Master of International and Community Development

Program Overview

The Master of International and Community Development at Deakin University equips students with expertise in promoting justice, reducing poverty, and fostering sustainable development. Through three study streams and a range of electives, students develop skills in designing, implementing, and evaluating development initiatives, preparing them for leadership roles in non-profit organizations, government agencies, and international aid agencies. The program also offers a minor thesis pathway for those interested in pursuing further research.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Set yourself up for career progression in an evolving field by studying the Master of International and Community Development. With new expertise, you will be able to take the lead on development programs that promote justice, reduce poverty and create environments for people to lead sustainable, fulfilling lives. Tomorrow’s development opportunities require new ways of thinking. Want the practical experience needed to respond to future challenges in creative, culturally sensitive ways? Deakin’s Master of International and Community Development is the largest, longest running and most reputable course of its type in Australia. Our academic staff have extensive professional experience within the sector and course content is finely tuned to the state of local and global events that impact development – just two of the reasons why our graduates are better prepared for their current and future roles. The course fosters your passion for social justice, sustainable development and human rights. At the same time, it provides professional development opportunities that take your career forward. Plus, you will be studying on our premium online learning platform, giving you the flexibility to fit your degree around your work. You can tailor the degree to your interests and career goals by choosing from three study streams:

• International development stream
• Community development stream
• Combined stream (international and community development)
Adding to your study options is a broad range of elective units. Select topics that matter to you, from policy and advocacy to food security and gender development and create a degree that’s built just for you. You’ll explore a range of issues, including poverty, empowerment, inequality and environmental vulnerability, then learn how to design, resource and implement initiatives that respond to these challenges. You’ll develop skills through assessment tasks that simulate the sort of work you will be doing on real development projects and campaigns. Hands-on learning opportunities and access to industry professionals through seminars and guest lectures adds to your practical experience, and further enhances your readiness for future career opportunities. Our engagement in field research puts us at the leading edge of academic and industry thinking, and you will be able to leverage the expert knowledge of our research team when undertaking the research component of the degree. Acknowledging that keen analytical skills are expected of professionals within the development field, the course provides rigorous research training that embeds these skills while giving you the chance to delve into a topic of interest.

Outline:

Streams

Stream 1 (Combined Stream - International Development and Community Development)

• Community From Participation to Activism
• Participatory and Community Development Practice
• Theories and Critiques of Development
• Geopolitics and Political Economy of Development
• Plus 4 credit points of study from one of the Minor Thesis, Research Paper, or Professional Experience Pathways and Course Electives.

Stream 2 International Development Stream

• Theories and Critiques of Development
• Geopolitics and Political Economy of Development
• Plus 6 credit points of study from one of the Minor Thesis, Research Paper, or Professional Experience Pathways and Course Electives.

Stream 3 Community Development Stream

• Community From Participation to Activism
• Participatory and Community Development Practice
• Plus 6 credit points of study from one of the Minor Thesis, Research Paper, or Professional Experience Pathways and Course Electives.

Pathways

Minor Thesis - PhD Pathway

• Research Design
• Plus 2 credit points of research units:
• Minor Thesis A
• Minor Thesis B

Research Paper – non PhD Pathway^

• Research Paper

Professional Experience – non PhD Pathway^

• Internship Capstone (2 credit points)
^ The Research Paper and Professional Experience options are not PhD Pathways.

Course Electives List A

• Community From Participation to Activism
• Participatory and Community Development Practice
• Non-Government Organisations and other Development Actors
• Theories and Critiques of Development
• Geopolitics and Political Economy of Development
• Arts and Sports-based Approaches to Community Development
• Private Sector Development: Corporations, Social-Enterprise and Microfinance
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Food and Water Security
• Gender, Race and Culture
• Climate Change and Sustainability
• Humanitarian - Development Nexus
• Cross Cultural Communication and Practice
• The Humanitarian World
• Internship A

Careers:

You’ll graduate from this course with sought-after skills that open the door to a wide range of opportunities, both in Australia and internationally. Your practical experience will prepare you for leadership roles within all organisations that respond to challenges relating to social justice, empowerment, poverty and community development. These include:

• international and domestic non-government organisations
• government agencies
• local community organisations, councils and other civil society actors
• Commonwealth departments such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
• international aid and development agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• bilateral and multilateral agencies.
There is also the potential to work in related areas, such as:
• social enterprise and other private sector businesses
• teaching
• travel
• consulting
• journalism
• government and non-government agencies concerned with the flow of trade, services, capital and personnel.
Interested in pursuing a career in further research? You can choose to complete a minor thesis as your research option which meets the thesis requirements for admission to a PhD pathway.