M.A. Development Studies

A combination of rigorous coursework (both in terms of Core Courses and various Elective Courses) and exposure to real-world development challenges. While the Core Courses are more thematic and approach development issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, Elective Courses go deeper into a discipline to approach a problem. The course work will be at par with national and international standards. It will train the students to understand developmental activities following a multi-disciplinary approach. It further trains them to understand the basic scientific and technological underpinning of some of the developmental challenges and their existing remedies.

Groups of 3-4 students will have the opportunity to work under the supervision of one/two faculty members from different Schools and with diverse research interests to address an existing development challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective. This will be particularly helpful both in terms of learning several dimensions of the problem and team work at the same time. A mandatory 4-credit Field Study is added to understand real-life issues on an empirical first-hand basis.. Students go and stay in a rural/urban community for the duration of 4-6 weeks during the Summer Term and collect vital information on the developmental challenges on the field. This course is expected to help students to learn how to diagnose the development challenges and get the praxis right. (each of 4-credits)

Ability to communicate the results to a range of stakeholders: academia, professionals in policy making and implementation, local communities etc. Beginning in 2018, the program has five graduating batches so far, and the success of the program is reflected in the promising careers prospects of the graduating students. They are engaged in diverse fields ranging from Doctoral Research and Research and Academic Associates in institutes of national reputes, to corporate jobs, entrepreneurship, etc.