Development is not just about increasing growth and political and social rights. It is about creating self-sustaining institutions that liberate societies from low-level deprivation traps by increasing productivity, freedom, and cooperative interdependence. The MSc in Development Management gives you the theory and practical tools to drive such transformations forward by enabling you to understand why some societies have succeeded and others have failed.

The programme is built around a theory-led approach to the role of institutions and organisations in development, using both classical institutional theory and the new institutional economics. We go very deeply into the role of institutions in explaining the comparative statics of development (why some countries are rich and others poor), as well as comparative dynamics (the development process per se across different countries and regions).

A distinctive feature of the programme is the Development Management Project, a team-based consulting exercise for real-world, public, private, and non-profit organisations, such as the World Bank, Oxfam, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GIZ, CARE, DFID, Save the Children, UNICEF, or the Emerging Markets Group.

Teaching methods

Courses are taught in lecture and class or seminar format. Lectures introduce the core theoretical and technical concepts whilst their associated classes allow you to discuss and apply these concepts through exercises and in-depth study. Seminars allow for the focused study of key concepts in a more informal style and often involve presentations by students on selected course materials. Many teachers adopt a variety of teaching methods to deliver their courses, such as class exercises, team presentations, individual or group work, or case study discussions.

LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty, such as assistant professors, associate professors and professors.

Assessment

All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which is unassessed. It is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. All full-unit courses are assessed by three hour unseen examinations in the summer term. Half-units are assessed by two hour unseen examinations. Some of the half-unit optional courses also have group/individual project work as part of the assessment.

Careers

The analytical skills developed here have secured past graduates promising careers in organisations as diverse as central banks, NGOs, multilateral organisations, charities, investment banks, government, consultancies, manufacturing firms and religious missions, and as independent experts and writers.