Master of Global Development
Master of Global Development
Join a new generation of ethical global citizens and change-makers. Become equipped with the skills and expertise to address pressing global challenges such as poverty alleviation, social justice, inequality, climate change, economic growth and sustainable resource management.
Through a multi-faceted approach to learning, you will develop the technical skills to take on high-level roles in civil society organisations, government agencies, and the private sector. It will enable you to acquire complex theoretical knowledge in development that is informed by multidisciplinary perspectives.
Access opportunities to undertake an individual research project and domestic or international learning internships that will expand your professional network. Participate in projects that respond to global and community priorities including partnerships aimed at creating a brighter future for life in the tropics.
JCU’s position in tropical Australia, and our relative proximity to remote communities, provides a unique platform for engaging with pressing global development issues, such as extractive industries and infrastructure expansion, as well as indigenous futures.
Part time available
Career opportunities
Take on high-level roles within funded development projects, aid organisations and government departments using your conceptual and technical skills obtained through the Master of Global Development.
Graduates will have strong intercultural competencies and the self-reflexivity required to work effectively and ethically in developing countries. Through fieldwork exercises and work-integrated learning programs, graduates will develop and apply professional leadership skills.
Graduates will be competitive in seeking employment with:
- National and international non-government organisations
- Government departments
- Local councils
- Private sector operators working in international development
- Multilateral organisations
- Global governance institutions.
Course highlights
Develop professional skills and build your knowledge through a distinctive focus on the tropical world and Northern Australia.
Analyse, evaluate and generate solutions to complex social and environmental problems, especially related to tropical, remote or Indigenous contexts. Use high levels of initiative, autonomy, accountability and collaboration.
Plan and conduct ethical and reliable evidence-based field studies. Execute a substantial research-based project by selecting and applying methods, techniques and tools, as appropriate to development practice.
Model professional leadership skills and work autonomously and collaboratively in the design, implementation and evaluation of development projects and policy-related initiatives.
Additional information
About JCU's Master of Global Development
Be a part of the next generation of leaders, bringing the global community together for the good of all. Understand what drives economic development and social forces worldwide. Become an effective agent for positive change through your Master of Global Development (similar to a Masters Degree in International Studies) at JCU.
Learn How the World Works
Become more than just an ethical global citizen: become an expert in generating solutions to complex problems. Build a critical understanding of the history of national development, international interactions, and concepts of justice. Understand the place of human rights within economic development and environmental protection by studying a program built around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Build an understanding of how poverty and cultural imperialism intersect and how social policies can make a real change. Take advantage of JCU's unique placement in Northern Australia to develop your intercultural competence as you work with marginalised peoples in rural and urban environments both in Australia and overseas.
Become a critical thinker to identify bias and how it influences poverty, social development, and inequality. Gain a thorough understanding of how poverty and inequality affect the individual, families, and whole communities.
Apply Your Knowledge
Experience has no substitute. Apply your knowledge to on-the-job experience through this international development masters program at JCU. Develop competency through fieldwork or a research project under lecturers committed to student success.
Became a change-maker through independent and collaborative research and professional projects. You will have a wide selection of courses available to tailor your global development study to meet your professional goals. Develop your skill to plan and conduct research using complex theories and methodology. Master how to apply that research towards responsible and ethical change for communities.
Take part in research that makes a difference. Become an effective, critical thinker as you review regulations and their outcomes. Use your skills to advise governments, critique policies, and find solutions for critical issues of human development.
Become a Leader With A Masters Degree in International Development
Be ready today for tomorrow through your development studies masters course at JCU. Gain the skills to work ethically in developing countries through JCU's international development masters program.
Use your strong communication skills and knowledge of relevant laws and regulations to create positive change. Become a leader capable of communicating arguments to professionals and lay-people alike across a variety of media. Master the ability to work autonomously or within a team to develop and implement initiatives.
Work across any field through a strong theoretical foundation and extensive real-life experience. Be ready to work in government, at non-profits, in private industry, or in education. Become an effective fundraiser for global initiatives or a change-maker in community and public health. Advocate for human rights or ecological restoration, or guide business in responsible economic development.
Be a True Master of Global Development
You don't have to go far, to go far. Your world-class education begins here, in Queensland, and it can take you worldwide. Build your career in Australia's unique global environment, working with local councils implementing initiatives for rural, remote or urban communities. Or, go abroad and engage with international governments to balance economic growth with ecological responsibility.
Hide additional information
See the handbook for detailed course information.
How to apply
Complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.
Pathway into course
Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.
JCU offers pathways courses to help you move into a degree at JCU. Pathway courses provide you with an individualised study plan and specialised support as you transition to university. Contact us for more information.
Handbook
Master of Global Development
Handbook year | 2020 |
Course code | 118204 |
Course type | Master (Coursework) (AQF Level 9) |
Division | Division of Tropical Environments and Societies |
Award Requirements
Admission Requirements
Course pre-requisites | Completion of an AQF level 7 Bachelor degree; or Other qualifications or practical experience recognised by the Dean, College of Science and Engineering as equivalent to the above. |
Minimum English language proficiency requirements | Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 1 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy. |
Post admission | For external delivery option, computer and internet access is required |
Academic Requirements for Course Completion
Credit points | 48 credit points |
Course learning outcomes | On successful completion of the Master of Global Development, graduates will be able to:
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Course Structure
CORE SUBJECTS
EV5951:03 Development in Practice
EV5952:03 Critical Issues in Global Development
WS5103:03 Community Development or EV5001:03 Environmental and Regional Planning
EV5953:03 Research Methods for Global Development
AN5006:03 Asia Pacific Development: Culture and Globalisation
PL5153:03 Politics and Foreign Relations
PLUS
Select one of the following Options
Option 1 (Research)
Students must achieve a GPA of 5.0 or above in the first year of study to be eligible to undertake this option
BU5950: 06 Research Project
BU5951: 06 Research Dissertation
PLUS
Select 18 credit points of subjects from List 1
or
Option 2 (Placement)
SC5009:12 Professional Project
PLUS
Select 18 credit points of subjects from List 1
or
Option 3 (Electives)
Select 30 credit points of subjects from List 1
LIST 1
Disaster resilience and natural resource management
EV5020:03 Human Dimensions of Nature, Environment and Conservation
EV5209:03 Principles and Practices of Protected Area Management
EV5107:03 International Environmental Policy and Governance
EV5606:03 Disasters, Communities and Planning
EV5614:03 Leadership in Disaster Management
Public health
TM5502:03 Tropical Public Health
TM5514:03 Environmental Health
TM5536:03 Public Health in Humanitarian Emergencies
TM5552:03 Global Health and Development
TM5562:03 Reproductive Health in Developing Countries
Sustainable development planning and policy
EV5001:03 Environmental and Regional Planning
EV5003:03 Environmental Economics
EV5010:03 Planning for Sustainable Communities in a Changing Environment
EV5015:03 Sustainability in Practice
EV5301:03 Urban Geography and Design
ED5913:03 Communicating Sustainability and Climate Change
BZ5755:03 Biodiversity and Climate Change: Impact, Mitigation and Adaptation
LB5229:03 Economics for a Sustainable World
Indigenous futures
EV5252:03 Indigenous Environmental Management
IA5119:03 Empowerment and Change
IA5431:03 Justice and Indigenous Peoples
IA5010:03 Indigenous Research Ethics
IA5011:03 Field Procedures in Indigenous Research
Governance and social change
HI5005:03 Regional Environmental History
LB5231:03 Corporate Responsibility and Governance
LB5236:03 International Political Economy
PL5110:03 Shifting Geopolitical Environments in Emerging States
PL5006:03 Political Communication; Ecology and Environmentalism
Leadership and management for development
LB5205:03 People in Organisations
LB5241:03 Leadership
LB5514:03 Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution
LB5530:03 Conflict Resolution Processes
SC5007:06 Professional Project
SC5008:03 Professional Placement
The development researcher
AN5007:06 Ethnography in Practice
EC5202:03 Cost Benefit Analysis
EC5216:03 Econometrics and Big Data Analysis
EV5110:03 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
EV5404:03 Field Studies in Tropical Geography
Campus
COURSE AVAILABLE AT | NOTES |
Cairns | |
External |
Candidature
Expected time to complete | 2 years full-time or equivalent part-time |
Maximum time to complete | 6 years |
Maximum leave of absence | 2 year |
Progression
Course progression | Nil |
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s) | No |
Course includes mandatory Fieldwork | Yes, this course includes mandatory fieldwork |
Special assessment | Must achieve a GPA of 5 or above in the first year of study to be eligible to undertake the 12 point research thesis |
Professional accreditation | Nil |
Maximum allowed Pass | Nil |
Supplementary exam for | Not applicable |
Credit
Eligibility | Students may apply for credit transfer for previous tertiary study in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure. credit may also be granted for the following:
* Cognate disciplines include: anthropology, geography, political science, international relations, area studies and social work ** Professional experience: Applicants must have a minimum two (2) years full-time employment in the field of Global Development, examples include: employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (or international equivalent), international nongovernment organisations (NGOs), indigenous organisations, local councils, social enterprises. |
Maximum allowed | 12 credit points, except where a student transfers from one JCU award to another, then credit may be granted for any subject where there is subject equivalence between the awards. |
Currency | credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course. |
Expiry | credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 16 years after the date of the examination upon which the credit is based if, by then, the student has not completed this course. |
Other restrictions | Not applicable |
Award Details
Award title | MASTER OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT |
Approved abbreviation | MGlobDev |
Exit with lesser award | Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed the relevant number of credit points and appropriate subjects, may be eligible to receive one of the following awards:
|
| Special Awards | Where coursework is completed at a grade point average of 6 or above, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, on the recommendation of the College Dean of Science and Engineering may recommend the award of a Master of Global Development with Distinction |
This website is intended as general guide. Prospective students should contact the university to confirm admission requirements and the availability of courses. James Cook University reserves the right to alter any course or admission requirement without prior notice.
