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The Master's in Development Practice (MDP) program brings together talented students and faculty who have dedicated themselves to reducing the impacts of global poverty and defining the pathways to enhance well-being for the under-resourced and socially excluded. The UA MDP provides a comprehensive foundation and practical experience to produce professional and well-trained graduates who understand the complexities of poverty.
Consistent with the philosophy of the MDP network, the Arizona curriculum consists of four cornerstone competency areas:
For further questions about admissions, please contact MDPAdmissions@email.arizona.edu.
History
The School of Anthropology traces its roots back over 100 years. It was founded in 1915 as the Department of Archaeology, with the appointment of Byron Cummings as Professor of Archaeology and Director of the Arizona State Museum. It became a broadly-based, four-field Department of Anthropology in the 1940s under the direction of Emil Haury, and soon after emerged as one of the leading Anthropology programs in the United States. The department was reconfigured as the School of Anthropology in 2009.
The School of Anthropology currently consists of five divisions: applied anthropology/BARA, archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology, with multiple faculty affiliated with each. A number of recognized program strengths crosscut these division: Anthropology of the Southwest, Anthrozoology; Community Based Research and Cultural Heritage in Arizona and the Southwest; Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology; Health, Medicine, and Discursive Practice; International Migration, Borders, and Refugees; Mediterranean Studies; Sex, Gender, and Sexuality.
More information about the school can be found here: https://anthropology.arizona.edu/
School of Geography and Development
Graduate students in the School of Geography, Development, and Environment (SGDE) benefit from the broad range of faculty expertise and strong links to interdisciplinary research centers across campus. Our work spans the discipline, from physical geography (climate science, dendrochronology, remote sensing, spatial science), to human-environment (political ecology, water policy, climate change) to human geography (development, state theory). Our shared commitment to collaboration and community makes for a lively and engaged department.
SGDE offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, two professional master’s degrees, and participates in several graduate certificate programs
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Personal statement
Resume/CV
2 Letters of Recommendation required, 3 preferred
Academic transcript(s)
GRE scores are not required
For further questions about admissions, please contact MDPAdmissions@email.arizona.edu.
Domestic Applicants:
International Applicants:
For further questions about admissions, please contact MDPAdmissions@email.arizona.edu.
International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.
4832
47
Over the course of 22 months students complete 47 credits of development-focused coursework, including a combination of core, elective, and integrative work.
Students begin by taking required core courses and other introductory activities with their cohort the first year.
During the summer between their two years of study, MDP students complete an intensive hands-on Practicum in their field of concentration and at a destination chosen in consultation with MDP faculty.
The Practicum acts as the pivot within the MDP program. Students apply knowledge and skills gained during the first year of study to their Practicum. Then they return with new insights for the second year to distil the findings from their summer projects, to complete more specialized coursework, and to apply their experiences to the pursuit of new careers in development practice.
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach to development practice, students must take a combination of required core courses, including the following:
Social Sciences:
DVP 601: Principles of Social Science for Development
DVP 602: The Role of Culture in Sustainable Development
Other electives of your choice (which for many students will be in economics)
Natural Sciences
DVP 620: Introduction to Natural Systems
DVP 621: Natural Resources Management: Applications
Other electives of your choice
Health Sciences
An elective of your choice
A recommended course is HPS 533: Global Health
Development Management
DVP 630: Essential Management Principles for Development
Other electives of your choice
A recommended course is PA 582: Managing to Collaborate on Environmental and Natural Resource Conflicts
Additionally, students are required to take integrative coursework, which includes the following:
DVP 600: Foundations of Development/ Boot Camp
DVP 640: Methods in Development Practice
DVP 641: The Global Classroom
DVP 642A: Cross-cohort professional development seminar
DVP 694A: Summer Field Practicum
DVP 909: MDP Culmination Project
Before enrollment: It is highly recommended that all MDP students have completed at least some coursework in statistics before starting their first semester, and also take an additional statistical analysis course related to their particular area of focus.
For further questions about admissions, please contact MDPAdmissions@email.arizona.edu.
Along with integrative course work and courses in the Core curriculum, students may take further elective courses in their chosen areas of study. Students may consult this suggested list of electives or discuss other course options with their advisors. Note that not all courses are offered every semester, and some may have pre-requisities.
All coursework counted towards the MDP must be 500-level or above. Students may elect to take certain courses below the 500-level for their own interest or to build basic skills.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
| Program-level Information | |
|---|---|
| Application Acceptance Rate | 88.89% |
| Med. Time-to-degree (years) | 2.00 |
| Department-level Information | |
| Enrollment Percent Male | 36.84% |
| Enrollment Percent Female | 63.16% |
| Enrollment Percent International | 0% |
| Enrollment Percent URM | 36.84% |