global development studies phd

International Development - PhD

Although it has become an important focus of scholarship and a major global policy arena, there is not universal agreement on exactly what the field of international development encompasses. Generally speaking, there is consensus that it broadly focuses on policies and institutions involved in promoting certain core goals—economic growth, poverty reduction, better governance, quality of life improvements, and stronger human rights—in the poorer and less-developed countries of the world. The relative importance of these diverse, interrelated issues and how to approach studying and attaining them, however, has generated robust and evolving debates across disciplines and between academics and policymakers.

Since the end of World War II, an impressive volume of literature on what is known as development studies has accumulated. It can be argued that development, in itself, has gained the status of a field of study within, and beyond, the social sciences. From economics to anthropology, from sociology to environmental sciences, development has become a major intellectual concern.  Development issues are also a focus in the field of public management, and social entrepreneurship in emerging and developing countries has become a prominent interest of some business schools.

Some scholars consider development as a separate discipline, characterized by having its own epistemological stance, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and even a unique terminology. In contrast, other scholars view development as inherently interdisciplinary, in which none of the traditionally established disciplines can satisfactorily explain the multidimensional and dynamic character of development. Therefore, development can be viewed both as a discipline in its own right, and as particular social phenomenon which can be approached from different disciplinary perspectives. Another relevant debate in the development literature refers to the inherent particularities of developed countries when compared to the developing world with respect to issues such as culture, social capital, institutional change, and so forth, which affect the development process.

The international development field prepares doctoral students to undertake research in this broad-based area. Given its expansive and interdisciplinary nature, International Development is a customized doctoral field in which students design their own areas of study with strong faculty guidance. The field includes an overview component that focuses on foundational ideas in development thinking and the empirical research that has examined it. Beyond that, some students have elected to take a more institutional/public administration perspective, while others have focused more on discipline based social science theory and methods (economics and political economy have dominated). Many have tried to bridge disciplines and approaches to some extent. 

Many students also focus on a particular aspect of development that brings together material drawn from multiple disciplines and methodological approaches as it relates to their focal research interests. Examples of more focused topics have ranged from the broad (poverty reduction, public finance, governance) to the more specific (access to financial services by poor households, fiscal decentralization, performance/outcome evaluation).

Department of Global Studies - UC Santa Barbara

Phd program.

The PhD Program is a stand-alone degree (approximately 5-6 years), the first of its kind at a Tier-1 Research University in the United States, and the first within the University of California system.

The PhD program in Global Studies provides a unique interdisciplinary degree for students who wish to study global issues such as conflict, immigration, human rights, environmental sustainability, global cultures, diasporas, and development from an interdisciplinary perspective. PhD research in Global Studies typically involves a field studies component. It requires mastery of a second language, and the completion of a PhD thesis. The PhD is an academic program designed to train scholars and future academics of Global Studies in academic research and university-level teaching as well as scholars targeting other research-based careers that require deeper academic training. An MA in Global Studies is not a required prerequisite of the PhD program, and admission to UCSB’s MA in Global Studies is not a pathway to the PhD program.

• About the PhD
• About the Emphasis
• Funding & Awards
• PhD Student Profiles

Global Studies Advising

Graduate Program Director Professor Javiera Barandiarán [email protected]

Graduate Program Advisor Kaylia Grant [email protected]

Location SSMS 2008 

Phone: (805) 893-4668 [msg phone] Fax: (805) 893-8003

PhD Resources

• Online Application for Graduate Admissions
• Graduate Division Admissions Information
• General Catalog Requirements
• Global Studies Graduate Degree Programs
• 2015-2021 Cohorts PhD Requirements
• 2022-2024 Cohort PhD Requirements
• 2023-24 Graduate Student Handbook
• 2023-24 Offered Courses (subject to change)

About the PhD Program in Global Studies

Global Studies is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding globalization as a multidimensional, multi-level and historical process. Global Studies bridges social science and humanistic approaches to analyze the social, cultural, political, environmental, and economic consequences of global flows, institutions, and processes. Global Studies scholarship is motivated by engagement with contemporary transnational social problems across multiple theoretical perspectives and methodologies.

Our graduate students work closely with 17 core Global Studies faculty in conjunction with over 20 Affiliated Faculty members from across the campus, providing access to a wide variety of scholarship and expertise. The regional, disciplinary, and methodological background and research focus of our faculty provide a good guide to the areas of graduate study most suitable to pursue in Global Studies at UCSB. Prospective applicants should focus on full-time, tenure-stream faculty who will be in residence during your intended period of study as potential mentors and advisors.

Our programs share an academic core, and are distinguished by their relative emphases. The academic core of both programs combines multi-method research training with study in three related areas of specialization:

• Global Political Economy and Development • Global Cultures and Ideology • Global Governance

The online application for the upcoming academic year will be available to prospective applicants in early September. Please use the Admissions link for detailed information and useful application links.

Recent Awards

2023 Global Studies PhD Field Grants and Dissertation Awards (funded via the Global Studies Department)

• Project: Two Nations Under God: American Islamism in Cold War Pakistan
• Project: Understanding Stakeholder Influence in European Digital Policymaking
• Project: Research on Nationality Policies in East African Government Archives
• Project: Potty Politics
• Project: Enhancing Women's Participation in WASH and Climate Change Interventions in Rural India and South Africa
• Project: Erratic Rain, Exiting Men: Female Farm Operators and the Shifting Agricultural Landscape in Rural India
• Project: Comparing Social Enterprises in Chengdu, China; Barcelona, Spain; and San Francisco, USA
• Project: The Case of Spectacular Acts of Violence Amidst the Rise of TLP

Global Development Studies, PhD

Global Development Studies (GDS) offers interdisciplinary graduate programs leading to both the Master of Arts and PhD degrees. Both degree programs make considerable use of the techniques and concepts of social science disciplines, including Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Geography, Environmental Studies, History, and Economics, to critically analyze and engage with some of the world’s most complex and enduring problems.

The PhD in GDS is an interdisciplinary doctoral program emphasizing research leading to an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge in GDS. The PhD Program specializes in political economy approaches to global development, with students encouraged to specialize in a specific sub-area such as:

• trade, fair trade and trade policy
• environment, climate change, and environmental governance
• migration, gender, and development
• global displacement
• agrarian change, food sovereignty and resource rights
• race and capitalism
• labour and development

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for this program are:

• a Master’s degree with First Class Standing, equivalent to a minimum GPA of 3.70 on a scale of 4.30 (A-)
• a Master’s degree in International/Global Development Studies, or a closely related social science discipline

In addition to the general requirements set out by FGSR for all doctoral applicants, applicants must submit:

• a 2,500 word research plan setting out in detail their proposed dissertation project and area of research
• a Letter of Intent outlining their preparation for pursuing doctoral level research, and
• an up-to-date curriculum vitae.

Language Requirements

Applicants to this program, whose first language is not English, must demonstrate their English language proficiency as outlined in Graduate Academic Regulation 1e with the following additional requirement:

• a TOEFL (iBT) score of at least 100 with no individual band below 20; or
• an IELTS score of at least 7.0, with no band below 6.5.

The deadline for applications is February 1st for entry in September of the same year. There are no deferred admissions to the PhD Program, and there are no mid-year (January) entries into the PhD Program.

In admitting students to the program, the Ph.D. Program Committee will take into account the availability of potential dissertation supervisors.  On entry to the Ph.D. program, students will be assigned a supervisor who will be appointed on the basis of his or her expertise in relation to the student’s dissertation at the time of entry. Where a successful applicant has already identified an appropriate supervisor, every effort will be made to ensure that they are appointed as the student’s supervisor. While applicants are not required to identify and contact potential supervisors before applying, they are strongly encouraged to do so. 

Note: The Ph.D. Supervisor should normally be a tenured faculty member at Saint Mary’s University or other post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada.  In the latter case, such faculty must be recommended by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research as Adjunct Professors at Saint Mary’s University.  These are the normal minimum requirements, but each case will be evaluated on its own merits.  

Financial Support

Full-time students admitted to the program may be eligible for funding administered by Saint Mary’s University. Funding recommendations are made by the program All successful applicants are automatically considered for graduate funding. Students are encouraged to apply for external scholarships.

Normal Program Sequence

• Fall Semester:   Advanced Development Theory (formerly IDST 7500) ( GDST 7500 ) and Advanced Doctoral Research Methods (formerly IDST 7600) ( GDST 7600 )
• Winter Semester: Advanced Development Theory (formerly IDST 7500) ( GDST 7500 )  and Advanced Doctoral Research Methods (formerly IDST 7600) ( GDST 7600 )
• Summer Semester: Preparation of the comprehensive exams and dissertation proposal.
• Fall Semester:  Preparation for comprehensive examinations, to be scheduled during December of Year 2. Preparation of dissertation proposal.
• Winter Semester: Preparation and finalization of the dissertation proposal, to be defended by the end of the Winter semester.
• Summer Semester:  Candidate begins structured independent and supervised research following the research protocol contained in the dissertation proposal. The research will consist of both primary data acquisition in the field and secondary research, as required by the research objectives of the dissertation.
• Structured independent and supervised research
• Data analysis
• The fourth year consists of all activities leading to the preparation of the final draft of the dissertation (extensive consultation with the supervisory committee, submission of various drafts of the dissertation for comment, either in whole or in part, final write-up, etc.), and will finish in a public, oral defence of the thesis and an examination of the candidate by the appropriate examination committee (the supervisory committee plus an external examiner).

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Academic Calendar 2023-2024

Global development studies - doctor of philosophy.

The overarching objective of the PhD in Global Development Studies is to provide a coherent and sequenced programme of training to help graduate students acquire a range of transferable skills suited to academic and professional job markets. Alongside the primary academic skills of research, teaching, information management, communication, and critical analysis, the programme cultivates a broader spectrum of abilities. These include organisational skills such as project development and management, problem-solving techniques, working with partners, funding applications, and developing cross-cultural experiences.

The programme is designed to be completed within 48 months.

• Fall and Winter terms: Full time students take four courses (12 units) consisting of four classroom-based seminars during the first year. These include our core courses (DEVS 801, DEVS 802, DEVS 803) and one optional course from within DEVS or a cognate department.  In addition, students are enrolled in DEVS 950 a Professional Seminar in Development Studies that meets monthly. Students who have already taken DEVS 801, DEVS 802 and/or DEVS 803 as part of their MA degree at Queen’s are not required to take these courses for the PhD degree. In such cases the PhD degree coursework requirement will be reduced by 6.0 credit units. Students will take alternate courses to complete the remaining 6.0-unit PhD coursework requirement in consultation with their supervisor and/or graduate chair.
• Spring and Summer terms: Students establish their supervisory committee, begin to prepare their comprehensive exam literature list, and consider the first stages of building their research proposal.
• First, they prepare for and complete their qualifying exams.
• Second, as part of their qualifying exam process, the student also submits a course syllabus that they have prepared on their chosen research topic.
• Third, on completing the comprehensive qualifying exams, the student submits and defends a formal research proposal that provides the analytical and methodological basis for their PhD research. This is examined orally by a committee of three faculty members, including the students’ supervisor and two assessors, at least one of which will be from within DEVS. After defending their PhD proposal, the student will progress to fieldwork (if applicable).
• Typically, qualifying exams are held in the fall term of year 2 (Term 4)
• Students complete field research and/or equivalent data collection. In consultation with their supervisor and committee, they begin to write draft chapters towards their thesis.
• Students begin to plan a program of knowledge mobilisation in conjunction with their supervisor. 
• Students write up their PhD thesis, which they submit for defence, allowing for a completion date within the stipulated 48 months from the beginning of the program.
• Students pursue a program of knowledge mobilisation under supervisory guidance – seeking to present their work at suitable academic/non-academic conferences.
• Students make short presentations to the incoming PhD students illustrating the strategies developed, challenges faced and outcomes of conducting doctoral research.

Internship Support

For students seeking to undertake an internship component to their PhD degree, the department encourages, supports, and recognises this is an important means of generating experience and knowledge. In this respect, a research-orientated internship would be an acceptable replacement for more-standard academic research, and the student would be aided in searching for a suitable internship. Students that undertake an internship are encouraged to devote a chapter of their thesis to reflecting critically upon their experience.

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Global Development Studies

What is global development studies.

The discipline of Global Development Studies examines development, inequality and justice especially in the global South. We explore social, political, environmental and cultural changes and continuities from a multidisciplinary perspective. Global Development Studies diverse South-North relations in the globalising world. In Finland, Global Development Studies exists as a separate discipline only at the University of Helsinki, where it is a highly popular, well-established social science discipline.

Multidisciplinary research

Global Development Studies scholars combine different theoretical, methodological, and analytical lenses. We interpret cultural, political, economic, environmental, and social change, with a view to understanding and explaining complex processes of global transformations. These are analysed from the perspectives of historical as well as contemporary contexts first and foremost – although not solely – in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The areas that Global Development Studies primarily studies were connected to the world economy through colonialism and to the global system as possessions of European colonial powers. The study of the global South entails historical and contemporary global connections (capitalism, colonialism, aid, trade, etc.), and the domination, hierarchies and inequalities attached to them. Global Development Studies is interested in the effects of globalisation, environmental change, and development policy on the opportunities of people in the global South to make choices about their lives.

Global Development Studies is a dynamic, pluralist, and popular multidisciplinary and internationally oriented discipline at the University of Helsinki . Its current focus areas include the following:

• Globalisation of development
• State formation, development interventions, and social resistance
• Political ecology of resource politics and governance
• Justice, Disasters and global climate emergency
• Global extractivisms and transformative alternatives
• Urban inequalities in the global South
• Feminist theorizing and decolonizing knowledges
• Peace, conflicts, and sustainable development
• Rising powers and South-South relations
• CA19129 - Decolonising Development: Research, Teaching and Practice (DecolDEV) (2020 - 2023)
• Citizenship Utopias in the Global South: The Pursuit of Transformative Alternatives in Times of Civic Disillusionment
• CONVIVA: Convival Conservation
• FCITIES: Fragile cities in the global South: Societal security, environmental vulnerability and representative justice
• Gendered Political Violence and Urban Post-Disaster Reconstruction
• Goal 4+: Including Eco-cultural Pluralism in Quality Education in Ecuadorian Amazonia (2018-2022)
• Platform tourism and urban justice 
• Political economies of deforestation: The impact of regionally dominant resource sectors in the forest politics of Brazil, Peru, and Finland (2018 - 2023)
• Water and fire: Volatile ecologies and politics of vulnerabilization in the global South (2018-2022)
• Water and Vulnerability in Fragile Societies (WATVUL) (2018 - 2022)
• Finnish Society for Development Research
• Extractivisms and Alternatives (EXALT) Initiative
• European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI)
• Consortium for Comparative Research on Regional Integration and Social Cohesion (RISC) 
• Finnish University Partnership for International Development UniPID
• Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science HELSUS
• Centre for Corporate Responsibility (CCR)
• World- Ecology Research Network
• ICCA Consortium

Head of discipline: Professor Markus Kröger

For more information about grant researchers, please see  the University of Helsinki Research Portal . 

• Ashraf Ushman
• Anna Heikkinen
• Maija Lassila

Postal and street address for Global Development Studies

PO Box 18 (Unioninkatu 35) 00014 University of Helsinki

Infor­mation for me­dia

Services for press and media

Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre

Interdisciplinary Global Development PhD Programme

The IGDC runs an interdisciplinary PhD programme in Global Development which allows students to explore a global challenge in substantial detail. The programme is undertaken over three years (or six years for part-time students) with a further maximum of one year allowable for writing up and progression points at the end of year 1 and year 2. 

Students on the programme normally have two supervisors from different departments to encourage interdisciplinary approaches to major global challenges. Throughout the three years they will guide you through the process of clarifying and completing your doctoral thesis. Students will take two modules in the first year ‘Political Research and Analysis’ and ‘Personal and Professional Skills’ and depending on their project and research experience may take additional training provided by the University of York’s Building Research and Innovation Capacity Team, the Library and Archives, IT Services and the Academic Skills Community, such as quantitative methods, including original data collection and secondary data analysis, and qualitative methods including interviews, focus groups, media analysis and archival data. Students also have the opportunity to enrol in any taught modules offered by the supervisors’ departments and other departments in related fields of enquiry and may apply for teaching opportunities in the supervisors’ departments. 

Most students will undertake a period of fieldwork in the second year for which we offer some financial support. They will join a vibrant ‘global development’ PhD student network which organises reading groups and other events, and will have the opportunity to hear leading academics and development practitioners from around the world in seminars, webinars, workshops and conferences organised by the IGDC. 

We encourage applications from outstanding candidates who are committed to addressing major global development challenges through interdisciplinary research. We are particularly keen on supporting PhD projects that fit within our research priorities of Social Justice, Global Health, and Sustainable Environments and that respect our commitment to global justice.

Applicants will have to design their own research proposal which should include the following:

• A working title
• A brief overview of the general area of study
• Identification of the relevant literature, theories and concepts and indication how the project relates to the existing literature - will it challenge or add to it?
• Key research questions
• Methodology
• Timescale / research planning
• Bibliography

The proposal should be between 1,500-2,000 words in length (this total includes all of the elements listed above).

We strongly encourage those interested in the programme to discuss a draft research proposal with one or more potential supervisors before making an online application. A list of potential supervisors and information about their research area can be found here (Directors, Centre Team and IGDC members – note that associate lecturers and research assistants cannot supervise PhD projects) They will be happy to give you advice on the feasibility of your research ideas and offer feedback on a draft proposal. To aid the timely processing of your application, it is extremely useful to indicate your preferred supervisor(s) on your submission.

Applicants will need a good (2:1 minimum) undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, and normally a Masters (MA or MSc) degree, either already awarded or expected. The discipline of the first and master’s degrees will vary according to the intended area of research, but examples include development studies, politics, modern history, economics and environmental science. 

Non-native English speaking applicants must provide evidence of English language ability but some exceptions apply, see here : 

• IELTS: 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component
• PTE Academic: 61 with no less than 55 in each component
• CAE and CPE (from January 2015): 176 with no less than 169 in each component
• TOEFL: 87 with a minimum of 21 in each component
• Trinity ISE: level 3 with Merit in all requirements
• Duolingo: 110 minimum 100 in all other components

Information about fees for national and international students can be found here. There are no specific scholarships for this programme but we encourage applicants to apply for the White Rose Social Sciences DTP  or if their project is more arts and humanities-focussed the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities DTP both of which have a January deadline.  Students from certain Commonwealth countries can also apply for a Commonwealth PhD scholarship . Further suggestions for funding can be found here .

For all enquiries regarding this course please email  [email protected]

[email protected] 01904 323716 Department of Politics and International Relations, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK Twitter

PhD Program

PhD in Global Development Studies

Panama's Fredy Duque of the FSC Indigenous Foundation joined GDS graduate students recently.

The PhD in Global Development Studies is one of the first stand-alone interdisciplinary PhD Program in Global Development Studies in Canada. It offers a research-based program that develops leading and original research contributing to the advancement of knowledge in global development. 

The Benefits of Doing a PhD in Global Development Studies at Saint Mary’s  

• The Program boasts a faculty engaged in real-world research on complex development problems, who publish widely and enjoy working with students.
• The Program’s modest size permits greater individual student attention and supervision.
• The inter-disciplinary nature of our program provides students with the opportunity to study and engage in research not only with core Faculty, but with Faculty from a wide range of disciplines both inside and outside the program, who are members of our Programme Committee.
• You will be studying in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the Eastern seaboard, one of the most beautiful ports in Canada. Saint Mary’s is located in the heart of Halifax, Atlantic Canada's largest metropolitan centre, and benefits from its proximity to the region's four other universities, its colleges, provincial government offices, and its centres of arts and culture. 

PhD Program Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Global Development Studies Program is a minimum four-year, research-based program focused on the preparation and public defense of a dissertation which makes an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge in International Development Studies. For further information on the PhD program requirements for Global Development Studies, see the Graduate Calendar .

Apply to our doctoral program

The Department of Global Development Studies considers applications to its   PhD   Program   every other year, with the next admission   intake   occurring in September 2025. The application portal for 2025 admission will open in September 2024.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="global development studies phd"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Global development, field description.

The field of Global Development offers the Master of Professional Studies in Global Development program. Featuring senior faculty advisors with strong global experience and international reputations, the Global Development MPS program provides opportunities for critically analyzing development strategies and learning about practices, technologies, approaches and trends in development worldwide.

Contact Information

Mann Library B75 Cornell University Ithaca, NY  14853

Data and Statistics

• Professional Master's Program Statistics

Field Manual

Subject and degrees.

• Global Development (M.P.S.) (Ithaca)

Concentrations by Subject

• global development

Maricelis Acevedo

• Campus: Ithaca
• Concentrations: Global Development: global development
• Research Interests: plant pathology, plant breeding

Shorna R. Allred

N'Dri Assie-Lumumba

• Research Interests: African and African diaspora education; gender issues; family and social structure

Christopher Brendan Barrett

• Research Interests: development policy; economic analysis
• Research Interests: labor markets, crop pricing and adoption, eco-labeling, trade

Rachel Bezner Kerr

Louise E. Buck

• Campus: Ithaca - (Divisional Member)
• Research Interests: integrated landscape management, ecoagriculture, innovation systems

Ho Yan (Nancy) Chau

• Research Interests: international trade; economic development; regional economics

Debbie J. Cherney

Ralph Dean Christy

• Research Interests: agricultural economics; development policy

Mark Alexander Constas

• Research Interests: resilience dynamics, measurement and evaluation design, food and nutrition security

Sarah Nell Davidson Evanega

• Research Interests:

Parfait M Eloundou-Enyegue

• Research Interests: development policy

Julie Ficarra

• Research Interests: Decolonizing international education, University/community partnerships, Culture, society, and development, Refugees and migration

Julia L. Finkelstein

Kathryn Fiorella

Alexander S Flecker

• Research Interests: animal ecology; community and ecosystem ecology; limnology

Sarah Carissa Giroux

• Research Interests: population and development, fertility, inequality, research methods, stratification and mobility

Miguel I. Gomez

• Research Interests: food marketing and distribution; supply chain analysis

Siba Grovogui

• Research Interests: theory, law, globalization, development, political economy

Mario Herrero Acosta

• Research Interests: food systems, climate change, mitigation, adaptation, farming systems, sustainability, transition pathways

Thomas A Hirschl

• Research Interests: Social stratification; demography; community; theory and research methods

Peter R. Hobbs

• Research Interests: agronomy; cropping systems; traditional agriculture; research and development in South Asia

Heather J Huson

Karim-Aly S. Kassam

• Research Interests: indigenous rights; sustainable development; gender analysis; climate change

Ndunge Kiiti

• Research Interests: mobile technology, development communication, public health, agribusiness in emerging markets

Marianne Elizabeth Krasny

• Research Interests: environmental education, global online learning, civic ecology/environmental stewardship

Sarosh C Kuruvilla

• Research Interests: collective bargaining; labor law; labor history; Asian industrial relations transformations

Steven Charles Kyle

• Research Interests: development economics

James Philip Lassoie

• Campus: Ithaca - (Graduate School Professor)
• Research Interests: natural resources; development policy

David R. Lee

• Research Interests: agricultural policy; international trade; agricultural price policy; the interactions between international trade and economic development; research and technology effects in agriculture; policy impacts on resource use and management

Christopher Johannes Lehmann

• Research Interests: soil fertility and nutrient management; ecosystems ranges from agriculture; agroforestry to forest successions

Lori Leonard

Christine Leuenberger

• Research Interests: Science Studies, Border and Migration Studies, Middle East Studies, Science Policy
• Research Interests: Sustainability; Food Systems; Spatial Data Science; Human-Environment Systems

Edward Mabaya

• Research Interests: Agriculture and Rural development, Food Security, Africa, Economic Development

John R. Mathiason

• Research Interests: governance of climate change; internet government

Susan Rutherford McCouch

• Research Interests: biotechnology and plant improvement; molecular mapping; use of genetic diversity; plant breeding and global food supplies; rice genetic improvement; comparative genomics of rice and staple cereal grains

Andrew James McDonald

• Research Interests: international cropping systems, sustainable intensification, environmental information systems for enhancing decision-making in agriculture

Mark B. Milstein

• Research Interests: Sustainable enterprise, strategic management, market and enterprise development, technology commercialization, sustainability-related finance and investment, social enterprise/entrepreneurship/innovation

Fridah Mubichi-Kut

• Research Interests: Gender & Entrepreneurship Development in Sub-Saharan Africa; Diffusion of Innovation; Monitoring & Evaluation

Muna Baron Ndulo

Rebecca Judith Nelson

• Research Interests: improvement and management of resistance for resource-poor farmers; linking agricultural research and extension

Steven A. Osofsky

• Research Interests: wildlife: health, conservation; one health; planetary health; biodiversity; sustainable agriculture; rural development; science policy

Scott J Peters

• Research Interests: community-university engagement; community organizing; democracy, science, and education; history of American higher education; action research; narrative inquiry

Prabhu L. Pingali

Alison G Power

• Research Interests: agriculture ecology; pest management; ecological interactions between natural and agricultural ecosystems

Marvin P Pritts

• Research Interests: sustainability of fruit production

Joe Mac Regenstein

• Research Interests: food chemistry; waste management; religious (kosher and halal) and ethnic foods; fish technology

Syed S H Rizvi

• Research Interests: engineering and processing of food systems; processing technologies; packaging and international food developments

Todd M. Schmit

• Research Interests: Agribusiness Management, Rural Development, Cooperatives

John W. Sipple

• Research Interests: Sociology of education and communities; policy implementation; rural community vitality; educational and social policy; mixed and quantitative research methods

Margaret Elizabeth Smith

• Research Interests: varieties for smallholders farmers; farmer variety selection and conservation; participatory plant breeding; tropical crop production systems

Tammo S Steenhuis

• Research Interests: innovative ways of integrated watershed management

Erika Styger

• Research Interests: tropical cropping systems, system of rice intensification, agrobiodiversity, agroecology, agroforestry

Janice E Thies

• Research Interests: soil microbial ecology

Keith G. Tidball

• Research Interests: natural resources in post conflict/post disaster, Social - ecological systems resilience, Human - nature interactions and dichotomies, Therapeutic values of conservation and recreation for returning combatants

Michael Ben Timmons

• Research Interests: Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Entrepreneurship

Terry W. Tucker

• Research Interests: farmer-led innovation; alternative extension approaches and institutional arrangements; diverse partnerships for development

Hale Ann Tufan

• Research Interests: priority setting for plant breeding, gender research, participatory plant breeding

Harold Mathijs Van Es

• Research Interests: soil and water conservation; precision agriculture; environmental protection

Mildred Elaine Warner

• Research Interests: community development; economic development; state and local government policy

Wendy W. Wolford

• Research Interests: political economy of development; social movements and resistance; agrarian societies; political ecology and conservation; land use; land reform; critical ethnography all in Latin America

Yu Connie Yuan

• Research Interests: intercultural communication, knowledge management

John Aloysius Zinda

• Research Interests: Environmental Sociology; Risk and Disaster; Flood Management; Community; Livelihoods; Agriculture; Land Use Change; Mixed Methods; Spatial Data Analysis; Contemporary China

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Faculty / School Portals

Department of Global Development Studies

Global Development Studies (DEVS) is an interdisciplinary department that empowers students to understand the driving forces of change across our interconnected world. To open up a wide range of career choices and options for further study, our programs connect big-picture analysis with grounded problem-solving approaches. This unique combination gives students the practical skill sets to help them realize their commitment to making the world a better place.

Undergraduate Program

The Global Development Studies undergraduate programs offer students a comprehensive understanding of current social, economic and environmental challenges from the local to the global. Alongside our diverse in-class and online course options, we provide compelling opportunities for international experiential learning and work experience.

Graduate Program

DEVS graduate programs offer the specialist knowledge and tangible skills that students need to promote equitable and sustainable development in a world beset by stark inequalities, political turbulence and pressing environmental challenges.

Live, Study, and Learn in South Africa

The Summer Semester Abroad is designed to allow third and fourth year Queen's students the opportunity to live and study in Johannesburg with an integrated program of courses and experiential learning. Based at the University of Witwatersrand - one of the world's leading universities - the program involves taking two 7-week courses alongside actively engagement with South African culture and society under the guidance of a local South African instructor.

Recent News

Date Published: Mar 22, 2024

Teaching Assistantship Vacancies Spring/Summer 2024

Date Published: Mar 21, 2024

DEVS Speaker Series Presents Dr. Wendy Harcourt

Date Published: Mar 19, 2024

Graduate colloquium in honor of Bruce Berman

See all articles

Anishinaabemowin :  Gimaakwe Gchi-gkinoomaagegamig atemagad Naadowe miinwaa Anishinaabe aking

English : DEVS affirms covenants made by our forebears to live in peace and friendship with Indigenous Peoples in their lands

Kanien'keha (Mohawk) : UNe Queen’s University e’tho nońwe nikanónhsote tsi nońwe ne Haudenasaunee tánon Anishinaabek tehatihsnónhsahere ne óhontsa.

For more information on the history of this land, and why it is important to acknowledge this land and its people, please go to the Indigenous Initiatives website .

DEVS is also proud to support the recommendations of Yakwanastahentéha Aankenjigemi Extending the Rafters: Truth and Reconciliation Commission Task Force Final Report, as well as the Report of the Principal’s Implementation Committee on Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion

Global Development Practice Master’s Degree Program

Online Courses

11 out of 12 courses

On-Campus Experience

1 weekend or one 3-week summer course

$3,220 per course

Gain knowledge, practical skills, and an interdisciplinary perspective on global development issues.

Join a network of talented peers who are committed to fair and equitable global development for a sustainable future.

Program Overview

Through the master’s degree in the field of global development practice you:

• Develop a holistic understanding of human health risks, ecological system dynamics, technological innovations, and financial models to advance sustainable development.
• Identify and challenge assumptions, seek alternatives, determine solutions, and engage organizations to think differently.
• Leverage local knowledge through global practice.
• Learn with and from a global network of development professionals.

Harvard Extension School is a member of the  Global Association of Master in Development Practice and meets the association’s standard of core development practice competencies.

Program Benefits

Customizable path, stackable certificates, & experiential learning

Instructors who are global development practitioners & Harvard University faculty

Personalized academic & career advising

Entrepreneurial opportunities through the Harvard Innovation Labs

Peer community, including the Global Development Practice Club

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

Our curriculum is flexible in pace and customizable by design. You can experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person. Study part time, choosing courses that fit your schedule and align with your career goals.

As you work your way through the program’s courses and precapstone and capstone courses, you’ll have the opportunity to explore topics such as labor economics, anthropology and human rights, globalization, and food systems.

11 Online Courses

• Primarily asynchronous
• Fall, spring, January, and summer options

On-Campus Capstone Course

You’ll take this course in person, executing the development action plan for an industry partner that you created in the precapstone course. Choose between an accelerated or standard pace:

• An online course with an intensive weekend on campus in the spring
• A 3-week summer session

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 2 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies and count toward your degree, helping ensure success in the program.

As an alternative, you may choose to earn the following credentials as part of your admissions path: MITx MicroMasters® Program Pathway .

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

Earning a Stackable Certificate

As you work your way toward your master’s degree, you can take courses that also count — or “stack” — toward a graduate or microcertificate . It’s a cost-effective, time-saving opportunity to build specialized skills and earn a second professional credential.

For each certificate, you can choose courses that best fit your goals.

Stackable graduate certificates include:

• Environmental Policy and International Development
• Social Justice
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Sustainable Food Systems

Stackable microcertificates include:

• Circular Economics
• Regenerative Agriculture
• Sustainable Finance

A Faculty of Global Development Experts

Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our instructors are renowned experts in sustainable development, ecological system dynamics, technological innovations, and more. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Michael Mortimer

Director, Sustainability and Global Development Practice Programs

Our Community at a Glance

Through our learner-centered approach, students define problems, engage with stakeholders, evaluate evidence, determine priorities of action, and deliver an implementable plan.

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will receive your Harvard University degree — a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Global Development Practice.

Download: Global Development Practice Master's Degree Fact Sheet

Average Age

Average Courses Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Pursuing for Career Change

After earning my degree, I became more qualified for the kind of jobs I wanted to be doing in the next phase of my career. It also allowed me to move more freely across the different thematic issues under the sustainable development framework, which I couldn’t do before.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

What is Global Development Practice?

Professionals in this space tackle challenges affecting people, economies, and climates globally. They may tackle issues of access and inequality, particularly in developing countries. They develop and implement strategies and solutions to improve agriculture, education, governance, human rights, communication technology, safety, security, and humanitarian assistance.

What is a master’s degree in development practice?

Master’s degree programs in global development practice, or development practice, involve an interdisciplinary approach to addressing challenges in sustainable development. The program is designed for development practitioners, policy administrators, educators, and private sector professionals tasked with addressing sustainable development problems.

The Harvard Extension School graduate program meets the Global Association of Master in Development Practice ‘s standard of core development practice competencies.

To understand the differences between sustainability and global development, read Sustainability vs. Global Development Practice — Which One is Right for You?

How Long Does It Take to Complete the Global Development Practice Graduate Program?

Program length is typically between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.

For an accelerated journey, we offer year-round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.

While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.

Related Offerings

• Sustainability Master’s Degree Program
• Environmental Policy and International Development Graduate Certificate
• Social Justice Graduate Certificate
• Sustainable Cities and Communities Graduate Certificate
• Sustainable Food Systems Graduate Certificate

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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For a flourishing world

We confront the most urgent and complex challenges facing people and the planet.

By uniting critical scholarship and practice at the intersections of agricultural, environmental, life, and social sciences, we advance a more equitable, sustainable, and food-secure world for all. Side-by-side with our diverse network of global and community partners, we engage in education with impact and create a flourishing world now and for future generations.

With a focus on education with impact, our transdisciplinary approach emphasizes real-world engagement on a global scale — with communities in New York State, across the United States, and around the world. Our dynamic learning atmosphere and academic culture goes beyond purely technical work to provide a balance of skill-building and analytical coursework toward transformative solutions.

A multidisciplinary approach

The world is complex. But we believe understanding is possible.

Our signature strengths

We take an integrated and holistic approach to development. With a mission to advance a more equitable, sustainable, and food-secure world for all, we engage at the intersections of development to create a flourishing world now and for future generations.

Wellbeing and inclusion

“A World that Leaves No One Behind”

Studying the causes, manifestations and consequences of poverty and inequality in the global political economy, the histories and legacies of development projects, and alternative models to promote wellbeing

Environmental sustainability

“A Greener World and Greener Economies”

Addressing strategies to mitigate or reverse the effects of climate change, helping people and communities adapt to new environmental realities, and researching the social and political dimensions of human-environment interactions

Food and nutritional security

“Sustainable and Sustaining Food Systems”

Identifying pathways to sustainable food systems while investigating the social and political dynamics of these systems across the cycle from cultivation to distribution, consumption, and recycling

How will you change the world?

Education with impact.

In Global Development, we guide our students to become next-generation changemakers. Our engaged learning model encourages students to interpret problems, clarify solutions, develop leadership and foster positive social change now and into the future. 

Study trips in Global Development

A new style of engaged courses  is preparing students to practice skills in a new environment, solve problems with a global mindset, and collaboratively work through complex, multidisciplinary questions, with the goal of empowering students to become global citizens. 

From agriculture and food systems in Costa Rica to youth development and inequality in Cameroon, our students are preparing to confront the biggest challenges facing people and the planet.

Latest news

Discover how Global Development is committed to making a sustainable impact

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• Department of Global Development

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Land acknowledgement

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy , an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York State and the United States of America. 

We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

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