COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA in Social Development combines theoretical grounding with practical research skills to prepare students for addressing complex global development challenges. Core modules provide a strong foundation in development theory and practice, beginning with Concepts of Social Development and Critical Debates in Development Theory in the autumn, where students explore key ideas shaping social change, inequality, and policy. In the spring, Research Methods and Professional Skills equips students with essential tools for academic and applied research, while the summer term is dedicated to the Dissertation in Social Development, allowing for in-depth independent research on a chosen topic. Students can tailor their studies through a range of optional modules that reflect contemporary debates and emerging global issues. Options include Activism for Development and Social Justice, Childhood and Youth in the Contemporary World, Critical Debates in Environment and Development, Decolonising, Diversifying and Demythologising, Fair Trade, Ethical Business & New Moral Economies, Poverty, Vulnerability and the Global Economy, Queer Worlds: Sexualities, Knowledge, Affect, Re-imagining Humanitarian Responses to Displacement, The Global Governance of Education and Conflict, and Visual, Sensory and Digital Anthropology. The course also offers a Dissertation with Placement option, providing practical experience in a relevant organisation. Overall, the program develops analytical, research, and professional competencies for careers in international development, policy, research, and social advocacy.