

• Written assignment (2,250 words)
• Group blog (750 words)

Feedbck will come through in-class interations; students have an opportunity to submit a one-page essay outline for feedback; formal feedback will be provided on assessed coursework.

Bayat, A. (2000) From 'Dangerous Classes' to 'Quiet Rebels': Politics of the Urban Subaltern in the Global South. International Sociology 15 (3): 533-57

Satterthwaite, D. and D. Mitlin (2014) Reducing Urban Poverty in the Global South, Abingdon: Routledge (Especially chapters 4 Citizen-Led Poverty Reduction and 5 Understanding Pro-Poor Politics and Pro-Poor Transformation).

Mitlin, D. (2018) ‘Beyond contention: urban social movements and their multiple approaches to secure transformation’ Environment and Urbanization

Mitlin, D. (2008) ‘With and Beyond the State – Co-Production as a Route to Political Influence, Power, Transformation for Grassroots Organizations. Environment and Urbanization. 20(2): 339 – 360.