Global and Development Studies

Are you passionate about understanding global development trends? Are you enthusiastic about analysing global social, political, and economic actors, relations, and institutions, including their histories and contemporary manifestations? And do you want to learn how to address these issues? Then Global and Development Studies is an MA programme for you. 

Global and Development Studies offers cutting-edge academic training in analysing, assessing, and addressing current global changes and how they affect people¡¯s lives around the world. Questions of justice, inequality, conflict, and sustainability as well as their effects on states, markets, and civil society will be central to your studies. 

You will acquire knowledge about global and development processes across local, national, regional, and international levels and learn how these processes are manifested differently in specific sites around the world. You will also acquire practical skills that enable you to analyse and critically reflect on issues and problems, such as climate change, conflict and peace-making, development aid, disaster management, economic transformation, human rights, inequality, mobility, social movements, and sustainability. 

The Master¡¯s programme is interdisciplinary, combining the fields of global and development studies. It also draws on international relations, political economy, political science, sociology, and anthropology. You will meet the interdisciplinary approach in your taught classes and apply it actively in your project work. 

Mandatory study activities provide an academic common ground while elective courses allow you to pursue your specific empirical, theoretical, and methodological interests. The development of your own academic profile is particularly ensured through the project work where you and your project team of fellow students investigate a problem of your own choosing. While guided by a supervisor, you will design, prepare, and execute your project. 
The project work trains your use of theory, social science methods, and analytical approaches and equips you with collaborative and leadership competences. It also assures that you are well versed in the art of communicating your results in writing and defending them during an oral exam. 

By joining the Global and Development Studies programme, you will be part of a culturally and linguistically diverse study environment. This gives you essential social competences for pursuing a professional career in an international context. 

Study environment

Being a student at Global and Development Studies involves many activities. You attend lectures and seminars, prepare readings, have study groups discussions and complete exercises. You do project work in teams. The project work involves several steps (designing, executing, analysing, reporting, presenting), each of which involves discussions and decisions. During the process you will receive supervision and discuss your work with other teams. You may also prepare an internship stay, engage in extracurricular student activities, or attend academic or social events arranged by faculty members or fellow students.

Career and qualifications

Upon completing the Global and Development Studies programme you will be able to appropriately select theories, methods, and analytical strategies allowing you to assess social, political, and economic processes that characterize global and development challenges. More concretely you will have acquired competencies to: 

• Plan and manage projects 
• Conduct evaluations 
• Gather, prepare, and present data to shed light on an issue 
• Write up policy briefs 
• Give policy advice 
• Handle complex and unpredictable tasks 
• Initiate and execute interdisciplinary and professional cooperation 

Global problem solvers are employed in private companies, the public sector, international organisations, NGOs, and more. Tasks commonly involve preparing and conducting analyses and evaluations, coordinating initiatives, and giving advice. Job titles include policy analyst, public affairs consultant, policy advisor on peace and security, international financial officer, data analyst, foreign service officer or international project manager.

Brochure about programme