MPhil in Development Studies
University of Oxford
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Qualification

MPhil - Master of Philosophy

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Location

University of Oxford

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Study mode

Full Time

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Start date

OCT-25

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Duration

21 months

Course info

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Qualification

MPhil - Master of Philosophy

Location

University of Oxford

Study mode

Full Time

Start date

OCT-25

Duration

21 months

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Subjects

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Politics
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Course info

About the courseThe two-year MPhil in Development Studies will provide you with a rigorous and critical introduction to development as a process of managed and unmanaged change in societies in the global South. Our students go on to careers in development policy or practice or for further study in the field.Course objectivesThe course will introduce you to development studies as an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject. It covers the intellectual history of development, the paradigm ...Read more

About the course

The two-year MPhil in Development Studies will provide you with a rigorous and critical introduction to development as a process of managed and unmanaged change in societies in the global South. Our students go on to careers in development policy or practice or for further study in the field.

Course objectives

The course will introduce you to development studies as an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary subject. It covers 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.

Teaching and learning

Each course entails three to five hours of teaching per week, delivered through lectures, classes and workshops. Class sizes are small – between 5 and 30 students – encouraging active participation and enabling students to learn from each other. You prepare for sessions by reading a selection of recommended books, book chapters and articles.

Assessment

Year one

Formal assessment will normally comprise a three-hour written examination at the beginning of the third term for each foundation course; a three-hour written examination at the end of the third term and a research design essay, submitted in the same term, for research methods; and two 5,000-word essays for the core course. You must pass all examinations to continue into Year 2. There is an opportunity to re-sit in September.

Year two

You will be formally assessed for your two option courses as well as the 30,000-word thesis submitted during the final term. Further information on the thesis can be found on the departmental website.

Graduate destinations

A number of MPhil students choose to continue to doctoral study after completing the course, taking their MPhil thesis and expanding it further into a DPhil thesis in ODID or elsewhere. Others have gone on to jobs in the United Nations, government, diplomacy, politics, NGOs, the media, art, business, finance, management, technology and development consultancies.

Key stats

Politics
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
3rd
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
2nd

Modules

Module Options
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications or their equivalent: a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a social science subject. As one of the purposes of the course is to provide a basic education in the subject, in exceptional cases, students who have not specialised in a social science may be admitted to read for the MPhil in Development Studies. It should be recognised that for some students, the transition to a social studies approach to learning may be challenging. Entrance to the course is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA normally sought is 3.8 out of 4.0.

Tuition fees

Students living in

Domestic

£27,520 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Domestic

This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

£35,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from somewhere in the EU.

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from somewhere in the EU.

£35,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.

IDP Connect

Uni info

University of Oxford
University Offices Wellington Square Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 2JD United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Oxford  0.2 miles away

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