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Title
International DevelopmentMSc
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graduate
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279485b4629a481abf8f5fc83e31dc06
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https://sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/2026/international-developme...
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International DevelopmentMSc

Source: https://sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/2026/international-development-msc Parent: https://sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/2026

2026-27 entry

International Development MSc

School of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences\

Learn about social and environmental justice, inequality, and rural and urban development. Gain applied knowledge and skills rooted in interdisciplinary learning and decolonising knowledge. Connecting theory with policy and practice, you’ll grow highly transferable career-enhancing skills.

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Apply now for 2026 entry or book a place on our online open day on 29 April 2026 to see where a Sheffield masters could take you.

Course description

In a world of growing inequalities, escalating climate crises and polarised debates on aid and investment, the challenges of international development have never been more urgent. Our MSc aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills to shape development research and practice across public, private and third sectors.

Our course is rooted in interdisciplinary learning and decolonising knowledge, giving you the opportunity to explore global development challenges and solutions.

Our approach to your learning combines teaching from experts, tailored professional skills training, an optional field class and a research-based dissertation (based on placements, research collaborations or independent research).

This enables you to gain interdisciplinary knowledge in subjects as varied as environmental justice, inequality and rural and urban development. A range of optional modules allows you to tailor your learning experience.

We focus on developing your transferable skills in research, policy analysis and stakeholder engagement. This prepares you for careers with NGOs, international organisations, government, consultancy and development-focused roles worldwide.

Learning about the evolution of development ideas over recent decades and their impact on policy and outcomes - such as climate change and environmental challenges, urbanisation and informality, poverty, inequality, gender, race, culture, technology, and global governance - will enable you to gain a holistic understanding of development challenges.

An optional international field class immerses you in real-world development practice with overseas organisations. Past destinations include Nepal, Tanzania and Ecuador.

Our focus on professional and research skills allows you to experience work-related learning and undertake original, independent research.

Placement-based dissertation options offer hands-on experience in development work.

Additional costs

The costs of optional field classes modules and placements are not included in your tuition fees. A limited amount of funding, accessed through a competitive process, is available to help finance field classes only. A limited number of low-cost local placements are also available.

Your placement experience

The dissertation with placement gives you valuable practical experience of working in a development organisation and engaging with development issues.

You'll spend four to six weeks in June or July based in a host organisation, where you'll carry out a research project identified by the organisation and approved by the University. Your project will have clear practical relevance and will generate findings that form the basis of your dissertation. Students may also spend time working directly on the organisation's core activities.

We currently work with over 30 host organisations in the UK and across the globe. Some have a wide remit, others have a specialist focus on issues such as conservation, education or health.

Placements to overseas destinations are subject to the same potential constraints imposed by travel conditions and health risks due to Covid-19.

Information about additional costs

Recent topics for the dissertation with placement : - Exploring the impact of land certification programmes on land tenure security and land conflicts for peasants in Indonesia - Inclusive education for students with visual, hearing and physical disabilities: Barriers and experiences in Gondar, Northern Ethiopia - Sustainable livelihoods and the urban poor: The importance of rural-urban connections for second generation rural-urban migrants in Kampala, Uganda - Shifting and negotiating identities: Shan refugees in Northern Thailand - Breaking dichotomies and the process of social reproduction: A case study of urban market women in El Alto - Life histories of giving: Individuals’ changing relationships with charities over time - Governance and livelihoods: The future of aquaculture on Lake Bunot, San Pablo, Philippines - Exploration of how recognised factors affect public perceptions of climate change within the North of England - Learning from international emergency responses: a critical assessment of how the British Red Cross learns from its international emergency responses

Your field class experience

An optional international field class encourages you to engage with overseas development and community organisations through an intensive week of activities.

International field class locations are subject to variation and subject to the number of students participating, but previous destinations have included Nepal, Tanzania and Ecuador.

Information about additional costs

Find out more about our past international field classes:

Nepal : The Nepal field class gave students the chance to work in small groups with a dedicated Nepali team member, taking part in community initiatives in Kathmandu before staying in Sindhupalchok District. Students pursued research projects around themes of gender, health, migration, earthquake disaster recovery, community forestry and climate change. This research had a direct impact through a final dissemination event which in recent years involved national political and media attention as well as regional and local stakeholders.

> The field class is an amazing part of the masters programme, which allows you to consolidate the theory and ideas learnt in lectures, in the field. As well as preparing you for the dissertation it is also a great chance to meet and learn from students of different cultures in a new and interesting environment.\
> **Helena**

Tanzania : The Tanzania field class gave students practical experience of field research. Working with our NGO partner KEDA, students were based in rural communities around Mt Kilimanjaro.

They researched a range of issues that affect local communities such as health, environmental change and poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers. Each year students fed back to district officials and previously had even been interviewed for National TV.

> The field class in Tanzania provided the incredible opportunity to bring case studies we had always read about in books and lectures to life through hands-on fieldwork. I was able to learn about issues in water, health and sanitation through the voices of local people. Conducting research in the rich and vibrant culture of Tanzania was an unforgettable experience.\
> **Shahreen**

Ecuador : The Ecuador field class gave students the opportunity to work closely with our local partner Intercultural Outreach Initiative, which is based on the Island Isabela in the Galapagos Islands. Our students gained experience in field research by exploring a range of issues that affect the local communities such as food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and ocean plastic pollution. Each year students feed back to district officials and local stakeholders.

You can read [a blog from one of our students about a virtual field class](https://sheffield.ac.uk/geography-planning/news/challenges-undertaking-research-during-time-uncertainty "The challenges of undertaking research during a time of uncertainty").

> The virtual field class provided an opportunity to experience the challenges of international fieldwork, and allowed us to develop skills in adapting research to changing circumstances and using video interviews for data collection, which will be useful skills for the future! It was a great way to gain an understanding and insight into the situation around plastics in the Galapagos, despite not being able to visit!\
> **Elle**

Modules

A selection of modules is available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. As you progress through your course, we'll confirm additional details for the core and optional modules available to you.

Autumn semester modules

Spring semester modules

Full academic year modules

Core Modules:

Ideas and Practice in International Development : This module introduces you to key theoretical debates in international development. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring how thinking about development has changed over time, and why it has changed. The module also encourages you to think about the relationship between development theory, concepts and approaches and development practice, connecting it to other modules in the programme. The focus of the module is on overarching questions of how development has been understood and conceptualised from the colonial period to the present, to better understand how we can plan for the future. Changing development paradigms are presented through lectures and explored in depth through seminars, each of which focusing on a set of key questions about changing theoretical and conceptual perspectives and their implications for policy. The module focuses on enabling you to develop skills in the critical analysis of academic and policy literature, and advanced skills in written communication. You will be supported in this with feedback on an early assessed critical essay to support the development of your skills in a second assessed essay. These essays will also focus on supporting you in the development of your understanding of how to utilise theories, concepts and approaches for the analysis of real-life challenges. The overall aim of the module is to build your understanding of the origins of the idea of development, changing debates about its meaning and purpose, and the implications of these for the present and future of policy and practice.

**15 credits**

Understanding difference : This module introduces you to critical issues for policy and practice within international development. You will be able to learn about debates on key topics, such as the importance of the role of race, class, age, and gender, among other social categories, which impact individual and social structures. These markers of difference will be explored through an intersectional and historical approach, comparing academic research with grey literature and media narratives.  \ \ The first half of the module focuses on understanding markers of difference from a theoretical and practical perspective. The second half of the module explores difference through the analysis of specific examples of development practice, such as food issues, technology and development, energy justice, and others. During seminars, you will be able to engage critically with non-academic sources (e.g. news articles, social media, blogs, videos) to analyse how markers of differences are portrayed and the impact of such representations.\ \ The overall aim of the module is to equip you with theoretical and practical tools to critically engage with wider audiences in a rapidly changing and deeply interconnected world, which makes understanding difference essential for promoting inclusive and just development futures. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their digital capabilities and how writing to wider audiences simulates real-life employment skills.

**15 credits**

Environment, Society and Development : This module aims to engage you critically with the key theoretical debates that shape the relationships between the environment, society and international development. By looking at current questions in development theory and their relationship to development practice in the context of the Anthropocene and environmental change, you will be encouraged to think critically about the ways in which interdisciplinary approaches define issues and problems, and the theoretical viewpoints that inform actions. The module is taught primarily through seminars: these provide both a structure for your learning, and also provide you with an environment in which you can develop your skills in researching, presenting and debating arguments drawn from the academic literature on international development. The module focuses on supporting you to develop advanced written communication skills, and an ability to develop ideas and present them in an appropriate format for different audiences, including policy stakeholders.

**15 credits**

Urban Development in the Global South : In this module you will be able to explore the challenges of urban planning and development in the global South. Through this, you will focus on how conflicting imperatives of ecological sustainability, social inclusion and economic competitiveness are being balanced by practitioners, and the implications this has for those living there? The module will help develop your understanding of the ways urban development challenges are managed and mediated by different actors. This will be explore through a series of scenarios representing some of the diversity of conditions that exist in the global South, examining how urban change shapes and is shaped by the state and other development practices in different contexts.\ \ This module supports you to develop academic skills including critical reading and analysis, and applying knowledge to real life scenarios, assessed through the production of group presentations focusing on diverse global case study cities, and an individual report aimed at planning/development practitioners. As a module that is based around practical, problem-based learning, it also aims to develop your research skills. The module is taught through a series of lectures that introduces key concepts, debates, and aspects of the different planning contexts you will be investigating, and group-based workshops where you will be given structured tasks to complete relating to each case study to help you to research them in depth.

**15 credits**

Core Modules:

Development in Practice : In this module, you will be able to gain a critically engaged understanding of professional practice in sustainable international development. Through the module you will be guided to learn to apply academic training to real-world situations, with a strong focus on employability related skills. You will develop a range of professional skills for future career paths, whether in research, policy, consultancy or the third sector.\ \

**30 credits**

Optional Modules:

Urban Informality : The overall aim of this module is to critically examine urban informality, with a particular but not exclusive focus on cities of the Global South. You will get to explore theoretical understandings of urban informality, and look at how it affects ways of living, such as land use, housing and basic services, working lives and politics. Using a broad range of material to bring the topic to life, including non-conventional sources - such as fiction, poetry, photography, and other media - the module helps you develop learning and research on this topic. \ \ The module relies on a mixture of lectures, seminars and student-led group work, with the latter focusing on an in-depth case study of a selected city. It explores patterns and causes of informality and discusses the strengths and limitations of a range of theoretical approaches. It also analyses the success of different real-world urban planning responses (understood in broad terms), including government-led, donor-led and community-focused ones, in addressing key urban issues in the context of informality. \ \ Through this you will be able to learn how to describe the key characteristics of living, working, and governing informally, and related spatial, economic, cultural, environmental, political, social and historical and temporal factors, with focus on cities of the Global South and North. You will also be able to learn how to analyse and explain these characteristics, with reference to a range of academic and non-academic sources. The module focuses on developing your skills in recognising and evaluating different real-world urban planning responses; demonstrating theoretical and practical knowledge on informality in relation to a selected city; and the development of your group work and presentation skills, including and expressing complex issues orally and in writing.

**15 credits**

The Urban Climate Emergency : Climate change is one of the most significant and urgent challenges of the 21st century. Cities generate over 70% of the world's CO2 and consume 60% of global energy, they therefore play an important part in mitigating the extent of climate change and in adapting to the effects of the climate crisis and its impacts on societies and the global environment. In this module you will get to explore the drivers of climate change and their implications for urban systems. The module will help you to develop skills in critically considering how urban professionals can respond to these challenges in ways that promote just and sustainable transitions. Key ideas and concepts will be presented in lectures, with supporting seminars providing space for discussion and debate. You will be supported to develop key employability skills in report writing and presenting clear and evidenced-based arguments.

**15 credits**

Climate change: Science and Impacts : The Climate Change: Science and Impacts module offers you an in-depth understanding of the scientific foundations of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on the environment and society. This module explores the causes, processes, and consequences of climate change from a scientific perspective, while emphasizing the real-world implications for ecosystems, human societies, and global policy. \ \ You will get to examine the key scientific principles underlying climate change, including the greenhouse effect, climate modelling, and changing global circulations with far-reaching impacts. You will be able to explore the latest research on the impacts of climate change, focusing on areas such as extreme weather events, sea level rise, changes to ecosystems, and climate-sensitive diseases. Special attention will be given to understanding the social, economic, and political dimensions of climate change, including adaptation strategies and global mitigation efforts. \ \ The module combines lectures, seminars, and case studies to provide both theoretical and practical insights into the science and impacts of climate change. You will be supported to gain the skills to critically evaluate scientific data and reports, engage with current climate research, and understand how climate change affects different regions and communities around the world. \ \ By the end of the module, you will have been able to develop a solid grounding in climate science and an understanding of the multidisciplinary approaches required to address climate-related challenges. This module prepares you to contribute meaningfully to discussions and actions aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change on a global scale.

**15 credits**

Managing Climate Change : This module aims to provide you with a strong understanding of the social and physical science of climate change with relevance to international development. This understanding is then applied to consider the challenge of living with climate change in the Global South. The module is taught through seminars and lectures. Lectures introduce and impart factual knowledge while seminars allow you time and space to develop your skills in discussion, while enabling you to develop skills in applying key concepts to practical situations. Together these structure your learning, and provide an environment in which you can develop your skills in researching, presenting and debating arguments drawn from the wide ranging literature on climate change.

**15 credits**

Theory and Debates in Food Security and Food Justice : Food Security and Food Justice are areas of increasing importance at local, national, transnational and global scales. Political and non-political agents at multiple scales have recognised that Global Hunger and Food Security (of which Food Justice is a primary component) is a key challenge requiring urgent interdisciplinary investigation and problem solving. There remains limited agreement as to how best to approach these issues. This module provides you with a background to the problems encompassed within the food security/food justice nexus by drawing on academic and policy debates that focus on both the macro as well as the micro impacts. By looking across food systems, you will be able to hear about and develop skills in the critical evaluation of different strategies for mitigating the impacts of food insecurity and injustice. In addition to academic, knowledge and critical thinking skills, the module will help you to develop the following employability attributes: Communication, Networking, Collaboration, Influencing, Inclusivity, Defining Purpose, and Growth Mindset.

**15 credits**

International Development Fieldclass : This fieldclass module provides you with the opportunity to explore and engage with development issues through practical fieldwork experiences, and to enhance your understanding of grass-roots development organisations.\ \ Central to the module is a focus on developing critical reflectivity on the nature of development in a particular globalised and historicised context. You will have the opportunity to practise and build on research skills learnt in Semester 1 as well as dealing with issues of ethics, power and co-produced development research and practice.\ \ You will work with an International partner, and you will have the opportunity to develop employability skills through teamwork and engagement with a variety of stakeholders.

**15 credits**

Choose from two options:

Research Foundations (with Placement) : This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake experience of working (in-person or virtually) with an organisation involved in community development or advocacy and to combine this with the development of an independent research project on a related issue of your choice. To do this, you will make a detailed analysis of an issue, topic or problem agreed with the organisation, develop a research proposal, carry out research while on placement, and produce both a dissertation and a shorter consultancy-style report based on your dissertation findings. This module allows you to design and manage an individual, interdisciplinary research project, helping you to develop and apply research skills. You will build your understanding of the role of research in relation to the theoretical and practical dimensions of your chosen discipline; and to further deepen your knowledge of your chosen area of international development or sustainable development. The module is supported by lectures, seminars and one-to-one supervision. It includes core research methods required to undertake a dissertation at Master's level in the field of International Development, as well as learning how to carry out research ethically and collaboratively.

**60 credits**

Research Foundations : This module provides you with the opportunity to undertake a supervised research project. You will make a detailed analysis of an issue, topic or problem agreed with your dissertation supervisor, develop a research proposal, carry out research, and produce a dissertation.\ \ This module allows you to design and manage an individual, interdisciplinary research project, helping you to develop and apply research skills. You will build your understanding of the role of research in relation to the theoretical and practical dimensions of your discipline, and further deepen your knowledge of your chosen area of international development or sustainable development.\ \ The module is supported by lectures, seminars, and one-to-one supervision. It includes core research methods required to undertake a dissertation at Master's level as well as learning how to carry out research ethically and systematically.

**60 credits**

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we will inform students and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

Open days

Interested in postgraduate taught study?

Duration

1 year full-time

Teaching

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to support your development.

The course’s pillars provide a structured approach, designed to build your knowledge, skills and professional competence. The pillars are:

Multiple learning and teaching methods will support your learning, such as lectures, seminars, workshops and practical sessions, and a research-based dissertation.

The programme will prepare you to play a leading role in tackling some of the major development challenges facing society, while also giving you the ability to develop and pursue your own specialist interests.

Assessment

We use a wide range of assessment methods to help you demonstrate the development of your knowledge and skills.

There is an emphasis on assignments that prepare you for the challenges you will face in the future as a development practitioner. These are carefully structured to align with your progression through the course, from building core understanding to developing more advanced, applied and specialist work.

Coursework assessments include, for example, essays, oral presentations, policy briefs and a dissertation.

Your career

Since the first iteration of our masters in International Development, back in 2008, our international graduate cohorts have gone on to have tremendously successful and diverse careers in the public and private sectors, as well as continued their academic studies through PhD studies. They hold positions, including:

Some of the organisations where our graduates work are:

School

School of Geography and Planning

Geography and Planning building

At the School of Geography and Planning, we explore how people, places and environments shape the world. We collaborate with professional bodies, alumni, policymakers, practitioners and communities, together contributing towards creating a more just and sustainable future.

We’re internationally recognised for our expertise in tackling the global challenges of climate and environmental change, urbanisation, sustainability and social justice. Our teaching and research connect the human and physical processes that are woven through natural and built environments, helping to build understanding and knowledge, and to respond to the complex relationships between society, nature and the built environment.

You will join a vibrant, supportive community of scholars and practitioners committed to making a real difference. Teaching at Sheffield is research-led and practice-informed, drawing on our world-leading work across multiple subject areas.

Our courses focus on developing your analytical, ethical, professional and wider employability skills so that you can engage critically with the most pressing issues of our time - from the management and development of our urban and natural landscapes, to environmental governance, climate resilience and global development.

We place our students at the centre of everything we do. You’ll be supported by dedicated staff, benefit from excellent fieldwork opportunities, and have your voice heard in shaping your experience. Our inclusive culture ensures that everyone can thrive academically and personally.

Graduates from our programmes go on to careers that make a positive social and environmental impact, working in government, international organisations, consultancy, NGOs and research. If your interests are in the management and development of our natural and built environments, by studying with us you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to shape more sustainable, equitable and resilient futures.

Join us at Sheffield - where geography and planning come together to understand the world and change it for the better.

Student profiles

This particular course is exciting not just because I am studying the subject I am interested in, but also the opportunity to go on an international field trip and placement in order to experience the issues that I am learning about. Hopefully I can start to make a difference before I have even graduated. I did my undergraduate degree in Sheffield and loved it so much that I didn’t even consider studying anywhere else!

Oliver Bellamy

MSc International Development

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject.

Subject requirements

We accept degrees in the following subject areas:

We assess each application on the basis of the applicant’s preparation and achievement as a whole. We may accept applicants whose qualifications don’t meet the published entry criteria but have other experience relevant to the course.

If required degree subjects and modules are listed, these are indicative only. Sometimes we may accept subjects or modules that aren’t listed, and sometimes we may not accept subjects or modules that are listed, depending on the content studied.

We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent

Other English language qualifications we accept

Other requirements

We will not ask you to provide references or referee details as part of your application.

We do not require a supporting statement for this programme.

Pathway programme for international students

If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school.

Fees and funding

Additional costs

The costs of optional field classes modules and placements are not included in your tuition fees. A limited amount of funding, accessed through a competitive process, is available to help finance field classes only. A limited number of low-cost local placements are also available.

Funding

Funding for postgraduate taught courses

You can also apply for one of our masters scholarships, for example to support your fieldwork, or if you are from a developing country.

Save on your course fees

£3,000 scholarships for international students

Overseas fee-paying students joining in September 2026 will automatically receive a £3,000 tuition fee discount (subject to eligibility) - no separate application form required.

Save up to £2,500 on your course fees

Are you a Sheffield graduate? You could save up to £2,500 on your postgraduate taught course fees, subject to eligibility.

Apply

You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.

Apply now

More information

School of Geography and Planning

Contact

Start a conversation with us – you can get in touch by email, telephone or online chat.

Contacts for prospective students

Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

Our student protection plan

Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.

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