Institute of Development Studies

The development research programmes at IDS are organised in six closely linked multidisciplinary teams.

All IDS courses

PhD by Research

MA Development Studies

MA Poverty and Development

MA Gender and Development

MA Governance and Development

MA Globalisation and Development

MA Participation, Power and Social Change

MA Science, Society and Development

MSc Climate Change and Development

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IDS Fellow Andy Newsham hosted an alumni dinner in Mexico City in March.

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Teaching

MA Science, Society and Development

Sustainability is one of the key issues facing a world with an increasing population and environmental change. This MA looks at Sustainability and Development, focussing on the key areas of environment, agriculture and health.

Students are invited to address complex policy issues including water and sanitation, epidemic disease, the African Green Revolution, biodiversity and genetically modified crops.

What makes this programme unique is its emphasis on the ways that politics permeates policy processes at all levels, and plays out through competing framings, narratives, knowledges and networks. Starting with a solid grounding in development studies and society-science-technology relations, the programme then puts the dynamics of policy processes at centre stage.

Who is it for?

If you are an NGO desk officer, policy or research officer, journalist, teacher, civil servant or other development professional with a background in social or health sciences, development studies or natural science, this course will provide the grounding for you to attain more senior level positions or help you progress towards a research degree.

You will want to know more about how development policy can more effectively address issues of poverty, social justice and sustainability and be asking questions such as:

How do development policy processes, contribute to or constrain sustainable development?
What will future health and agricultural systems look like?
Who is likely to benefit from genetically modified crops or new vaccines?
Will there be enough water for people, agriculture and industry in the twenty-first century?
What are the development implications of global pandemics including HIV/AIDS and bird flu?
How can science and technology generate pro-poor economic growth?
What does the global knowledge economy mean for development and social justice?

Our previous students

Previous students have gone on to:

Senior Consultant in Environmental Services, KPMG Advisory, India
Project Support, International SOS
Junior Development Officer, CIDA, Mozambique
Specialist on Regulation and Health Surveillance - International Relations, ANVISA
Researcher, Parliament of South Africa
Research Fellow, African Centre for Technology Studies
Sales Coordinator, Syntel Europe Ltd
Principal Specialist, Nuclear Security and Radiation Protection at National Nuclear Regulator
Technical Knowledge Management Consultant, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Research Associate, China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC), Beijing
Programme Associate, The Challenge Network, UK

Our partners

The course is closely linked to three important research partnerships.

Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability (STEPS), is an interdisciplinary IDS-SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research) centre that does innovative research linking environmental sustainability and technology with poverty reduction and social justice.

Future Agricultures Consortium is multidisciplinary learning alliance of academic researchers and practitioners involved in African agriculture.

Future Health Systems Consortium is a partnership of leading research institutes from across the globe working in a variety of contexts to improve access, affordability and the quality of health services for the poor.

These research partnerships give students studying Science, Society and Development unique access to a variety of perspectives and the very latest thinking in these important areas.

Contact MA Science, Society and Development's Course Convenor Jeremy Allouche. He’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the course.

What's it like to be an MA Science, Society and Development Student?

Shweta Srinivasan, a graduate of the 2011 cohort, talks about why she moved from New Delhi to take the MA Science, Society and Development.

Read what other former students have to say about their experiences of studying Science, Society and Development at IDS.

Entry Requirements

A good honours degree in a social or natural science discipline, and work experience in development-related work. The minimum acceptable level of English language competence is grade 7 overall, and no less than 6.5 in each section of the IELTS test (or equivalent).