Master of Science
MSc Global Development (Development Management)
Due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach.
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Fees and funding
Fees
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
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 .
Policy on additional costs
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).
Scholarships/sponsorships
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.
Course unit details:
Planning and Managing Development
| Unit code | MGDI70992 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Global Development Institute |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course offers a critical reflection on methods and techniques of project/programme planning and management. It offers a critical guide to the selection and use of such methods and techniques in a social development context.
Pre/co-requisites
There will be a introductory lecture late in semester one at which students enrolled for the course will be introduced to the group project themes and invited to form project groups of four (approx.).
Work on the group projects begins from the start of the course so students for whom the course unit is optional are encouraged to decide whether they wish to take the course at the start of semester one to minimise disruption to the project groups.
Aims
The unit aims to help students develop critical project planning and management knowledge and skills needed to competently respond to development problem situations
Learning outcomes
To develop critical project planning and management knowledge as well as skills and attitudes needed to competently respond to development problem situations in an international context. Many of the skills are transferrable.
Teaching and learning methods
The unit is delivered through ten lectures/tutorials sessions that are highly interactive. These are run as weekly 3h sessions. For each session a lecture sets the theoretical context of the approach/method/tool that is under study. This is followed with a problem-based task for the tutorial activity in order to give students experience of how to apply the methods and techniques in a particular situation. The goals is for students to learn how to develop a planned intervention to a ‘real life’ problem situation.
Knowledge and understanding
- Knowledge of key project planning and management methods and techniques and how to select and use them in development contexts
- Critical understanding of the issues surrounding project interventions and choice of techniques
- Knowledge and understanding of the discourses and discursive practices in planning and managing development
Intellectual skills
- Develop critical, analytical, synthesis and problem-solving skills related to development interventions.
- Demonstrate critical analysis of project planning methods and their use in development interventions
- Apply knowledge of approaches, methods and techniques in wider development contexts
Practical skills
- Ability to structure a development problem situation and to plan a response based on e.g. logframes, theory of change and other alternatives
- To manage time, self and others, and work to tight deadlines.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Team working skills especially: leadership skills; ability to organise self and others to accomplish tasks; sharing knowledge and managing differences
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 100% |
Feedback methods
Formative feedback is provided each week during the tutorial sessions
Recommended reading
Scott, C. (2023). The Project in International Development: Theory and Practice. Oxon: Routledge
Dale, R. (2004). Development Planning: Concepts and Tools for Planners, Managers and Facilitators. London: Zed Books
Krause, M. (2014). The Good Project: Humanitarian Relief NGOs and the Fragmentation of Reason. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Course reading list in the library: https://www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/leganto/readinglist/lists?courseCode=I3028-MGDI-70992-1241-2SE-010647&primo=true&auth=CAS
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 |
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 120 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Epiphania Kimaro | Unit coordinator |
| Jonathan Lillie | Unit coordinator |
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.
