MSc in Global Development - Learning Outcomes

Educational aims

The MSc in Global Development critically examines academic, policy and practice debates about how to address the key development issues of our times and promote more socially and environmentally sustainable futures. It provides a deeper understanding of development issues and the capacity to engage with them more effectively, in whatever context you are working or wish to work. It will enable you to reflect critically on the theories behind currently dominant approaches to development and development alternatives, the kinds of policies needed to change conditions of social injustice, and the types of public and private action that can be taken. It also presents the opportunity to identify and pursue your own interests in development and to build advanced skills in designing and undertaking independent research in the field.

On the course you will:

• consider and critically evaluate a range of theoretical approaches to global development and their policy and practice implications
• work with multi-media case studies covering a range of issues and contexts to reflect on and learn from real life experiences of development 
• learn about building relationships between different actors and how development alternatives can be negotiated across different perspectives and interests
• develop research skills, carry out your own research and write a dissertation on a topic that builds on and contributes to your professional and/or personal interests in development
• derive insights from The Open University’s world-class development research.

Learning outcomes

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas: 

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

Assessment will build on your knowledge and employment experience, and will develop academic skills through a series of formative assessments leading to a summative assessment at the end of each module. 

Principles governing the strategy demonstrate the following qualities:

• student centred, inclusive, personalised and contextualised within the real world
• articulation of experience put at the centre of the learning process
• use of reflection and skills of synthesis as part of an integrative learning process
• continuous formative feedback supported by peer engagement through, for example, blogging and group activities
• help for you to find connections between topics
• support for deep and transformative learning

Within this framework ‘assessment events’ will be the means by which you make the link between your experience, knowledge and understanding, and the teaching. In the first two modules, these will include:

• presentations, with feedback from peers and your tutor on presenting skills
• academic blogs and comment on peers’ blogs
• reflections on practice in relation to key concepts
• report writing
• case studies
• collaborative work developing negotiating skills.

In the final module, tutors will provide feedback at each of the five key stages involved in creating your own independent research project: identifying an issue; developing research questions; producing a research design; conducting research; and presenting research.  The main summative assessment will take the form of a dissertation.

Throughout the course, tutors will provide formative and summative feedback using the electronic tutor-marked assignment system.