How long does the MSc in Economic Development take?

The MSc in Economic Development runs one year full-time or two years part-time. Online and distance routes make the MSc in Economic Development accessible to working economists worldwide.

In what modes is the MSc in Economic Development delivered?

The MSc in Economic Development is delivered on-campus in central London, online with live seminars and by distance learning. Each mode of the MSc in Economic Development shares the same weekly seminar rhythm and dissertation supervision.

What are the entry requirements for the MSc in Economic Development?

Applicants to the MSc in Economic Development need a UK Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above, or 5+ years of senior professional experience. IELTS 6.5 is required for non-native English speakers.

How much does the MSc in Economic Development cost and is funding available?

Fees for the MSc in Economic Development are quoted in your written offer. LSLPE supports MSc in Economic Development applicants with instalment plans, employer sponsorship and early-application bursaries.

MSc in Economic Development | LSLPE | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MSc in Economic Development is a one-year full-time UK Level 7 programme (or two years part-time by online and distance routes) that trains students in the empirical, institutional and policy dimensions of growth, poverty reduction and structural change. The syllabus is aligned with Royal Economic Society graduate benchmarks and mapped to the research standards of the Overseas Development Institute, the IFS and Chatham House.

By graduation you will have costed a development programme, run empirical growth regressions on published World Bank and IMF data, produced a bilateral aid policy brief, presented at a supervised cohort colloquium, and defended a substantial dissertation on a live development question set with an ODI, IFS or NGO-adjacent theme.

Key Features

Curriculum aligned with Royal Economic Society Master's benchmarks.
Dissertation supervised in the ODI, IFS and Chatham House research tradition.
Empirical training using World Bank, IMF, OECD and UK ONS data.
Sponsor project route with an NGO, government department or think tank.
Weekly seminars run in the case-room and select-committee tradition.
Careers service links to the Government Economic Service, ODI and international bodies.
Three parallel study modes for practitioners, career changers and international applicants.

What You Will Learn

Read growth diagnostics against institutional and macroeconomic evidence.
Design and evaluate development interventions using randomised and quasi-experimental methods.
Analyse aid effectiveness through Whitehall, DFID-legacy and FCDO documentation.
Cost a bilateral or multilateral development programme.
Assess trade and industrial policy in low and middle-income economies.
Write an ODI-style briefing note fit for a policy audience.
Present research findings to a mixed audience of academics and practitioners.
Structure a Level 7 dissertation with an original empirical or policy contribution.

Who This Course Is For

Working economists in NGOs, multilateral bodies and development consultancies.
Civil servants in FCDO, HMT and the Department for Business and Trade.
Bachelor's graduates ready for senior-track development economics work.
Portfolio-route senior professionals with 5+ years of relevant experience.
International applicants seeking a UK Master's grounded in applied policy.

Career Pathways

Development Economist at ODI, IFS or a multilateral institution.
Economist within FCDO, HMT or an international body.
Economic Consultant advising on aid, trade and growth policy.
Research Economist for a UK think tank or academic institute.
Trade Economist supporting bilateral and multilateral negotiations.
Programme Manager in an international NGO.
Economic Policy Analyst at a UK-based development finance institution.

The LSLPE careers service links MSc in Economic Development students to ODI, FCDO and UK think-tank employers each year.

Entry Requirements

A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in economics, PPE, development studies or a comparable discipline.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior professional experience in development economics or policy are considered on portfolio for the MSc in Economic Development.
One academic and one professional reference.
A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement for the MSc in Economic Development.

Why Study at LSLPE

LSLPE places the FCDO, ODI, Chatham House, IFS and NIESR-style research houses within a short tube ride of the seminar room, so the MSc in Economic Development is taught with live UK and international policy material in the room. Cohorts are small and every seminar is argued in public.

Three parallel study modes let progressors, working practitioners and portfolio-route applicants complete the MSc in Economic Development without leaving employment, and the LSLPE careers service refreshes its Royal Economic Society and ODI-aligned curriculum links annually.

Apply for MSc in Economic Development

Enrol on an LSLPE Master's programme with a dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising policy advisers and City economists. The MSc in Economic Development admissions team responds within one working day. Enrol Now