Global Development MSc
Year of entry: 2026
Course length: 12 Months Full-Time | 24 Months Part-Time
MSc Global Development is a dynamic and interdisciplinary course that offers a deep, critical understanding of the complex forces shaping development in our rapidly changing world. Designed for those who want to explore the politics, policies and practices of development from a truly global perspective, this course equips you with the analytical tools and practical skills to tackle some of the most urgent challenges of our time, from poverty and inequality to climate change, governance, and global economic shifts.
At its core, the course blends cutting-edge theory with hands-on insight. You’ll learn how development policy is made and implemented, and more importantly, how to interrogate its outcomes. What makes this programme especially distinctive is its integrated approach, drawing on political economy, sociology, economics, environmental studies, and public policy to explore the causes and consequences of development interventions across diverse contexts.
MSc Global Development is also uniquely structured as both a standalone course and an umbrella for a range of specialist master's pathways, each addressing a critical dimension of development.
You’ll have the opportunity to explore your interests in areas such as:
Global Political Economy: understanding the systems of trade, finance, and power that shape development outcomes.
Governance and Management: examining how institutions operate, make decisions, and affect change.
Poverty and Inequality: exploring the structural and systemic drivers of marginalisation and exclusion.
Environment: analysing the interplay between development and ecological sustainability in an age of climate crisis.
With the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester - ranked among the top development studies institutions in the world - you’ll be joining a vibrant, globally minded community of scholars, students and professionals committed to advancing justice, equity, and sustainability in development practice
UK Top 10
Join a university ranked 6th in the UK and 11th in the world for development studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
Building Expertise
Benefit from a wide range of options for advanced training in areas of specialist expertise relevant to global development.
Applied Knowledge
Gain the skills necessary to analyse different perspectives on global development.
Faith Adiorho, Nigeria
MSc Global Development student
“The highlight of my course so far has been discovering a particular field that I had no idea about, and it’s wonderful how I am considering pursuing a doctorate in that field now. The most challenging part has been that it’s a bit new to me. The fact that I had to write a critical review early on was a bit overwhelming, but I learnt to adapt. I now feel like ‘I can definitely do this’.“
Rita Robert Otu
MSc Global Development graduate
After her studies at the GDI, alumna Rita Robert Otu returned to Nigeria in 2009 and was inspired to start the Peas Food project, teaching green skills to young women.
"Emancipating women farmers from abject poverty and giving them confidence has always been my passion. As a Nigerian, I have a responsibility to grow women’s voices in agriculture. When a woman is empowered, it trickles down to the roots!”
