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Graduate Diploma International Development

GradDip (NFQ Level 9)
Scholarships Available

This course is available through the following application route(s)

Duration:
1 Year
Attendance:
Full Time
Delivery:
On Campus
NFQ Level:
9 (60 credits)
Level:
Graduate Taught
Award:
Graduate Diploma
Next Intake:
September
Country Specific Entry Requirements:
Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
Other School Leaving Requirements:
See www.ucd.ie/admissions
Curricular information is subject to change.

Duration:
2 Years
Attendance:
Part-Time
Delivery:
On Campus
NFQ Level:
9 (60 credits)
Level:
Graduate Taught
Award:
Graduate Diploma
Next Intake:
September
Country Specific Entry Requirements:
Visit the UCD Global Undergraduate Entry Requirements webpage.
Other School Leaving Requirements:
See www.ucd.ie/admissions
Curricular information is subject to change.

Apply Now
Visit our FAQ page for immediate answers on topics like How to Apply and Entry Requirements. If your answer is not listed, click the 'Contact Us' above.
World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.

UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.

The Grad Dip  in International Development is designed to provide you with an interdisciplinary understanding of the process of development by bringing together expertise in politics, economics, agriculture, political economy and other areas.

  • The Graduate Diploma in Politics and International Relations is designed to accommodate the scheduling needs of working professionals in government, journalism, the NGO sector, and other fields who wish to deepen their education in politics and international relations while continuing their employment.
  • It also serves as a pathway to the MA/MSc International Development. Applicants who did not achieve their full potential in their primary degree (e.g., did not obtain a 2H1) can be admitted to the Graduate Diploma and have the opportunity to transfer to the MA/MSc midway through.

Please see the SPIRe Graduate Studies Handbook for further informaion.

About This Course

  • acquaint students with cutting edge development issues
  • allow students to comment critically on development interventions
  • develop oral presentation skills
  • enhance group work skills
  • enhance students' abilities to assess development practice on the ground
  • equip students with the skills to work in the field of international development

Graduates of the programme have found employment with the official Irish aid programme, in Irish and international non-governmental organisations such as Trocaire, Goal, Action Aid and Oxfam, and with agencies of the European Union and the United Nations as well as in journalism, education, local community development, and many other areas such as:

  • Public administration
  • Journalism
  • Media
  • Civil society organisations
  • Voluntary sector
  • Academic institutions

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 POL40100 Politics of Development Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of:
If you wish to transfer to the MA programme, you must take POL42330 Research Design in the Autumn trimester.
 POL42330 Research Design Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
GEOG41050 Globalization, Empire and Race: Economic Geography Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
LAW40760 NGOs: Law, Governance and Social Change Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL30820 Political Risk and Foreign Direct Investment Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL40130 Poverty, Development and Global Justice Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL40950 Introduction to Statistics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
DEV40020 Gender and Development Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
HACT40010 Evidence-based Community Resilience: Applied Research Design Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
HACT40020 Linking Localisation with Humanitarian Management Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL40370 International Political Economy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL42500 Politics of Authoritarianism Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of:
Select the remaining option modules to complete 60 taught credits.
POL42580 Arab Perceptions of Conflict Spring  10

Graduate Profile
Ayesha Azeem, Pakistan,
Senior Project Officer, Church World Service – Pakistan/Afghanistan
With the knowledge I learned during my masters in UCD, I am confident that I can fulfil my role with the utmost professionalism and confidence as Senior Project Officer in Capacity Institutionalisation Project (CIP) in Church World Service – Pakistan/Afghanistan, a donor-funded project which deals with initiatives on capacity building of local NGO’s and CSO’s. Living abroad for a year on my own enhanced my ability to interact and communicate with people of diverse backgrounds and collaborate effectively within a team and manage varied projects. That one year in UCD and Dublin taught me much more about life beyond a masters degree!

Graduate Diploma International Development (W299) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 8170
nonEU    fee per year - € 15070

Graduate Diploma International Development (W300) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 5405
nonEU    fee per year - € 7540

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

  • This programme is intended for applicants at least a lower or upper second class honours (2.2) or international equivalent in their primary degree.
  • Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
  • English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.
  • Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/.
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No


Application Deadlines




  • Deadline for EU applicants: Monday, 7 September 2026 (The first day of the term)

  • Deadline for non-EU applicants: The end of August, 2026 

  • Deadline for non-EU applicants who require an entry visa in advance: 

    • In some countries, it takes a few months to process visa applications. We strongly advise that you apply well in advance, ideally as early as March. Please contact the Irish Embassy in your country or the UCD Global Regional offices for further information.

    • Non-EU citizens who have been living in Ireland or the EU must go through the EU Fee Assessment process before their applications can be assessed. This process takes a few weeks. 




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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Graduate Diploma International Development:

ROWCLASS Apply to
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W299
Graduate Diploma International Development
Graduate Diploma

Full-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
Apply
showAudience-audienceEU showAudience-audienceInt
W300
Graduate Diploma International Development
Graduate Diploma

Part-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
* you can change options at the top of the page
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