The MSc Research for International Development is a cutting-edge degree 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 equips students with the theoretical background and analytical skills to inquire into the relationship between theory, research methods and politics in international development. It 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.

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

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.

Students must take 180 credits per year comprised of 120 taught credits (including core, compulsory and optional modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.

Core modules: A core module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken and passed before you move on to the next year of your programme.

Compulsory modules: A compulsory module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken, and if necessary can be passed by re-taking it alongside the next year of your programme.

Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

This programme allows you to select one of the Department's online optional modules as part of your degree. Further details on the available modules can be found here.  

Dissertation

Core Modules

Students also take ONE of the following: 

Optional Modules

Choose modules to the value of 60 credits from the list below:

List of modules (subject to availability)

Development Studies

Economics

Students need to get approval from the Module Convenor in order to take modules from the list below

Gender Studies

Programme Specification

• MSc Research for International Development Programme Specification 2020-21 _ SOAS University of London (pdf; 471kb)

Important notice

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

Our teaching and learning approach is designed to support and encourage students in their own process of self-learning, and to develop their own ideas, responses and critique of international development practice and policy. We do this through a mixture of lectures, and more student-centred learning approaches (including tutorials and seminars). Teaching combines innovative use of audio-visual materials, practical exercises, group discussions, and weekly guided reading and discussions, as well as conventional lecturing.

In addition to the taught part of the masters programme, all students will write a 10,000 word dissertation. Students develop their research topic under the guidance and supervision of an academic member of the Department. Students are encouraged to explore a particular body of theory or an academic debate relevant to their programme through a focus on a particular region.

Contact Hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

Pre Entry Reading

• Kuhn, T. S. (1962) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Chicago: University of Chicago Press    
• Fine, B., D. Johnston, A. Santos and E. Van Waeyenberge (2015). “Nudging or Fudging: The World Development Report 2015”, Development and Change, 47(4): 640–663.
• Oya, C. (2013), ‘Methodological reflections on land 'grab' databases and the land 'grab' literature “rush”’. Journal of Peasant Studies, 40(3): 503-520.
• Rizzo, M., Kilama, B., and Wuyts, M. 2015. ‘The Invisibility of Wage Employment in Statistics on the Informal Economy in Africa: Causes and Consequences’. The Journal of Development Studies 51: pp. 149-161.
• Sayer, A. 1984. Method in social science: A realist approach. London: Hutchinson.
• Schmidt, Anna 2007 ‘I Know What You’re Doing’, Reflexivity and Methods In Refugee Studies’  in Refugee Survey Quarterly, Vol. 26, Issue 3
• Sumner, A. and M.Tribe. 2008. International Development Studies. Theories and Methods in Research Practice. London: Sage.   
• Vlassenroot, K (2006) ‘War and Social Research. The limits of empirical methodologies in war-torn environments’, Civilisations 54, pp 191-198. 

Tuition Fees

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

This is a Band 5 tuition fee.

Fees for 2021/22 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second & subsequent years of study will be higher. Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

Scholarships

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

As you graduate from the MSc in Research for International Development, you will have an in-depth understanding of the main debates in international development, and, in particular, of the various methodological approaches underpinning different positions in these debates. You will have acquired foundations for the practice of quantitative and qualitative research methods in the social sciences. You will also acquire more generic skills, including how to organize and present your ideas, both in written form and in different presentational formats (including, for instance, Pecha Kucha style presentations, short project pitching, and more standard academic presentations summing up main contributions in a debate).

With a broad range of skills, MSc RID graduates are highly competitive in the labour market upon graduation and embark on a wide range of career opportunities. These include, either the pursuit of doctoral studies, at SOAS or elsewhere, or jobs as policy advisers or researchers in international development, in the public, private sector or third sector.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

• UK government in HM Treasury or the National Audit Office,
• Overseas Development Institute
• Centre for Global Development
• Cleantech Group
• UNICEF
• Save the Children
• International Development Enterprise
• World Vision. Our students have
   

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Chief Head of Strategy
• Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
• Policy Advisor
• Financial Analyst
• Communications Consultant
• Research Assistant
• Researcher in Sustainable Technology Innovation.

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

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts