Master's Degree Programme in Development, Education and International Cooperation

The contemporary world, characterised by multiple crises involving environmental, economic, and societal challenges in need of global solutions, requires multidisciplinary and critical expertise. The programme shared by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Education and Psychology provides such expertise in the field of international development, with a possibility to specifically focus on education.

The programme graduates will be competent development professionals who are capable in combining theoretical understanding concerning social change and education with policies and practice. They will be prepared to work in global teams that accomplish multifaceted tasks, to produce independent research, and to critically reflect and be sensitive to global inequalities and global justice.

The programme provides preparedness for pursuing doctoral studies after graduation. The programme has two specialisations: development studies (social sciences) and educational sciences. Students in both specialisations share core courses related to theories, policies, and practices, while conduct their thesis project in their respective faculties. In addition, students specialising in education must complete a minimum of 10 ECTS from course offerings of EDUMA (Master's Degree Programme in Educational Sciences).

The programme is an on-campus programme and cannot be completed online.  

The learning outcomes of the programme cover five core competency areas: theoretical competencies, policy-related competencies, practice-related competencies, research related competencies, and planetary citizenship competencies. Moreover, crosscutting competence areas include working skills, communication skills, and international skills, which are supported throughout the programme. Under these competence areas, after successful completion of the programme students will:

(1) understand the main concepts and theories related to international development, their evolution, and the critical debates around them.

(2) understand the main policy-making actors, policy-making processes, and contents of policies in international development, sustainability and global education, as well as have an ability to critically assess and reflect these policies.

(3) understand and be able to critically reflect the main project management approaches in international development as well as have ability to use selected approaches in designing development interventions.

(4) have a capability to find, assess, and utilise academic research, and apply scientific theories and methods to conduct independent studies in ethically sound manner.

(5) understand the intertwined nature of challenges related to environmental, economic, social, and cultural sustainability, sensitivity to manifestations of local and global inequalities, and willingness to contribute for the better planetary well-being for all.

(6) be experienced in working and communicating in global teams with members from multiple backgrounds, be able to prepare, conduct and constructively comment presentations and papers for diverse audiences, and be able to organise teamwork practices in an effective and productive manner.