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International Development in the Americas MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The MSc in International Development in the Americas focuses on the study of economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean and it is designed to prepare a new generation of regional leaders in international development. The programme focuses on the challenges and opportunities that globalisation and democracy offer to developing countries in the Americas and their impact for sustainable and equitable economic development.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£14,100
£7,050
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£29,000
£14,500
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 May 2023

Applications closed

Entry requirements

Normally an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. A basic reading competence in Spanish or Portuguese is desirable. Students without such skills may be considered but are advised to undertake a separate language course prior to or during their programme.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

We encourage our students to understand development studies from an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspective. Our main focus is on historical and contemporary patterns of economic development and the social impact of economic growth and redistribution. Consequently, our programme provides students with high-quality training in theories of economic development, social science methods, and principles of policy analysis.

Who this course is for

Students who have a Bachelor's degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Applicants should have some competence in Spanish and Portuguese. We welcome applicants with development-related work experience in government, NGOs, international organisations, and media. The programme will appeal to students who wish to develop their understanding of Latin American economic development for further research and/or a career in this field.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

UCL is one of the world's top ten universities and the UCL Institute of the Americas has the largest programme of teaching, research and events on the Americas in the UK, covering Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States.

In addition to tuition by world-leading scholars, students benefit from access to a wide range of events, seminars, and conferences on the Americas delivered by scholars, policy-makers, diplomats, activists and other experts on the region.

The institute provides a unique environment in which to study the Americas and excellent networking opportunities are available through our strong links with academic, cultural, diplomatic, policy and business institutions with interests in the region.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Employability

Our students generally go into careers in the development sector in the UK, Europe, and and Latin America. Our recent graduates have found jobs in international organisations, government institutions (UK and Latin America), NGOs, charitable organisations, think tanks, global news agencies, media groups, higher education institutions, and development consultancy organisations.

Some of our MSc graduates have also successfully gone on to PhD studies in top universities in the UK and the US.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, independent reading and research, seminar discussions and research skills training.

Assessment is through essays, term papers, presentations, analytical exercises and the dissertation.

The programme will include a total of 40 hours of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Additional learning hours will include independent study and assessment.

Modules

The core module of the programme focuses on major themes in development and theories of development. You will also take a module in research methods for the social sciences that includes sessions on research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, and fieldwork ethics and preparation. These modules will set the foundations for the whole Master's, preparing you for further topics and for your research dissertation.

In terms one and two you will select modules of further substantive-subject options from a broader range of modules. In these modules, you will examine different political, sociological, historical, and anthropological aspects of the process of economic development in the region. During term two, you will also prepare your research project proposal, giving continuity to activities in your research methods module.

In term three, you will fully develop your research dissertation in consultation with a specifically designated dissertation supervisor. Many of our Master's students undertake fieldwork in order to carry out research for their dissertation projects.

Part-time students will split the taught modules between year 1 and year 2. The core module will be taken in year 1, the research skills module is usually taken in year 2, the dissertation is taken in year 2.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules

Democratization in Latin America







Gender, Politics, and Public Policy in Latin America

Latin American Perspectives on Development


Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in International Development in the Americas.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £14,100 £7,050
Tuition fees (2023/24) £29,000 £14,500

Additional costs

There may be travel costs associated with fieldwork. The institute has limited funds available to students to help towards the costs of fieldwork. These funds are awarded on a competitive basis on the criteria of academic performance to date, the quality of the research proposal and the importance of fieldwork for completing the research.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Funding opportunities at the Institute of the Americas can be found here.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Aziz Foundation Scholarships in Social and Historical Sciences

Value: Full tuition fees (1yr)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to elaborate on your reasons for applying to this programme and how your interests match what the programme will deliver.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study International Development in the Americas at graduate level
  • why you want to study International Development in the Americas at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to elaborate on your reasons for applying to this programme and how your interests match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that some funding schemes have an earlier application deadline; please view the Funding section for further details.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of the Americas
Institute of the Americas

ia-programmes@ucl.ac.uk

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