MSc Research for International Development

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

Who is this programme for?:

The degree has been developed to meet the needs of both development practitioners and researchers on international development, including those wishing to pursue an MPhil/PhD in International Development. The programme will suit students with a variety of backgrounds in social sciences, including politics, sociology, economics, and so on. It would also meet the needs of people working, or hoping to work in international agencies, humanitarian organisations, and NGOs. Students with a strong interest in research and research methods will thrive on the MSc distinctive focus on training in research methods.

The MSc Research for International Development is a newly established interdisciplinary Taught Masters programme at SOAS, offered jointly by the departments of Economics and Development Studies. This cutting-edge degree is funded and supported by the UK’s ESRC (The Economic and Social Research Council) as part of the Bloomsbury Doctoral Training Centre.

The programme’s unique core module Battlefield of Methods: Approaches to International Development equips students with the theoretical background and analytical skills to inquire into the relationship between theory and method in the domain of international development. The module provides students with knowledge about the plurality of methodological approaches in key areas of international development research, and the policy choices and strategies associated with these. The module offers students the opportunity to engage with a selection of methods used in international development research.

Further training in a variety of research methods is the focus of the other two core modules: Research Methods in Political Economy I and II. RMI covers the necessary statistical methods for social sciences including survey design and regression analysis. It aims to a) introduce students to statistical inference; b) encourage the clear and coherent expression of statistical results; and c) promote the critical reading of statistics within the development literature. RMII addresses sources and methods for the social sciences in the context of the political economy of development.

This programme gives students advanced interdisciplinary training in research methods and topics in Research for International Development. While the programme structure emphasises research methods, students will also have the opportunity to choose from a large number of substantive optional modules. The interdisciplinary nature of the programme is by virtue of both the core modules and options available for study being drawn from two departments within SOAS: Economics and Development Studies. Students will therefore benefit from studying with experts in a variety of fields of international development, and from the wide regional expertise in developing countries and development issues. 

SOAS Development Studies student Matthew Juden wins first DSA/ICEA Masters dissertation prize 2015

Overview

Students must take 180 credits comprised of 120 taught credits (including core and option modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.

All students take core modules, ‘Battlefields of Method’, ‘Statistical Research Techniques in International Development’, ‘Research Methods in International Development’ and a ‘Dissertation in Development Studies’.  

Specialisation

Students also take option modules from those offered by the Department of Development Studies and the Department of Economics.  Please note that economics modules can only be taken with the permission of the specific Module Convenor and will depend on a specific background in economics.

Please note that not all option modules may run every year.  Modules at other institutions (intercollegiate) are not part of the approved programme structure.

Part-time study

Students can take this programme part-time over 2 or 3 years. Students usually complete their core modules in Year 1 and their option modules and dissertation in subsequent years.

Core Modules

Students take the following FOUR core modules:

Option Modules

Students choose modules to the value of 30 credits from List 1 and 30 credits from List 2 below:

(1) Option Modules in the Department of Development Studies

(2) Option Modules in the Department of Economics

Centre for Gender Studies

Non-Assessed Course

All MSc students in Development Studies are eligible to attend the one-term, non-assessed course, Economics for Beginners, which introduces students to basic concepts in microeconomics, macroeconomics, development economics, and statistics and econometrics.

This is the structure for 2017/18 applicants

Programme Specification

• Programme Specification 17/18 (pdf; 203kb)
• Programme Specification 2016/17 (pdf; 163kb)

Disclaimer

Materials

SOAS Library
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Teaching & Learning

Modules are taught in lectures and tutorial groups. Degrees are awarded on the basis of assessed coursework, examinations and the dissertation. Modules are generally assessed on the basis of a final examination (70%) and essay or project based coursework (30%). MSc degrees are taught over a period of twelve months of full-time study within a structured programme. In the case of part-time study, the degrees will be taught over two or three years.

Lectures

Most modules involve a 1 or 2 hour lecture as a key component with linked tutorial classes.

Tutorials

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on tutorial work. Students make full-scale presentations and are expected to write papers that often require significant independent work.

Dissertation

Students are required to complete a 13,000-word dissertation in ‘Research Methods for International Development’.

Preliminary Mathematics and Statistics Course

Our MSc programmes attract students with a wide range of backgrounds including many who have worked for a few years before coming to SOAS. Our popular quantitative modules are designed to be accessible to all of our students including those with a relatively small quantitative component in their first degree. Our well-received quantitative modules focus on applying basic methods used in empirical research. They equip students to carry out their own high quality empirical work and critically evaluate research, with relatively little emphasis on advanced econometric theory and mathematical proofs. Our quantitative methods teaching begins with a three-week preliminary module in mathematics, statistics and computing. Each student must attend this module, and sit its exam. The preliminary module runs in September prior to the start of teaching in term one. The objective of the module is to review the basic quantitative skills assumed once formal teaching commences. This module is compulsory. Further details on the Preliminary Mathematics and Statistics Course.

Tuition Fees

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.

This is a Band 3 tuition fee.

Fees for 2017/18 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

A postgraduate degree in Research for International Development from SOAS provides graduates with a portfolio of widely transferable skills sought by employers, including analytical skills, the ability to think  laterally and employ critical reasoning, and knowing how to present materials and ideas effectively both orally and in writing. Equally graduates are able to continue in the field of research, continuing their studies either at SOAS or other institutions. 

An MSc in Research for International Development is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

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