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Master of Arts
Development StudiesFull-Time Study Program
Master of Arts Development Studies
The M.A. Development has a specific focus on issues around global justice. Students learn about relevant theories as well as the practical realities of the development/aid industry. Everyone is required to do an internship and can choose a field of concentration such as gender, sustainability and migration.
The M.A. prepares thoroughly for a career in development through its emphasis on research methods and project planning. Furthermore it enables students to develop a critical view on global power relations and to question “development” from a postcolonial perspective. Being highly cosmopolitan with students from all over the world, its specific worth lies in the opportunity to assess international issues through a literally global perspective stemming from the diversity of the student body.
Application period for full-time studies
Intakes only in winter term:
Applicants who need visa:
December 1 to March 31
Applicants who do not need visa:
April 1 to August 31
term dates:
winter term: 01. October - 28. February
summer term: 01 March - 30. September
Length of the program
Full-time studies: 2 years / 4 semesters (incl. a practical training session of 8 weeks)
Study options
Full-time studies
Degree
Master of Arts in Development Studies
(120 ECTS)
Language
English
Scholarships
Friedensau Scholarship Details
Tuition
Concentrations
Migration, Displacement and Development
Gender, Intersectionality and Development
Sustainability and Resource Use
General Content
Content
- Academic Writing and Presentation Skills
- Theories of Development
- Critical Reflection on Development Cooperation
- Poverty Analysis and Social Protection
- Development Economics
- Project Planning
- Empirical Research Methods
- Internship in the Field of Development Cooperation or Humanitarian Aid
- Empirical Research Methods
- Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
- Research Oriented Master Thesis
Electives from different fields of Development Studies
Electives offered additionally to the concentrations
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Humanitarian Interventions (MEDI)
- Human Rights in Theory and Practice
- International Peace and Conflict Studies
- Childhood, Children and Child Rights
- Contemporary Religion and Development
- Disaster Response And Humanitarian Aid
- Global Public Health
Study plan
Study plan Effective from October 01, 2023
Regulations
M.A. Development Studies
Module Guidebook M.A. Development Studies
Effective from October 1, 2023
Program-Specific Study regulations M.A. Development Studies
Effective from October 1, 2023
General Study and Examination Regulations for Programs of the School of Social Sciences
Effective from July 01, 2018
M.A. International Social Sciences (no enrollment)
Module Guidebook M.A. International Social Sciences (Development Studies)
Effective from October 1, 2020
Module Guidebook M.A. International Social Sciences (Development Studies)
Effective from October 1, 2023
Program-Specific Study regulations M.A. International Social Sciences (Development Studies)
Effective from July 1, 2018
General Study and Examination Regulations for Programs of the School of Social Sciences
Effective from July 01, 2018
Admission
Academic Entry Requirements for MA Development Studies:
- For admission, the completion of a degree program at a university or an academically recognized college or university of applied sciences or an equivalent degree in social sciences or humanities is required and proven by a Bachelor degree, a Master degree, a Diploma, a State Examination or a Doctorate. A final grade (certificate grade) of at least 2.5 is required.
Language requirements
- All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a result of at least 550 (PBT = paper-based test) or 79 (IBT = internet-based test) points or a comparable performance in another test, such as the IELTS (6.0) or the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (FCE).
- Applicants who received their B.A. degree in an English-language program are exempt These applicants submit a certificate from the university indicating that the medium of instruction at the university is English.
Application Process (students who do not need visa, omit visa information):
- Submit the fully completed application package before the indicated deadline. Follow the button "INFORMATION ABOUT ADMISSION" below to start your online application process.
- The submitted application will be discussed at the academic admission and financial committees respectively (within 1 week to 1 month). The decision of acceptance will be made under consideration of the enrolment capacity and a completed financial
- The admission committees’ decision will be communicated to the applicant by the admissions office within 1 week.
- Selected applicants will be asked to transfer the down payment and deposit (see below for the fees) to the University within 2-3 weeks after the admission decision is communicated.
- Upon the receipt of the down payment and deposit, the admissions office prepares and sends to the prospective student, documents for the embassy (may take up to 1 month).
- The applicant applies for a student visa (please check in advance how much time you need in order to receive an appointment at the respective embassy. The visa application normally takes 6-8 weeks.)
- Upon the receipt of the visa, the admissions office should be notified and informed about the flight schedule taking into consideration the appointment for the pickup service.
- The admissions office offers 1 or 2 appointments for a pickup service of the prospective students from the airports in Berlin to FAU, normally on Friday or Sunday/Monday depending on the number of the prospective students. The dates for a pickup service will be communicated after the visa is received.
We are happy to advise you!
… on study programs
… on the registration
… on the finances
… or general?
If you want to register firmly for a study course, please send the signed application form to Ulrike Schultz, Prof. Dr. rer. pol., Head of study program Development Studies.
Get in contact!Internship
The Internship is an important phase for the M.A. Development Studies students, in which they combine their theoretical academic knowledge with practical experiences. During internships, students begin to develop and modify their skills required for the degree. Moreover, they get an overall perspective of their future course of action and goals.
The institute where I did my internship is the ‘Regional Institute of Gender, Diversity, Peace and Rights’ (RIG/DPR), which is part of Ahfad University for Women in Sudan. The students I interacted with were brilliant and interesting women, having the same kind, welcoming spirit of the people I met during my time in Khartoum.
– Arlyn Avilés
During my internship at the Community Health and Development organization (CHAD) in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar, I performed tasks such as preparing lesson plans and conducting awareness trainings, recording data for the annual and quarterly plans, attended meetings and workshops with UNICEF, visited camps for internally displaced persons.
– Dawn Lu San