Master in Global and Development Studies

Master in Global and Development Studies is one of 10 English-taught Development Studies programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 5 institutions. 10 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 4,250 to EUR 17,300; this programme lists EUR 5,000 a year. 7 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

Global and Development Studies at Roskilde University is a two-year master's programme taught in English. It is interdisciplinary, combining global and development studies with international relations, political economy, political science, sociology and anthropology. You learn to analyse how global changes affect people's lives, with questions of justice, inequality, conflict and sustainability at the centre.

What you study

The first year gives you a common academic base. The Foundation Course in Global and Development Studies (10 ECTS) runs in the first semester, alongside Project Management and Evaluation (5 ECTS), Power, Conflict and Justice (5 ECTS), Sustainability, Development and Inequality (5 ECTS), an elective course within Advanced Methods (5 ECTS), and two projects: one linked to Sustainability, Development and Inequality (10 ECTS) and one in Economic and Social Contestation (10 ECTS). You also take an elective course within Current Global Development Challenges and Solutions (10 ECTS).

In the second year you choose one of three tracks. Track A combines an elective in Current Global Development Challenges and Solutions (10 ECTS), Policy Analysis (5 ECTS), an elective in Advanced Methods (5 ECTS) and the Current Global and Development Challenges Project (10 ECTS). Track B replaces the project with a Project-oriented Internship (15 ECTS). Track C is a full Project-oriented Internship (30 ECTS). All students write the Thesis in Global and Development Studies (30 ECTS).

Teaching uses lectures, seminars, readings, study group discussions and exercises. Project work is done in teams, with supervision. You design, prepare and carry out a project on a problem of your own choosing, and defend your results at an oral exam. You can also take a semester of exchange at a partner university abroad.

How the programme is organised

Mandatory study activities give you a shared academic ground, while elective courses let you follow your own empirical, theoretical and methodological interests. The project work is where you build your own academic profile. You work in a project team, guided by a supervisor, through the whole process: identifying a problem, choosing theory and social science methods, gathering and analysing data, and communicating your results in writing and orally. The programme is taught in English and the study environment is culturally and linguistically diverse.

Who it suits

It suits you if you want to understand global development trends and are curious about how social, political and economic actors and institutions work, including their histories. You should be willing to take responsibility for your own project and to work closely with fellow students. The programme trains you to handle complex and unpredictable tasks, plan and manage projects, conduct evaluations, gather and present data, write policy briefs and give policy advice.

Admission, language and next steps

The programme is closed for admission in 2026. Only students holding a bachelor's degree from Roskilde University with a legal right of admission (retskrav) can still be admitted. In 2027 the programme will be open for admission again for students without a legal right of admission. Teaching is in English. Applications for master's programmes go directly to Roskilde University. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland study free of charge; other students pay a fee set by the institution. Check the programme page for the exact admission requirements and deadlines.

Master’s applications go straight to Roskilde University, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.