Overview
Please note the course details apply to 2026 entry.
Study the sources of global inequality and justice with this Development Studies MA, which boasts an interdisciplinary curriculum and an intersectional perspective.
With this Development Studies MA you will be encouraged to reflect directly on how questions of social justice should be connected to the theory and practice of development, and in relation to race, class, gender and other identities. You’ll use this concept of social justice to investigate the legitimacy of power relations that shape social, political, and economic inequalities between different regions, states, groups and individuals. You will study the politics of development itself and be empowered to find and advance alternative ways of using development practice to create a better and more just world.
The vision for this programme draws upon the original idea underpinning liberal arts degrees, that is, the goal of liberating students from the constraints of contemporary social structures and cultural practices by fostering their critical understanding of the present, their familiarity with social worlds located in other times and places, and their capacity to imagine and create new social institutions and practices for a more inclusive, equal and sustainable future.
Key benefits
- Learn how to help create a better, more just world. Our innovative and multi-disciplinary curriculum not found elsewhere in the UK enables students to focus on social sciences in relation to development, social justice, and sustainability.
- Study across a wide range of topics, exploring the key development issues and relationships that exist between gender, race, class, education, global politics, and the economy. Our programme enables you to shape your degree according to your areas of interest to help create new models of development to foster a socially just and sustainable future for all.
- Work with academics who are world-leading in their fields to learn how to apply critical development theories to build better and more effective practices for social justice.
- Study in a friendly and supportive Department, located by the Thames in the heart of London.
- You won’t just learn the theory – we will empower you with practical, technical skills that will be easily applied to real world situations and highly sought after by employers.
Course essentials
This degree can be taken as part of a joint arrangement with our partner institution, Sciences Po that offers a graduate programme in International Affairs. Please see the Teaching & Structure tab above for more information.
Key Information
Course type:
Master's
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full time / Part time
Duration:
Full-time: one year, part-time: two years
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2026