Master of Development Studies

Determined to pursue a career in international development and make a difference? This course will prepare you for a range of experiences and roles in the sector, in Australia and internationally.

You'll examine the connections between politics, governance and development, social and environmental sustainability, food and health security, gender and empowerment, and state building and conflict, as well as evaluating different approaches to policy and practice.

You can choose from professional-based electives, including financial administration, leading and managing not-for-profit organisations, effective leadership, strategic health care management and project management. 

You can also choose policy-based electives to specialise in global public health, public sector economics, security and conflict, environmental policy and more, or add up to two language units in either Indonesian or Japanese.

3 reasons to study a Master of Development Studies at Murdoch

1. Undertake a case study project, supervised internship or research thesis to put your learning into practice.
2. Travel to Indonesia as part of the Study Indonesia Australian Consortium for 'In-Country' Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) program to pursue a semester or summer development practicum.
3. Choose full-time or part-time options to help you fit study into your working and or family life. If you're an international student, you'll need to study full-time to meet your visa requirements.

What you'll learn

Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you'll cover include:

• Public policy and international affairs foundations
• Critical approaches to development
• Development and sustainability
• States, social forces and development
• Policy research and evaluation
• Security, conflict and violence

Your future career

You'll graduate with the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a career in international development in a broad range of settings, such as regional and international organisations, government agencies, consultancy firms, and non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in development. Careers could include:

• Campaign and Advocacy Officer
• International Programs Officer/Manager
• Partnerships Officer/Manager
• Gender Analyst/Consultant
• Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
• Water and Sanitation Advisor
• Humanitarian Response Coordinator

For admission into one of our postgraduate degrees, you must provide evidence of the successful completion of a relevant degree from a recognised university, in addition to meeting Murdoch’s prescribed English Language requirements. At a minimum, to qualify for one of our postgraduate degrees, you must meet one of the following requirements.

Please note that entry requirements are dependent on the course you wish to study and as such, your specific course may have different entry requirements:

• A qualification equivalent to an AQF Associate Degree
• Bachelors degree of AQF Level 7 in relevant discipline
• Bachelors degree of AQF Level 7 with relevant work experience
• Bachelors degree of AQF Level 7 with specific professional registration
• Postgraduate qualification of AQF Level 8 or above
• Submission of a Portfolio and/or substantial work experience