MPhil Development Studies

M.Phil. Development Studies resonates with the realities of countries in transition through innovation and excellence in its academic programme. A strong focus on theory and methods equips graduates to apply new insights to policy analysis in a practical context.

Since its inception in 2011, the Department of Development Studies has been offering, cross-cutting multidisciplinary approach, competitive environment, coursework and research on a wide range of topics across many standard divisions and focus on traditional as well as novel and synchronic approaches to fieldwork situated within development research. 

Eligibility Criteria

The programme is intended for students having Master’s and/or four-year BA/BSc degrees with a 2.5 CGPA out of 4.00 or equivalent in any field.

Programme Objectives

The programme objectives are stated in the following points.

  1. To impart knowledge about classical and critical development theory and practice.
  2. To develop critical thinking of Development action and prescribe socio-economically relevant policy solutions.
  3. To train graduates to evaluate and address economic, social, environmental and political issues that impact daily life.
  4. To direct analytical and methodological focus in identifying local issues, and devising local, indigenous and culturally relativistic policy actions.
  5. To steer academic conversations, debates and community engagement towards producing high-quality theses.
  6. To prepare graduates who can excel in research (both academic and market), government and non-governmental organizations and the local, national and international development sector.
  7. To create spaces of academic debates, student engagement and industry-academia linkages.
Academic Details

The main features of this degree are:

  1. Duration: 2-year Curriculum Structure (with the provision of one-year extension)
  2. Total Credit Hours: 36

Core Course Credit Hours: 15
Elective Course Credit Hours: 9
Thesis/Research Work Credit Hours: 12

Course Codes

Courses

Type

Credit Hours

Core Courses

DS- 600

Development: History, Theory, and  Policy

Core

3 Hours

DS- 610

Essential Skills for Research and Policy Writing

Core

3 Hours

DS- 620

Development Economics

Core

3 Hours

DS-621

Economic Theory and Practice

Core

3 Hours

DS- 630

Anthropology and Development

Core

3 Hours

Optional Courses

DS-700

Socio-Economic Perspectives on Conflict and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-705

Conflict, Security and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-710

Project, Planning and Management

Optional

3 Hours

DS-712

Poverty and Environment

Optional

3 Hours

DS-715

Environmental Problems, Politics and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-720

Qualitative Methods for Development

 Research

Optional

3 Hours

DS-725

Tourism and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-730

Gender and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-735

Disaster Management

Optional

3 Hours

DS-740

Human Recourse Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-745

Power, Governance and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-750

History and Political Science 

Optional

3 Hours

DS-751

Politics and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-755

Human Rights and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS- 756

Population and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-760

Political Economy of Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-761

Cultural Heritage and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-762

Culture, Health and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-763

Communities and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-764

Culture and Development in South Asia

Optional

3 Hours

DS-765

NGO Management

Optional

3 Hours

DS-770

Globalization and Development 

Optional

3 Hours

DS-771

Diaspora and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-773

Fundamentals of Regulation

Optional

3 Hours

DS-775

Sustainable Development and Economic Policy

Optional

3 Hours

DS-776

Economics of Climate Change

Optional

3 Hours

DS-777

Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-780

Development Management

Optional

3 Hours

DS-781

Development in Cities

Optional

3 Hours

DS-790

Financial Inclusion, Poverty Alleviation and Development

Optional

3 Hours

DS-795

Econometrics and Quantitative Techniques  for Development Research

Optional

3 Hours

DS-796

Applied Econometrics (Non-credit)

Optional

3 Hours

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