International Development (Online Learning) MSc

The MSc in International Development programme offers you an unparalleled opportunity to deepen your understanding and engagement with the most pressing challenges confronting people, communities and institutions in the Global South:

• What are the processes that have shaped poverty and inequality across the world – as well as the responses to them?
• How do they differ across international, national, and local contexts?

How will I learn?

This programme builds and strengthens critical skills for analysing these development processes and inequities, exploring development issues in a range of different social, historical and political contexts.

It is multidisciplinary and it aims to provide you with a rigorous grounding in major debates, theories and critical concepts as well as proficiency in applying these to investigate contemporary development challenges, policy processes, and initiatives.

Online Community

Our students are part of a vibrant and growing online community at our prestigious School of Social and Political Science and the College for Humanities and Social Sciences.

Through our innovative platform and learning activities, you will forge meaningful relationships with your peers and a range of academic colleagues linking you to other relevant online programs, such as:

• MSc Global Challenges You will also engage with related programmes such as:
• MSc in Social Justice and Community Organising, in Moray House School of Education and Sport

Online learning

Recognising the need for flexibility, our online programmes are an excellent way for those with professional or family commitments to gain further qualifications with minimum interruption, or to introduce students to a virtual learning environment.

Our award-winning online learning technology is fully interactive, enabling you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

You will learn through a mix of online methods, including:

• video lectures
• study guides
• self-directed and guided reading
• a range of interactive online reflection and discussion activities

Our online students not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources but also become part of a vibrant and supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

We are globally recognised for our research, development and innovation and we’ve provided our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years.

An Edinburgh degree works for you

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50 and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our graduates are ranked 26th in the world by employers1.

Excellence in research

The University of Edinburgh has an international reputation for innovative research across a wide range of disciplines.

According to the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), the University is ranked fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research - known as research power - and is Scotland’s top-ranked institution.

The REF2021 results reveal that nearly 90 per cent of the University’s research activity is in the highest categories – 4 star and 3 star – which are classified respectively as ‘ world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’, a growth of 10 percentage points since the previous REF in 2014.

Innovation in teaching

The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. We are always working to develop innovative approaches to teaching in order to discover the methods that work best for students, including e-learning techniques and peer-assisted learning.

Experts in online learning

We offer the largest portfolio of postgraduate online degrees in the UK2, welcoming more than 8,000 online students since 2005. Our flexible and supportive programmes are well-established and an increasingly popular choice for students looking to balance further study with professional or family commitments.

Beautiful capital city

Ranked in the world’s top 10 student cities3, Edinburgh is a compact city with excellent transport links, which makes it easy to get around and to travel to other parts of Scotland.

Large enough to offer something for everyone, but small enough to feel like home, Edinburgh is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city with a diverse, multicultural community.​

Facilities and support to help you succeed

You will have access to one of the largest and most important academic libraries in the world, housing over 1.8 million printed volumes. You’ll also benefit from 30 open-access computer labs with 24-hour access across key locations, as well as free laptop loans.

We offer a free Student Counselling Service and a University Health Centre, and our Student Disability Service provides a range of support for students with disabilities. We also offer excellent childcare services, making it easier to juggle parenthood and study.

Impressive global community

Our ambitious internationalisation strategy ensures the teaching and research we deliver offers global benefits. We’re ranked in the world's top 20 most international universities4. Students from two-thirds of the world’s countries study here.

We collaborate with a host of world-leading institutions in fields as diverse as e-science, engineering, life and medical sciences, and arts and culture. We’re also a member of the global research network Universitas 21 and the European networks Coimbra Group and LERU.

Leading on social responsibility and sustainability

We are committed to being a world leader in addressing global challenges including poverty, climate change and the growing demand for energy, food and water.

As Scotland’s first Fairtrade University, we have been promoting better conditions for farmers and communities in developing countries since 2004.

We have championed environmental sustainability since the early 1990s and were a founder signatory to the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment 2009 and to the 10:10 campaign.

The University is host to several Global Academies committed to tackling issues related to health, justice, environment, and agriculture and food security. The Academies cross boundaries in research and teaching, adopting a multi-disciplinary response to challenging global issues.

1QS World University Rankings 2024 2Higher Education Statistics Agency 2017/18 3QS Student Cities 2023 4Times Higher Education, World’s Most International Universities 2022