Explore the most pressing issues in international development. Analyze the impact of these issues using solid quantitative research methods. The University of Essex MSc Quantitative International Development is a truly interdisciplinary course in International Development, taught jointly by the Department of Economics, Department of Government, Department of Sociology and Essex Business School. The course is open to all students looking to understand the problems that the developing world faces from the perspective of a researcher in the area.

With the new data revolution and the recent developments in data collection all over the world, strong analytical techniques can be applied to understand the reality of developing countries. Most of the cutting edge work in the best universities of the world is testing previous concepts with newly collected data using well advanced techniques. In this course Essex teaches students the essentials of research design and statistics, and then they have the option to explore a set of selected topics in international development in order to hone their skills on the subject matter. Students build a thorough understanding of the key statistical techniques, together with a more scientific approach to understanding the pressing issues in International Development through studying the following topics: modern research methods, fundamentals of research design, and econometric and statistical techniques. Providing the opportunity to use these research skills in applications by studying topics such as: environmental economics, economic development, human rights, and ethics. Students are taught by leading experts in the field of international development. The Faculty of Social Sciences at Essex is top 5 in the UK for research, with over 90% of their research rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. After completing the masters, students may wish to extend their knowledge with a research degree –many Essex graduates decide to stay for further study. Alternatively, the course also prepares students for employment; recent surveys have shown that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at professional or managerial level. Recent Master’s level graduates have gone on to work for a range of high-profile organizations in the international development field, such as United Nations and The World Bank.