StudyQA — Master: Global Development Policy

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

The Master of Arts in Global Development Policy (GDP) program prepares students for a fast-growing number and variety of careers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of development programs, working for governments, international organizations, NGOs, and private companies. The GDP is a rigorous three-semester program that provides students with breadth of training in the various facets of sustainable international development as well as in-depth training in a chosen sub-field (Governance and Political Economy, Environment and Development, or International Public Health).

In addition to coursework in their chosen subfield, students complete a set of universal requirements, including core courses surveying the essentials of each subfield and the workings of the global economy, training in research design, and a capstone seminar involving team projects done for real-world clients. The program includes the opportunity for students to spend a summer studying in Geneva or (for Public Health concentrators) studying and researching in Kenya. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Environmental Science, Economics, Political Science, Public Health, or a discipline closely related to one of these fields.

Course Requirements

The MA in Global Development Policy requires a total of 48 credits. In addition to the course requirements listed below, remaining credits should be fulfilled through approved elective courses.

Core Course Requirements (20 credits)

GRS GE 600 Environment & Development: A Political Ecology Approach
GRS IR 701 Fundamentals of International Relations
SPH IH 770 Poverty, Health, and Development
GRS IR 704 Global Economic and Development Policy
GRS IR/GE 798 Global Development Capstone

Track Course Requirements (at least 20 credits)

Students choose to concentrate in one of three tracks. Each track includes a required statistics/methods course, two required track classes, plus sufficient optional track coursework to bring the total credits in the track to at least 20. The required courses for each track are detailed below. Full track course listings can be found online.

Governance & Political Economy

CAS MA 614 Statistical Methods
Students choose two of the following three classes:
- GRS IR 621 Global Governance, Economic Development, & Human Rights
- GRS IR 759 International Institutions for Finance, Development & Trade
- GRS IR 789 Globalization, Development, Governance

Environment & Development

CAS GE 516 Multivariate Analysis for Geographers
CAS GE 510 Physical Principles of the Environment
GRS GE 660 Resource Economics & Policy

International Public Health

SPH BS 704 Introduction to Biostatistics
SPH EP 713 Introduction to Epidemiology
SPH IH 745 Monitoring & Evaluation of International Health Programs

Language Requirement

All students pursuing an MA degree in Global Development Policy are required to demonstrate graduate-level reading proficiency in a foreign language prior to completion of the degree. Language proficiency can be demonstrated either through a language examination, or successful completion of a non-credit graduate-level foreign language reading course offered by Boston University. In the case of non-native English speakers who were required to submit a TOEFL score report as part of their application for admission, knowledge of English fulfills this requirement.

Requirements

The online application form
$95 application fee
Transcripts for all prior university studies (unofficial copies, uploaded to the application)
Three (3) letters of recommendation
Official GRE general scores
A personal statement
A resume or CV
Official TOEFL scores sent by ETS to institution code 3087
A completed, signed International Student Data Form or International Applicant Coversheet
Copy of the personal information page of your current passport
Copies of all current visas, if applicable
Financial support documentation (Sponsorship Certification and Bank Statement)