MA Poverty & Development

POverty eradication is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of mankind.

Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Poverty eradication is the ultimate measure of development effectiveness. Yet to eradicate poverty in today’s context of intersecting challenges and crises requires revising what we know of poverty and how to eliminate it.

This Master’s in Poverty and Development helps you gain the interdisciplinary knowledge and cutting-edge skills to engage with the research, design, implementation and assessment of national and international efforts to get to zero poverty.

Based at IDS, you will develop a sound understanding of the main theories on poverty, inequality and vulnerability in development. Learning from course teachers who undertake innovative research on poverty eradication and regularly contribute to national and international policy fora, you will gain practical skills needed to engage in debates on poverty and development, including in relation to:

monetary and multidimensional poverty and its drivers
intersecting inequalities
the political economy shaping poverty measurement and discourse
social protection and other interventions for poverty and vulnerability reduction

World-leaders in development studies

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) delivers world-class research, learning and teaching that transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally. IDS has been ranked first in the world for development studies, in partnership with the University of Sussex, for the last eight years.

Who is the degree for?

We welcome applicants with a broad range of career trajectories. Successful applicants will have some practical experience in development alongside an interest in critical academic enquiry. Most MA Poverty and Development students are experienced professionals, having worked in government, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral donor and lending agencies, UN programmes, the private sector, or civil society organisations. Many students join the course after a period of voluntary work or an internship.

Course content and structure

The academic year starts in September and has three terms.

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

In the summer term you will research and write a 10,000 word dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member.

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

Modules

The links below will take you to the University of Sussex’s website to find out more about each module.

Autumn

Spring

Spring and summer

Research Design (core)

Summer

Dissertation Poverty and Development (core)

My experience at IDS has been just like a dream come true. It’s hard to put in words how I feel, because it’s a very emotional as well as intellectually stimulating experience. You interact with researchers who have been in the field doing work in different parts of the world, and the way they engage with you allows you to bring in your learnings from the field to the classroom and seminars.

- Saba Aslam

The MA in Poverty and Development at IDS gave me a solid grounding in issues at the core of development, with a focus on the most vulnerable. It enabled me to gain specialist knowledge – in inequality and social protection, for example – as well as a range of new analytical tools to use going forward.

- Gregg Smith, MA Poverty and Development

Assessment criteria

Entry requirements

Successful applicants will have a first or upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree in the social sciences or a related subject, and preferably one year of policy or development-related work experience. Applications must be accompanied by a CV and detailed two-page personal statement, explaining why you are applying for the degree and the relevance of your previous experience.

The course is taught in English. To derive the maximum benefit from the course, participants should be proficient in English and able to take an active part in discussions. The minimum requirement is, for example, an IELTS grade of 7.0 overall and no less than 6.5 in each section of the IELTS test. For detailed information on English language requirements for international students please see the University of Sussex website.

Fees & scholarships

Fees for home students (UK, Republic of Ireland, Channels Islands and Isle of Man) are £10,500 per year for full-time students, for 2024/25 academic year.

International student fees (including EU) are: £21,500 per year for full-time students, for 2024/25 academic year.

If you study part time over two years, you’ll be charged 50% of the equivalent full-time fee in each year of study. Your second-year fee – if you continue your studies without a break – will be subject to a 3% increase (subject to rounding).

Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis. Find details on our tuition fees page

If you’re a self-funded international student, you’re required to pay a tuition fee deposit. Find out more about Masters tuition fee deposits

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

For scholarship opportunities and information on sources of funding please see the advice on funding on the University of Sussex website.

Additional costs for optional fieldwork

You have the option to undertake fieldwork for this course (though it is not mandatory). You will need to cover the additional costs that this entails. Costs will depend on the scope and scale of the activities. For example, conducting interviews in your hometown could cost very little, whereas travelling overseas to interview government officials could cost much more in terms of flights, accommodation and subsistence. There may also be options for desk-based research, such as paying for access to research databases. If you wish to conduct fieldwork, you should always talk to your course convenors and dissertation supervisors before making any arrangements.

Career opportunities

IDS postgraduates have gone on to work as ministers in national governments, high-level officials in development organisations, civil servants, leaders of civil society organisations and high profile academics at universities across the world. They are all working to define and solve some of the most pressing global challenges. Some also go on to work in academic research.

Recent IDS students have gone on to jobs including:

assistant to child protection, UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency)
monitoring and evaluation specialist, Aga Khan Foundation Canada
consultant, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Some of our graduates have also continued their research as PhD students.

(IDS alumni database)

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An illustration with four boxes outlining the difference between inequality, equality, equity and justice. In each box there is a fruit tree, and two women trying to pick fruit. Their access to the fruit is used to illustrate each concept.