Institute of Development Studies

MA Poverty and Development

Poverty reduction is the ultimate measure of development effectiveness. This one-year programme is designed to examine thinking, policy and practice on vulnerability and poverty. It provides students with the knowledge and skills to engage professionally with the design, implementation and assessment of national and international efforts to reduce poverty.
 
During the three terms students will take four compulsory courses and two shorter options. These are taught through lectures and group tutorials and assessed through term papers of 3-5,000 words. Students also write a 10,000 word dissertation on an aspect of poverty reduction. All students will have a personal supervisor from the IDS Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction research team. During the second and third terms there are also compulsory professional skills for development courses, which provide knowledge and resources on using the analytic tools of development studies.

At the end of the course students will be able to approach issues in poverty reduction and development with confidence, having gained:

• knowledge of the main theories, concepts and debates of development in their historical and contemporary context with specialised knowledge on poverty reduction.
• a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge.
• the ability to engage in an informed and critical way with other professionals from diverse social science backgrounds concerned with poverty reduction and development.
• the ability to use commonly applied research methods and skills, drawing on both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Professional Skills for Development Workshops will run through the terms 

Ideas in Development and Policy, Evidence and Practice in Development (Autumn term)

This core course for all students studying for an MA at IDS is designed to give students the opportunity of meeting faculty and students from across the institute. The course introduces students to some key ideas and themes within development and to current thinking in relation to key issues.

Introduction to Economics

The course is aimed at those with limited previous exposure to economics and aims to provide students with a basic understanding of key concepts in economics, and of their application in development policy and practice. 

Poverty and Development - Disciplinary Perspectives

This is a poverty and development foundation course.  It is designed to allow students to appreciate the key contributions of different disciplines to the analysis of poverty and development.  During the course of study the students will learn or refresh their knowledge on the key  approaches and methods used in the social science disciplines, including economics.  They will learn the specific contributions of different disciplines to discourse and knowledge on poverty and development.  This will enable students to appreciate the historic evolution of ideas on poverty in the context of  development studies. By the end of the course students will have developed their understanding of the different social science disciplines and be able to critically engage with their contribution to the conceptualisation and analysis of poverty.                                            

Poverty and Inequality (Spring term)

This course is designed to equip students with an analytic appreciation of different approaches to defining and assessing poverty. It examines the work of leading poverty theorists, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The concept and measurement of inequality is treated in depth, with special attention paid to exploring the relationships between inequality and poverty. The course examines the impact of economic growth and social development on poverty and inequality and vice versa.

Vulnerability and Social Protection

This course builds on the theoretical literature on risk and vulnerability and examines a range of policy responses focusing on social protection. From climate change to conflict, and from HIV to drought, the aim of this wide-ranging course is to understand the multiple vulnerabilities facing poor households and the most effective coping and mitigation strategies to address them.  

Economics or Social Development

This course builds on the theoretical literature on risk and vulnerability and examines a range of policy responses focusing on social protection. From climate change to conflict, and from HIV to drought, the aim of this wide-ranging course is to understand the multiple vulnerabilities facing poor households and the most effective coping and mitigation strategies to address them.

  
Specialisation options (Summer term)

Before starting their dissertations, students may chose two short courses from the range of options.  One of these is expected to be from the first four courses listed which are the options provided by the MA Poverty programme. Courses vary from year to year, but may include:

• Aid and Poverty: The Political Economy of International Development Assistance
• Analysing Poverty and Vulnerability
• Climate Change and Disasters
• Post-Conflict and Very Poor Countries: Development Challenges
• Decentralisation and Local Government
• Governance of Violent Conflict and (In)security
• Management of Public Finance
• Politics of Pro-Poor Policies
• Rethinking Health Systems
• Doing Gender and Development
• Reflective Practice and Social Change
• China In Development
• Competing in the Global Economy
• Mobilising Knowledge for Development

Entry Requirements

A good honours degree in a social science discipline, and work experience in development-related work. The minimum acceptable level of English language competence is grade 7 overall and not less than 6.5 in each section of the IELTS test (or equivalent).

Fees

For entry in October 2010, fees are £11,300 for all students.  Two scholarships are available for applicants from African members of the Commonwealth through a joint scheme between IDS and Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. Please contact IDS for further information. University of Sussex funding advice

Application Forms

University of Sussex prospectus  and University of Sussex online application

Further Information

Contact Programme Officer, James Prescott. Phone +44 (0)1273 915647, e-mail: j.prescott@ids.ac.uk