Objectives and competences

The Master's in International Development is intended to educate future professionals in the area of development from a global perspective, in light of the increasing concern about development issues and the high demand for professionals with qualified, interdisciplinary training in this field.

The programme consists of 60 credits ECTS and is one year in duration. It is taught in English, combining theory and practice, equipping students with both academic rigour and policy relevance. The master's aims to provide students with a comprehensive set of analytical skills, robust training in research methods, and a thorough understanding of key issues such as global governance and development, economic growth and sustainability, conflict over limited resources, new emerging powers and social movements, and ongoing trends in inequalities in livings standards. The postgraduate programme includes the possibility of doing an internship or studying abroad for one semester.

IBEI's masters' degrees are officially accredited in Spain and adapted to the European Higher Education Area. The degree diplomas are issued jointly with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Law
Branch of knowledge
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instructionEnglish
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentNo
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Main university information Master's degree course homepage
InteruniversityYes
Main universityUniversitat Pompeu Fabra
Universities
  • Universitat Barcelona
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Bridging coursesYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

  • Demonstrate specific knowledge of international development, sustainability and global governance from an integrated and multidisciplinary perspective.
  • Identify the main sources of bibliographic information on issues related to international development studies, including specialised periodicals and primary source collections.
  • Identify the main authors, approaches and ideas in the study of the development process, as well as its debates and explanatory limits.
  • Design and carry out specialised information searches on subjects related to international development, as well as to analyse results obtained following the rules of the scientific method.
  • Demonstrate the ability to conduct independent and critical analysis for decision-making aimed at solving the specific problems and challenges of international development.
  • Identify and know the dynamics, processes and factors that interact in local, national and international decision-making, as well as the instruments used for its implementation.
  • Formulate and reason the knowledge acquired about the actors, dynamics, processes and factors of international development in order to analyse the results of the daily practice of governments, non-governmental organizations, governmental organizations, companies, etc.

Competences

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

Until 1 July 2023.

Pre-enrolment

Required documentation

Selection criteria

Notification

IBEI runs a rolling admissions process. The Admissions Committee meets once a month to evaluate all complete applications received by then. Applicants can expect an answer after four to six weeks following the submission of all the required documents (including both reference letters).

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 22
Optional 28
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 10
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in International Development
Introduction to Economics Optional 4
Introduction to Politics and International Relations Optional 4
Research Techniques Optional 4

Bridging courses

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: International Development
African Studies Optional 4
American Foreign Policy Optional 3
Causes of Economic Growth Optional 4
Comparative Politics of Regionalism Optional 4
Decision-Making in UN Policy Optional 4
Development and Social Change in Latin America Optional 4
Development in Practice Optional 4
Development, Environment and Natural Resources Optional 4
European Decision-Making Optional 3
European Foreign Policy Optional 4
Final Project Compulsory 10
Foreign Aid and Development Optional 4
Foreign Policy Analysis Optional 4
Geopolitics of Energy Resources Optional 4
Global and Regional Public Goods Optional 4
Global Environmental Politics Optional 4
Global Governance and Institutions Compulsory 4
Global Justice Optional 4
Global Political History Optional 4
Global Trends and Sustainability Compulsory 4
Globalization, Social Movements and Development Optional 4
Governance of International Development Optional 4
Growth Models and Development Compulsory 4
Human Security Optional 4
International Protection of Human Rights Optional 4
International Relations in Asia Optional 4
International Relations in Latin America Optional 4
Mediterranean and Arab World Studies Optional 4
Migration and Development Optional 4
Peace-Making and Peace-Keeping Optional 4
Political Processes in the European Union Optional 4
Poverty, Inequality and Growth Optional 4
Professional Practices Optional 4
Research Methods in International Development Compulsory 6
Research Seminar on International Development Compulsory 4
Security Sector Reform Optional 4
State Failure and Reconstruction Optional 4
The "Resource Curse" and Development Optional 4
Unsustainable Growth and Sustainable De-Growth Optional 4
Urbanization and Sustainability Optional 4

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


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