Overview

The Development Studies program at University of Melbourne will help refine your transferable skills in critical analysis, communication, cross-cultural understanding, research methods, project design, project management and teamwork.

At professional practice seminars, research workshops, careers events, and alumni get-togethers, you can rub shoulders with top-notch policy makers and experts in the international development sector. While in your studies you can engage with debt and poverty, microfinance, culture and human rights, migration and transnationalism, food and environmental security, civil society organisations, and gender relations.

Think about and implement creative solutions to the challenging and evolving field of development by understanding the needs of all walks of life – from an inner-city office to an isolated village. You can specialise in the optional Gender and Development stream, which guides you through gender and development theory while tackling the practical concerns of planning for gender in development projects within government and non-government organisations.

Career

Career outcomes for the Master of Development Studies have a global reach. As an internationally recognised qualification, you’ll have a head start pursuing roles including:

Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
Business development and communications specialist
General manager (NGO)
Development consultant
Design, monitoring and evaluation policy advisor

Graduates have also gone on to work in organisations across the world:

UNESCO
Australian Red Cross
Oxfam Australia
UNDP
Save the Children
Consular Corps

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Development Theories
Development Systems and Interventions
Poverty, Microfinance and Development
Gender Issues in Development
Political Economy of Development
The Anthropology of Development
Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months
Part-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-07-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-31 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-03-03 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-31 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-11-30 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-07-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-31 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

81

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

64

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

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Credits

200 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Melbourne, Australia

Disciplines

International Development Sustainable Development View 23 other Masters in International Development in Australia

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

81

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

64

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

CRICOS code: 031145D

In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

An undergraduate degree with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent

Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.

In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

Prior academic performance; and
Relevance of previous studies

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Melbourne and/or in Australia, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

33600 AUD / year

≈ 33600 AUD / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

16000 AUD / year

≈ 16000 AUD / year

Additional Details

Commonwealth supported places (CSP) are available for this course

Living costs

Melbourne

Australia

1501 - 2659 AUD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Development Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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About

Overview

Overview

Career

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

Melbourne

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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