COURSE CURRICULUM

The MSc in Development Practice is structured around a total of 90 ECTS credits, combining coursework, fieldwork preparation, and a dissertation. Students complete 60 ECTS through taught modules and 30 ECTS through fieldwork preparation and an independent research project. The academic year is divided into two semesters, with Semester 1 running from September to December and Semester 2 from January to April. Part-time students complete the program over two years, taking a reduced module load each year, with the option to spread their summer placement across two summers if needed. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including globalisation and African development, sustainable cities, impact measurement, gender and development, climate change, development economics, global health, agriculture and land use, and geographic information systems. Students also develop strong research skills through training in qualitative methods and theories of development. A key component of the program is a research or practice-based placement, typically undertaken between April and August with development organisations, government bodies, or NGOs either in Ireland or internationally. This placement supports the completion of a dissertation of up to 10,000 words, or alternatively a systematic review, allowing students to investigate real-world development challenges in depth.