Program Profile

Description

The M.P.S. degree in the graduate field of International Development is an interdisciplinary program intended to help professionals in a variety of roles in the public, nonprofit or private sectors to be more effective in the planning, management and/or evaluation of programs and policies that deal with challenges of productivity, equity and sustainability in the world’s less-developed countries. Applicants are expected to have at least two years of experience in development work, and bringing even more experience to the program enables them to get more out of it.Degree RequirementsHalf of the required coursework will focus on some area of concentration: international planning, international population, international nutrition, science and technology, or some specific area of development policy, such as natural resource management or gender and development. The other half of the coursework builds competence in complementary subjects such as administration and management, economic analysis, political processes, development sociology, statistics, or international communication, which will make the professional more effective in his or her area of concentration. A problem-oriented project paper based on either library or fieldwork is also required. The minimum requirement encompasses 30 credits of coursework: 12 in the concentration, 12 on complementary subjects, and 6 for the project paper. Because international development is such a large and complex field, most MPS/ID students do more coursework if time and resources permit, especially if there must be some transitioning to studying in English language or the American system of higher education. The program can be completed in one year with much effort and discipline but most students spend three or four semesters in the program to meet more fully their professional development needs.

Target Countries

No target countries have been selected.

Target Regions

Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America