MSc Quantitative International Development

Program Overview

---

Explore the most pressing issues in international development. Analyse the impact of these issues using solid quantitative research methods. 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, we can apply strong analytical techniques 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 we teach you the essentials of research design and statistics, and then you have the option to explore a set of selected topics in international development in order to hone your skills on the subject matter. You 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
• 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
• Ethics

You 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 our research rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. With this course you also have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions and achieve a dual award, which means you’ll receive two Masters degrees in two years. Find out more on our dual award webpage. Why we're great.

• We are one of Europe's leading economics departments – learn with other research stars to break new ground
• We connect our research with our teaching so what you learn about is relevant today
• Access extensive quantitative analysis software and a large number of economics databases

Our expert staff

Study and work alongside some of the most prominent social scientists of our time. Our researchers are at the forefront of their field and have even received MBEs, with students coming from across the globe to study, research or work with us. Many of our researchers also provide consultancy services to international organizations, helping us to develop research for today's society as well as informing our teaching for the future. For a full list of research interests, see our staff pages in EBS , Economics , Government , and Sociology .

---

Specialist facilities

Take advantage of our wide range of learning resources to assist you in your studies:

• Extensive software for quantitative analysis is available in all computer labs across the university
• Access a variety of economics databases and multiple copies of textbooks and e-books in the Albert Sloman Library

---

Your future

After completing your masters, you may wish to extend your knowledge with a research degree – many Essex graduates decide to stay here for further study. Alternatively, our course also prepares you for employment; recent surveys have shown that higher degree graduates are more likely to obtain jobs at professional or managerial level. Our recent Master’s level graduates have gone on to work for a range of high-profile organisations in the international development field, such as United Nations and The World Bank. We also work with the University’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Program Outline

Course structure

We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

---

---

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose. Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

---

---

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits. In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available. Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

HR	100	4	FY
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.	The module number.	The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.	The term the module will be taught in. AU : Autumn term SP : Spring term SU : Summer term FY : Full year AP : Autumn and Spring terms PS: Spring and Summer terms AS: Autumn and Summer terms

Year 1 What are the distinctive features of less developed economies? How do theories around child labour or inequality explain poverty? What economic policies could alleviate such problems? Understand the issues facing developing countries, examining policies theoretically and empirically. Act as a policy advisor, undertaking research on issues of development economics. View Economic Development Theory on our Module Directory What interests you? Undertake a research project of your choosing, studying a specific economic issue or set of problems in depth, with supervision from our world-leading academic staff. Gain experience of original and independent work, making use of and building on skills that you have acquired during your Masters. View Dissertation on our Module Directory This module provides an introduction to the econometric methods commonly used to analyse economic data and the application of these methods. The focus of the module is on linear regression and the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation procedure. This is introduced after a review of basic probability, random variables, simple descriptive statistics and the concept of the null hypothesis. View Introductory Econometrics on our Module Directory What are the main issues with panel data? And the main econometric techniques to analyse panel data? What methods can you use to evaluate spell duration data? Answer such questions with examples from labour economics, while gaining the skills to analyse a variety of research and policy problems. View Panel Data Methods on our Module Directory Master the quantitative methods that are essential for testing hypotheses. You will study hypothesis testing, linear regression models, and more advanced regression models ubiquitous in political science, accompanied by data science and R programming skills. View Quantitative Methods on our Module Directory View International Political Economy on our Module Directory View Advanced Quantitative Methods on our Module Directory The course bridges together topics in international relations, comparative political economy, and economics. The goals of the course are to (a) introduce students to contemporary scholarly research on political economy topics, (b) introduce students to strategic models in political science using substantive applications, and (c) stimulate students to form original ideas for promising quantitative research projects in the area of contemporary political economy. View Comparative Political Economy on our Module Directory COMPONENT 09: OPTIOL Option from list (20 CREDITS)

---

---

Teaching

• Core components can be combined with optional modules to enable you to gain either in-depth specialisation or a breadth of understanding across several topics
• Our postgraduates are encouraged to attend conferences and seminars

---

---

Assessment

• Each module is assessed with a final examination and a coursework component
• Coursework is taken in the form of a term paper or a midterm test

---

---

Dissertation

• You undertake an individually supervised research project that involves the in-depth study of a specific problem or issue