Development Policy and Planning MSc

UCL (University College London)

Development Policy and Planning MSc (previously Development Administration and Planning MSc). How can policy, planning and development work together to address inequality, injustice and uneven development? Development Policy and Planning MSc will equip you with the theoretical, practical and analytical expertise to understand and shape development interventions. Through critical study, fieldwork and collaborative learning, you develop as a reflexive practitioner ready to support inclusive, sustainable and just futures in the Global South and beyond.

The Development Policy and Planning MSc is an interdisciplinary course focused on how development policy, planning and governance can contribute to socially just and sustainable development. We take a pluriversal perspective to understand how development policies, planning processes and interventions affect communities and settlements in different contexts and scales, and interact with broad sets of cultural, institutional and governance apparatuses.

As a student, through core modules you:

Critically explore the evolution of development concepts and ideas, with a focus on post-colonial theories and drawing on perspectives from a multiplicity of stakeholders

Examine how development policies, programmes and projects are designed, managed and evaluated

Learn about how different development actors from state, market and civil society shape developmental agendas along with local communities

Learn some of the tools and techniques used for development planning interventions, including monitoring & evaluation