Development Studies

Entry requirements

Upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent in any discipline, with social science or humanities an advantage.

Months of entry

September

Course content

About the MSc programme

The MSc in Development Studies provides you with high-quality academic training in development studies, using contemporary theory in the social sciences to understand the processes, policy and practice of development.

No field in contemporary social science is more challenging and exciting than the study of development – the processes involved in overcoming poverty and creating healthy, wealthy and sustainable societies.

A full-unit core course in Development: History, Theory and Policy introduces you to the theories and historical experience of development, as well as cutting-edge policy debates. The course gives you a strong foundation to engage with the economic, political and social dimensions of development policy and practice. You will also choose from a wide range of optional courses within the School to deepen or broaden your disciplinary training, or take up the advanced study of a particular region of the developing world.

The programme brings together students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, and recent graduates have gone on to work in government, international development agencies and NGOs, as well as development consultancies and think tanks, or gone on to PhD study.

Department of International Development

The Department of International Development promotes interdisciplinary postgraduate teaching and research on processes of social, political and economic development and change. The department is dedicated to understanding problems of poverty and late development within local communities, as well as national and international political and economic systems.

There are also research units that operate through the department. Our staff have considerable experience in living and working in the developing world and most have engaged in policy-relevant research and consultancy work with international development agencies or non-governmental organisations.

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students

Fees and funding

Fees

Every graduate student is charged a fee for their programme. Visit the website for more information about the fees.

Funding

The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for needs-based awards from LSE, including the Graduate Support Scheme, Master's Awards, and Anniversary Scholarships.

Selection for any funding opportunity is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.

Find out more about financial support.