MSc International Development

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The MSc 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.

  • Oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies
  • World-renowned staff drawn from many countries.
  • Includes additional research components including a dissertation and is particularly suitable if you want a career in research or academia. 

Careers & Employability

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

Curricular information is subject to change


Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Each application is considered on its individual merits. The applicants should have earned an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject  such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law/international law etc.

This programme aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in international development - either as a practictioner or as an academic/policy specialiist.  Learning is designed to be participatory and a critical, but constructive, approach to interdisciplinary development issues (ecconomic, politival and other) is encouraged.

 

  • acquaint students with cutting edge development issues
  • allow students to comment critically on development interventions
  • develop methodological research expertise
  • 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

View All Modules Here

The MSc International Development is a 90-credit programme. Full time students must take three 10-credit modules in the autumn trimester, Students must also submit a thesis worth 30 credits that will be written during the summer term.

SPIRe part time programmes run for 2 years and students normally do 1 - 2 modules per semester. The final 30-credit module is completed during the second year of the programme. 

Please note that our part-time programmes run during the day and are not timetabled in the evenings or at weekends.

Core and Option Modules for MSc International Development

These are the current modules for 2023/24 but are subject to change. Each of the following modules carries 10 credits unless otherwise specified. 

Core Modules 

  • POL40950 Introduction to Statistics (Autumn)
  • POL40100 Politics of Development (Spring) 
  • POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science (Spring)
  • POL41860 Governance, Politics and Development (Spring)

Option Modules

Autumn

  • GS40100 Gender, Conflict-related Harm & Transitional Justice
  • LAW40760 NGOs: Law, Governance and Social Change
  • POL30820 Political Risk and Foreign Direct Investment
  • POL40050 Theories of International Relations
  • POL40140 Theories of Global Justice
  • POL40160 Comparative Public Policy
  • POL40540 Comparative European Politics
  • POL41020 Politics of Human Rights
  • POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa
  • POL41650 The Global Political Economy of Europe
  • POL41870 Political Economy of Institutions and Comparative Development
  • POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies
  • POL42040 Gender & the Political System
  • POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information
  • POL42470 Gender Identity & Difference

Spring

Summer Trimester Core Module 

MSc International Development (W303) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 10100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MSc International Development (W304) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 6420
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***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.

SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme, which opens on May 1st. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship, please check the T&C's carefully when they become available.

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) in a relevant subject such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law. 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

  • 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/ 
  • These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

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!

The following entry routes are available:

MSc International Development FT (W303)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*
MSc International Development PT (W304)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

A comphrensive FAQ can be found here