Master of Development Studies overview
A Master’s degree in Development Studies is your key to a job in the international aid and development sector. Courses are typically 1-2 years in length and are offered by a number of Australian universities, both on-campus and online.
Coursework masters
A coursework masters degree will give students a solid grounding in the field of development studies and cover most topics and areas. Coursework masters degrees generally allow students to choose from a wide range of electives to either build a general degree or tailor one around a particular area of interest.
Most development studies coursework masters degrees will still involve some kind of research project or thesis. This is often used as selection tool for further research in the field.
Research masters
Research master’s degrees in development studies can either be completely research based, or be a combination of research and coursework study units. This is a good option for students who wish to go deep into a particular specialisation within the field of development studies.
Employment options
A master’s degree in development studies will open doors to most development agencies and NGOs. Coursework degrees are well regarded, but a research degree is sometimes required for policy and research intensive jobs.
Scholarships and funding
Some research masters courses in Australia come with a basic level of funding if they are taken full-time. Austudy support for coursework programs is approved on a university by university basis. University scholarships and bursaries for master’s degrees in development studies can be found in our scholarships section here.
Prerequisites and selection process
Students often don’t need to have studied a related undergraduate degree to get a place in a master’s of development studies program. Good academic performance in an undergraduate degree will be looked upon favourably, but experience is also highly regarded.
Research programs are generally entered into from a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or coursework masters degree. They will often require a minimum grade threshold and prior research experience.
There is great variety in the popularity of development degrees offered by Australian universities. Some courses are extremely competitive, while others are undersubscribed.