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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
Whose reality counts?: Applying the knowledge & skills I learnt at IDS
OPINION
Whose reality counts?: Applying the knowledge & skills I learnt at IDS
Hitomi Fujimoto, MA Poverty & Development, Class of 2014-15, currently works at the Global Survivors Fund as an Advocacy and Policy Officer for Asia. In this blog post, Hitomi talks…
Author Name
07 July 2025
More than a £ sign: The multifarious value of international students
OPINION
More than a £ sign: The multifarious value of international students
In May 2025, Keir Starmer held a press conference to launch an Immigration White Paper, stating that without stricter immigration rules, the UK risks becoming an ‘island of strangers’. This…
Author Name
04 July 2025
Feminised labour, masculinised visas: Who really belongs in the UK?
OPINION
Feminised labour, masculinised visas: Who really belongs in the UK?
The UK government’s 2025 Immigration White Paper titled ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’ proposes sweeping changes to the Skilled Worker (SW) visa route, raising salary thresholds (currently £38,700), removing…
Author Name
03 July 2025
Life after IDS: setting up a think tank in Sri Lanka
OPINION
Life after IDS: setting up a think tank in Sri Lanka
Yolani Fernando, MA Governance, Development & Public Policy, Class of 2022-23, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arutha, (Arutha on Instagram) a Colombo-based policy think tank focused on economic…
Author Name
10 June 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

Reasons to study at IDS

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 nine years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).

Click on the icons below to find out more about why you should study at IDS.

We are No.1 world ranking icon

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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