The University of Sheffield
Prospective Postgraduates

MA International Development

Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences

This is one of the UK's top ten departments for geography research. We produce graduates who can apply their expertise to real-world problems.

About the course

1 year full-time/2 years part-time

This programme engages with the challenges of international development in today's complex world. You'll develop skills and knowledge relating to development research and practice.

Entry requirements

You'll need a good 2:1 or first class honours degree in geography or a related subject, or an equivalent recognised qualification.

English language requirements

Overall IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students

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Core modules

  • Ideas and Practice in International Development
  • Research Design and Methods in Development
  • Professional Skills for Development in the South
  • Dissertation with Placement
  • Field class

Optional modules

  • Global Inequalities
  • Postcolonial Geography and Spatial Politics
  • HIV/AIDS
  • International Health, Systems and Policy
  • Key Issues in Global Public Health
  • Enhanced Practice and Evaluation in International Development
  • Cities of the South

Teaching

  • Seminars
  • Lectures
  • Workshops
  • Reading groups

Assessment

  • Coursework assignments
  • Project work
  • Dissertation

Fieldwork

You'll take part in a 10-day field trip where you can put your research skills into practice. Recent classes visited the West Pokot region of Kenya, and we're working to organise trips to Nepal, Egypt, Trinidad and South Africa.

Fees and funding

A number of departmental bursaries are available for masters students. Further funding may be available. Please contact us for details.

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

Laura Pitts
E: geog-pg-applications@sheffield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)114 222 7902

Katherine Cobb, MPH International Development


Your career

You'll develop the skills to work in private or public sector research, or join the civil service.

Recent graduates have started careers in consulting or with organisations like CAFOD, the Environment Agency and the British Library. Many of our graduates stay on to do research. We have a high success rate in securing funding for those who wish to study for a PhD with us after finishing a masters.

Study with the best

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise puts us in the UK top ten for geography. This is a vibrant postgraduate community, with strong international links.

Our research partners are global, from UK universities to institutions in southern Africa, Denmark, Iceland, Australia and the USA. Our teaching is invigorated by work from several interdisciplinary research groups, like the Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research (SCIDR) and the Urban and Regional Policy Research Institute.

Our research partners are global, from UK universities to institutions in southern Africa, Denmark, Iceland, Australia and the USA.

Facilities and equipment

A new £1m Sediment-Solute Systems lab enables geochemical analysis of aqueous and solid phases, especially in the context of biogeochemistry. We have equipment for chromatography, UV spectrometry and flow injection/auto analysis.

Our sample preparation facilities enable digestion, pre-concentration by evaporation under vacuum, and tangential flow filtration. There are alpha and gamma counters, a laser particle sizer and a luminescence dating lab. Field equipment includes automatic water samplers, weather stations, data loggers and environmental process characterisation sensors.

We have high-quality petrological microscopes for examining geological samples. We have labs for spectrometry and for palaeontological preparation, and you’ll also have access to specialist facilities in other departments at the University.

Laptops, camcorders, tape recorders and transcribers are available for your fieldwork. Our postgraduate computer labs have networked workstations for GIS research and climate modelling, ARC/INFO, ERDAS software and specialist software for remote sensing. GIS facilities are also provided by the £5m Informatics Collaboratory for the Social Sciences.

Our recently refurbished building has brand new study areas for postgraduate students and a café.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form