Students are required to prepare for and attend a residency of two and a half weeks each year of their program, during which time they engage in two and a half days of classroom time for each of the five courses covered during the academic year. After the residency, they follow up each course, one at a time, with online discussion and completing assignments required by the course. A 250 hour Development Field Practicum for the Development programs or a Capstone for the leadership programs is also required to complete the program.

Mid June-July

A program of study and exact residency dates will be posted shortly.

The list of courses offered this year for each program is listed below.

Year 1:

MA International Development
Theology of Poverty
Economic Development for Developing Countries
Community Development
Program Planning, Management and Marketing
Leadership and Empowerment
Development Field Practicum

Year 2:

MA International Development
Applied Research
Advocacy, Public Policy, and Human Rights
Cross Cultural Skills and Understanding
Practical Financial Management
Introduction to Microfinance
Relief and Mitigation for Disasters
Development Field Practicum

The MA in International Development has traditionally required students to complete a Development Field Practicum (DFP) course in order to graduate. This will ensure that students have the opportunity within the program to practically apply and reflect on the skills they have learned over the course of their study. This is consistent with the opportunities given to the rest of the students of the program. 

The Development Field Practicum course is split into 4 parts and students will begin working on their DFP in Year One of their studies. The DFP requires a minimum of 250 hours of service with any organization involved in a project of social transformation, along with several other assignments. The student is required to identify the organization and make the arrangements for the DFP. This includes submitting the paperwork required to register for the DFP. The student must have a concrete project or role in the chosen organization in order for the time to be counted towards the DFP. The student will be responsible for tracking and submitting the hours spent working on the Development Field Practicum.

In addition to service hours, students will compete other DFP course assignments as per the course syllabus. These assignments include a written proposal, a reflection on what the student has learned during the program, and a comprehensive exam that covers areas of study throughout that program.