Development Studies

Overview

Why study MSc Development Studies at SOAS

• we are ranked number 5 in the QS World University Rankings in the subject of Development Studies
• SOAS is ranked in the top 5 universities in the UK for producing a CEO or Managing Director, according to new research

• we are specialists within the humanities including in key topics such as international development, gender development, violence and conflict, environmental sustainability, the role of aid and trade in promoting development, as well as refugees and forced migration
• our staff have unrivalled practical knowledge across the discipline and regularly inform organisations such as the UN, NGOs and international governments
• as well as the curriculum knowledge you will also obtain a rich historical and cultural knowledge about the countries and regions in which you may work in
• you will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our Open Options modules to take advantage of the expertise of our other departments, including the opportunity to learn a language
• we are specialists in the delivery of languages. Your command of a language at SOAS will set you apart from graduates of other universities

The Development Studies programme from SOAS University of London emphasis on transferable analytical skills has been of great benefit to the many graduates who have returned to, or taken up, professional careers in development in international organisations, government agencies and non-government organisations. Students also benefit from the wide range of modules on offer, both within the Department and across the School, allowing them to create individualised interdisciplinary programmes.

Employment

A postgraduate degree from the Department of Development Studies at SOAS will further develop your understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised, with an emphasis on transferable analytical skill.

These skills have been of great benefit to the many graduates who have taken up professional careers in development in international organisations, government agencies and non-government organisations.

This, in addition to your detailed subject knowledge, will also equip you with a set of other specific skills, including: critical skills; the ability to research extensively; a high level of cultural awareness; and the ability to solve problems.