Hear from our Students
considering studying at IDS?
© Lance Bellers

Choosing a Master’s course is a big decision, and the application process can throw up a lot of questions.

If you are considering studying at IDS, this section should help you to get a sense of what life will be like if you chose to do your Master’s degree with us!

In partnership with the University of Sussex, IDS has been ranked first in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 for the ninth consecutive year.

We know that this ranking is important to our students, but as you will see below, it’s just one of many reasons why they chose to come and study with us!

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Mother or student? Why I stopped trying to choose
FEATURED OPINION
Mother or student? Why I stopped trying to choose
Akinyi Ochieng, currently studying MA Gender & Development at IDS, is a Chevening scholar and a mother of two. In this blog post, Akinyi shares the emotional reality of balancing…
Author Name
13 May 2025
Familiar territory: Coming back to IDS after 35 years
FEATURED OPINION
Familiar territory: Coming back to IDS after 35 years
Dr Sepali Kottegoda - Director Programmes, Gender and Political Economy at Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka and IDS alum (MPhil class of 1984 and DPhil class of 1990) -…
Author Name
08 May 2025
Recent graduates author IDS Working Paper on food security
NEWS
Recent graduates author IDS Working Paper on food security
IDS graduates Callum Chapman and Norma Jean Park (MA Food & Development, Class of 2024) were lead authors on the IDS Working Paper Towards Transformative Change: Grass-roots Innovations for Food…
Author Name
07 April 2025
IDS and Sussex ranked first for development studies for ninth year running
NEWS
IDS and Sussex ranked first for development studies for ninth year running
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS), in partnership with the University of Sussex, has been ranked first in the world for Development Studies in the QS World University Rankings by…
Author Name
12 March 2025
Feminism, unpaid care, and getting a job in the policy space
OPINION
Feminism, unpaid care, and getting a job in the policy space
Harshita Kumari, MA Gender & Development Class of 2023, shares her advice for those looking for a job in development and public policy, such as engaging with immersive fellowship programmes…
Author Name
07 March 2025
Three top tips for getting a job at the UN
NEWS
Three top tips for getting a job at the UN
Many students come to IDS with aspirations of a career in the UN system. A recent event at IDS gave both students and alumni the opportunity to learn about the…
Author Name
06 February 2025
Being part of powerful network working for social change
OPINION
Being part of powerful network working for social change
Bruna Viana de Freitas studied MA Power, Participation & Social Change (MAP) at IDS in 2021-22 and went on to set up Cúrcuma, a consultancy working with participatory approaches for…
Author Name
31 January 2025
MA Food & Development – learning beyond the classroom
NEWS
MA Food & Development – learning beyond the classroom
Food is a cross-cutting development issue that concerns hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, environment sustainability, power, politics, social justice and cultural identity. As such, the MA Food & Development course attracts…
Author Name
30 January 2025

Why study with us?

In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. IDS, in partnership with the University of Sussex, has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past seven years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).

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We are No.1 world ranking

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We accelerate your career prospects

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We offer scholarships & funding

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We are in an incredible location

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We have a unique collaborative learning approach

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We are a thriving global community

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We host visiting research students

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We have responded to Covid-19

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