Food and Development MA

Program Overview

This 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time MA program delves into the nexus of food and development, exploring issues of hunger, sustainability, power dynamics, and cultural identity. The program's multidisciplinary approach draws on faculty expertise to prepare students for careers in food and development. The coursework combines analytical skills and practical experience through options for fieldwork and dissertation placements. The program boasts global recognition, ranking first in Development Studies (QS World University Rankings 2024).

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This MA program provides an advanced understanding of the complex relationship between food and development. It focuses on the global and local aspects of food systems, including hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, environmental sustainability, power politics, social justice, and cultural identity. The program aims to equip students with analytical and practical skills to critically engage with issues such as:

• Food and nutrition security
• Sustainable food systems
• Value chains and corporate power
• Agri-food technology and its contestations

Outline:

Duration:

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Start Date:

September 2024

Modules:

• Core Modules:
• Autumn Teaching:
• Critical Debates in Development Theory
• Food Politics and Development
• Spring Teaching:
• Research Methods and Professional Skills
• Summer Teaching:
• Dissertation (Food and Development)
• Options:
• Spring Teaching:
• Climate Change and Development
• Climate change: Impacts and Adaptation
• Competing in the Green Economy
• Fair Trade, Ethical Business & New Moral Economies
• Nutrition
• Poverty, Vulnerability and the Global Economy
• Sustainability and Policy Processes: Issues in Agriculture, Environment and Health
• Summer Teaching:
• Dissertation with Placement (Global Studies)

Teaching:

• The program draws on the expertise of faculty at both the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the School of Global Studies at Sussex.
• The teaching is student-focused, encouraging debates and challenges.
• Guest speakers from government bodies, international organizations, NGOs, and local food networks and movements provide insights into contemporary policy debates and practices.

Careers:

• Graduates are expected to become specialists and advisors in food and development issues worldwide.
• Potential career paths include working for:
• Governments
• International development agencies
• Civil-society organizations
• Social movements engaged with food-related themes.

Other:

• The program is based at the School of Global Studies at Sussex.
• The program emphasizes the development of both academic and practical skills, including analytical, writing, and presentation skills.
• Students gain a thorough understanding of social science research methods and develop independent research skills.
• The program offers the option to undertake fieldwork, but it is not mandatory.
• Students should consult with course convenors and dissertation supervisors before making any fieldwork arrangements.
• The program is subject to review and may change in response to student feedback, staff expertise, research, and teaching methodology.
• The order of modules or streams chosen may determine whether modules are core or optional.
• The program is designed to be flexible and can be studied full-time or part-time.
• The program is ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).
• The program is ranked 3rd in the UK for research impact in Geography and Environmental Studies (REF 2021, Times Higher Education).
• The program is ranked 9th in the UK for Social Sciences (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024).