The aim of this two-year course is to provide a rigorous and critical introduction to development as a process of change and of managed change in societies on the periphery of the global economy.  The course exposes students to development studies as both an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject.  Attention is paid to the intellectual history of development, the paradigm shifts and internal conflicts within the discipline, and the contemporary relevance of research to development policy and practice. The course is not designed for direct training in development practice or the management of development projects, but the critical enquiry emphasised in the course is crucial for the proper performance of such tasks. The course encourages innovative and original work, and has received the recognition of the Economic and Social Science Research Council.  About 30 students are admitted each year, from up to 20 countries.  On completion, some have continued with doctoral research in Oxford or elsewhere, while others have obtained jobs in the United Nations, government, NGOs, the media, business, finance and development consultancies.  Students who are admitted to the DPhil in Development Studies after the MPhil are expected to complete their doctoral research in two further years plus time needed for fieldwork.

"I found the MPhil in Development Studies to be a challenging but rewarding programme which pushed me in all sorts of new directions, at the same time as allowing me to consolidate my interests and strengths.   Whilst the first year of the programme includes a number of fixed requirements, the second year allows students to pursue their individual interests, be they thematic or regional, in greater depth."

Julie Taylor
MPhil 2003-2005, and DPhil   Read More

While the degree is highly structured, self-motivation is vital in every student and at all stages of the course. Students are expected to be able and willing to use their own initiative to achieve the maximum benefit from the course. An ability to work both independently and in groups is essential.

Some indicators of the quality of the course are:

• The course attracts many high calibre students holding Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Clarendon, Chevening and ORS scholarships.
  

• The degree and the Department have been granted ESRC recongnition.
• External Examiners have summarised the quality of the course in the following words

"This is in all respects a quite excellent course. It attracts first class students, offers them a curriculum that is admirable in its range, quality and balance, teaches them very well, and produces graduates who are unusually well prepared for independent research or high-level employment in the public and private sectors. Oxford has every reason to be proud of it."

and

"I can say with conviction that this MPhil programme maintains the highest standards for a degree of this level. .... I was particularly impressed by the breath of the material covered in the core course, the standards of the work achieved by the students, and the standards expected by the examiners. The work is scrutinised by the internal examiners whose comments suggest real engagement with the students work."

• MPhil Course Guide 2009-10 (PDF Format)
• MPhil Programme Specification (PDF Format)