International Development Practice

Course Overview

Implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the biggest challenge facing our planet today. The dynamic MA in International Development Practice (MIDP) at University of Galway focuses on the wide-ranging social, economic, political and environmental challenges of our rapidly changing world. Spanning global concerns, from sustainable development and climate action, to food security and alleviating poverty, this MA’s focus on international development challenges enables you to develop your capacities to understand and engage with both theories and practices relating to contemporary international development as a distinct career path, with a strong emphasis on inter-disciplinarity. Given that international development challenges are multi-dimensional, they require interlinked strategies across multiple disciplines and perspectives. The programme is led by highly experienced staff who work in multilateral agencies, and have a backgrounds in human rights, policy, planning, gender, migration etc., along with practical field based research experience across many countries worldwide.



Objectives of the Programme:

• Equip you with the theoretical and evaluative capacity to critically interrogate development policy and practice from a range of multidisciplinary perspectives.

• Develop the skills required to analyse the multi-dimensional challenges inherent in sustainable development and to work in a development programme implementation environment.

• Build competencies that are required to work professionally in an international development context/organization.



The MIDP contains core modules in development theory, policy and practice that incorporate academic, practitioner and policy orientations to link development theory and practice. Building upon this, the programme then provides a number of elective pathways through which you develop interdisciplinary expertise in key development issues, including environment, gender, human rights, food security, climate change and agriculture. Through these cross-college elective pathways you are afforded a unique opportunity to build on previous learning experiences and develop a specialised prospective career path. You will have the opportunity to combine the study of the socio-technical aspects of development practice with a reflective practice based learning experience. The programme culminates with a practice-based dissertation in which students undertake a research placement in a development organisation.

The core modules in semesters 1 and 2 that make up 40 ECTS include:

• An introduction to development, covering international development theories and frameworks

• International development policy and practice including project management (formulation, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation), and covering a range of actors and development policies

• Data analytics and statistics for social scientists, so students can critically analyse data for development practice

• A development perspectives seminar series featuring invited international development practitioners from the UN, NGOs, research agencies

• Research communications for development, where students learn to develop their own website and critique sources of international development information.



You then choose from a large range of thematic elective modules to make up a total of 20 ECTS. The thematic pathways are:

• Climate change, agriculture and food security

o Modules options include policy and scenarios for climate change adaptation and mitigation, climate change nutrition and global health, natural resources and livelihoods and

gender and climate change.

• Development, security and governance

o Module options include geopolitics and security, a historic analysis of NGOs, development and justice concepts and practice

• Human Rights

o Modules options include international human rights law, international humanitarian law, migration law, business and human rights, gender and human rights, international

refugee law, minority rights and rights of indigenous peoples

• Gender

o Modules options include gender and conflict, gender sexuality and global health, applied gender analysis and policy, gender perspectives on globalization, human rights,

women and gender.

• Sustainable development practice

o Modules options include social marketing and sustainability, an introduction to sustainable business, designing a sustainability research fellowship proposal, writing peer-

reviewed research articles on sustainability issues.



Some pathways allow for off-campus learning in semester 2.



Online learning: there are options for on-campus or on-line mode of delivery in semester 2.



Students will complete a 30 ECTS Research Project in collaboration with an international organisation or a international development research project.



Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).

Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.



Please see Course Web Page above for module details.

Minimum Entry Requirements

An upper second class degree in wide range of areas, including social or economic sciences, environmental sciences, management, business, health, human rights, engineering or sciences. In other circumstances, those with a lower degree grade or who have relevant work experience in the field of international development will be considered.



Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Students who don’t have the necessary academic requirements may apply subject to the University’s Recognition for Prior Learning Policy. Depending on experience in the field, or in the international development arena, and ability to write in English, we will be able to consider applications for Recognition of Prior Learning.

Applications must be completed online at: https://nuigalway.elluciancrmrecruit.com/Apply/Account/Login.



An application requires a registration fee of €35. You will be asked to upload proof of identification, academic transcripts, a personal statement, an academic reference and documentation to fulfil the English requirement (where English is not your first language).

1 year full-time

Next start date September 2025

Career Opportunities

The MA in Development Practice enables students to develop their skills so they are competitive for distinct career paths in international development institutions. This includes potential careers within UN agencies (such as the ILO, FAO, UNICEF, IOM etc), international NGOs (e.g., Concern, Oxfam, etc.) or bilateral aid organisations.



Some students may want to pursue careers in research institutes, for example as PhD students or Research Assistants. Other students may seek careers in companies or foundations which have an international development component. The combination of theoretical knowledge with a practical focus on skills (such as project planning, monitoring and evaluation, economics, data analytics, statistics, etc.) will position you for a vibrant career in international development and allow you to engage robustly in discussions related to global development.