MSc Global Development
12 Months | Full Time
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Please note: this course is subject to validation. The first year of entry for this course is September 2025.
This Global Development course, formerly known as International Development, offers a critical, up-to-date understanding of the field of global development. The course also has the option to complete a year in practice.
Engage with key concerns such as environmental and social injustices; conflict and displacement; technology, innovation and decolonising development; and examine global policies, theories, and practices.
Benefit from specialist expertise in the pioneering Centre for Global Development and the Disaster and Development Network (DDN),
Gain theoretical, analytical and practical knowledge and skills through interactive teaching. Our multidisciplinary course prepares you for a career in global development, for example in non-governmental organisations, government, or multilateral organisations.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any subject. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
Full UK Fee: £9,700
Full International Fee: £19,350
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Optional Field Trip module (subject to availability) - should students opt for the module 'International Development Study Visit', costs for flights and visas will be incurred. For example, in 2024/25 students had the option of a study visit to Kerala, India with the costs of flights and visas totalling £1300.
else
This course equips you with the skills and knowledge to tackle urgent global challenges like inequality, the climate crisis, conflict and disasters. You’ll enhance your career prospects with tailored career support and networking opportunities.
The chance to base your dissertation on independent fieldwork provides real-world experience and industry connections. Graduates pursue careers with NGOs, charities, government agencies, or launch their own initiatives. Others move into research, consultancy, or academia, with Alumni working for Barnardo’s, The Refugee Council, and the International Rescue Committee.
We have a fantastic service for students' to use to gain advice and tips on furthering careers and enhancing their employability.
Careers and Employment Services
The course is taught by internationally recognized academics with extensive experience in global development across the global North and South. You’ll also attend guest lectures from experts who are currently working within the sector, and who will share their first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in the field of global development.
Staff on the MSc Global Development course bring their cutting-edge research into the classroom through case studies, problem-solving, and group discussions. Their expertise spans environmental governance, the climate crisis, gender inequalities, migrant mobilities, and decolonial approaches to development, with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Members of the team are experts in participatory, decolonial and creative methodologies and in working collaboratively with development organisations.
You’ll have the chance to conduct your own research and engage with development organisations in the UK and internationally.
Northumbria University is a research-intensive modern university. We stand ready. Empowering innovators, visionaries and change-makers to transform lives and make a remarkable impact on the world. Making the impossible possible.
Our campus encompasses a range of learning spaces, including the Qualitative Research Suite, The Zone, The Hub and our University Library.
The Qualitative Research Suite: Offers facilities for interviews, focus groups, and workshops, with recording equipment and transcription software.
The Zone: A 24/7 study area with workstations for group or individual study.
The Hub: A collaborative space for Geography & Environmental Science students, with computers and large tables for individual or group work.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Useful Links
Find out about our distinctive approach at
www.northumbria.ac.uk/exp
Admissions Terms and Conditions
northumbria.ac.uk/terms
Fees and Funding
northumbria.ac.uk/fees
Admissions Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/adpolicy
Admissions Complaints Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/complaints
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