Global and Development Studies

Global and Development Studies offers you cutting-edge academic training in analysing, assessing, and addressing current global changes and how they affect people’s lives around the world. Mounting questions of conflict and peace, inequality, sustainability and justice as well as their effects on states, markets, and civil society will be central to your studies. During the programme you shape your own academic profile through elective course work and collaborative project work where you and your project teammates decide which precise research question to scrutinize and how to do it.   

The master’s programme is interdisciplinary combining the fields of global studies and development studies as well as drawing on international relations, political economy, political science, sociology, and anthropology. You will encounter the interdisciplinary approach in your classes and use it actively in your project work. This way you acquire cutting-edge problem-solving skills that are essential for addressing the challenges of today’s increasingly complex, transboundary problems.  

At Global and Development Studies you will become part of a culturally and linguistically diverse study environment which will equip you with essential social competences for pursuing a career in an international context. Our campus is designed to accommodate not only lectures and seminars, but also the important project work that you do in teams of typically four teammates. Studying can be a very individual endeavour. But at Roskilde University it is a collective effort. You will develop close collaborations with your fellow students and the faculty.  

Study environment

Being a student at Global and Development Studies involves many activities. You attend lectures and seminars, prepare readings, have study groups discussions, complete exercises. You do project work in teams. The project work involves several steps (designing, executing, analysing, reporting, presenting) each of which involves discussions and decisions. During the process you receive supervision and discuss your work with other teams. You may also prepare an internship stay, engage in extracurricular student activities, or attend academic or social events arranged by faculty members or fellow students.

Career

Global problem solvers are employed in private companies, the public sector, international organisations, NGOs, and more. Tasks commonly involve preparing and conducting analyses and evaluations, coordinating initiatives, and giving advice. Job titles include:

• Policy analyst (private company)
• Head of section (EU/international team) (ministry)  
• Public affairs consultant (private public relations company)   
• Policy advisor on peace and security (UN)  
• International financial officer (international relief organisation)
• Business continuity specialist (private company)
• Foreign service officer (embassy)
• International project manager (NGO)

Learn more:

Facts about the programme

Degree: Master of Science in Social Sciences in Global and Development Studies

Teaching language: English

Study start: First study start will be September 2022. Global and Development Studies has two annual study starts (February and September).