The Development Policy and Planning MSc is an interdisciplinary course focused on how development policy, planning and governance can contribute to socially just and sustainable development. We take a pluriversal perspective to understand how development policies, planning processes and interventions affect communities and settlements in different contexts and scales, and interact with broad sets of cultural, institutional and governance apparatuses.
The Development Policy and Planning MSc equips you with analytical, methodological and practical skills to understand and address global challenges of inequality, sustainability, and governance, preparing you for careers in government, consultancy, NGOs, UN programmes and international aid agencies.
Our core and optional modules build your critical thinking, policy analysis, research and communication skills, while group work and applied assignments strengthen your ability to engage with diverse stakeholders. A series of cross-programme Development Workshops simulate real-world planning challenges, encouraging collaboration, negotiation, policy analysis and strategic thinking, stimulating reflexive thinking on the ethics of working with partners and with local communities. Overseas practice engagements give you direct exposure to development work in international settings.
94% of graduates from The Bartlett Development Planning Unit were in work or further study 15 months after graduation and are working in 52 countries around the world (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018–24).
Graduates from the Development Administration and Planning MSc have gone on to work in a wide range of organisations, including: