Development Practice

Terms offered: Spring 2025
The MDP Capstone Experience aims to guide students to successfully complete their capstone (final project or master’s thesis) milestone from the Master of Development Practice (MDP) program. The course aims to help students create an outstanding final project or master’s thesis, and to provide an appropriate scaffolding. Students will reflect on their pedagogical and professional journey during the MDP program. One can expect to acquire research-related skills, such as writing a proposal, designing a research project, and writing a literature review, and gain proficiency in the use of Internet-based search engines, data collection, and electronic journals, etc as well as produce stellar presentations.
The Capstone Experience: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023
The MDP Capstone Experience aims to guide students to successfully complete their capstone (final project or master’s thesis) milestone from the Master of Development Practice (MDP) program. The course aims to help students create an outstanding final project or master’s thesis, and to provide an appropriate scaffolding. Students will reflect on their pedagogical and professional journey during the MDP program. One can expect to acquire research-related skills, such as writing a proposal, designing a research project, and writing a literature review, and gain proficiency in the use of Internet-based search engines, data collection, and electronic journals, etc as well as produce stellar presentations.
The Capstone Experience: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023
This course is designed for students who have had calculus but may not have used it in some time. This prepares them for the required Quantitative Methods and Impact Evaluation course, which presumes an understanding of all the concepts below, including regression analysis. Because 90% or more of empirical research and policy analyses involve some type of regression analysis, teaching the mechanics of ordinary least squares and how to understand and interpret regression analyses will be a component of learning objectives, and at the end of the course, students will understand regression analysis.
Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Graduate seminar examining the role of energy science, technology, and policy in
international development. The course will look at how changes in the theory and practice
of energy systems and of international development have co-evolved over the past half-
century, and what opportunities exist going forward.
A focus will be on rural and decentralized energy use, and the issues of technology, culture,
and politics that are raised by both current trajectories, and potential alternative energy
choices. We will explore the frequently divergent ideas about energy and development that
have emerged from civil society, academia, multinational development agencies, and the
private and industrial sector.
Climate, Energy and Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Fall 2017
Graduate seminar examining the role of energy science, technology, and policy in
international development. The course will look at how changes in the theory and practice
of energy systems and of international development have co-evolved over the past half-
century, and what opportunities exist going forward.
A focus will be on rural and decentralized energy use, and the issues of technology, culture,
and politics that are raised by both current trajectories, and potential alternative energy
choices. We will explore the frequently divergent ideas about energy and development that
have emerged from civil society, academia, multinational development agencies, and the
private and industrial sector.
Climate, Energy and Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course will introduce the basic concepts including economic welfare, externality, public good, global commons, policy approaches for dealing with externality, and techniques for quality analysis. It will include case studies where groups will design economic incentives and policy solutions to major problems. It will have sections on particular problems including climate change, water and air quality, animal waste, toxic contamination, forestry and fishery policy.
Economics of Sustainable Resource Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course will introduce concepts in natural resource management. Segment 1 will cover basic modeling, techniques, and methodology in natural resource mamangement and sustainability. Segment 2 will address genetic resources and agriculture. Segment 3 will cover principles of natural resource management, namely water and air, in the development context. Segment 4 profides an overview of major concepts in the conservation of biodiversity. Students are expected to present research reports based on case studies.
Principles of Natural Resource Management: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
A pragmatic, interdisciplinary introduction to strategic planning and project management, introducing students to a portfolio of models, tools, and techniques drawn from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. It will offer an opportunity through case studies, simulations and class projects to apply those approaches in settings relevant to the development field.
Strategic Planning and Project Management: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024
The primary objective of the Project Management course is to develop critical skills and the knowledge needed to successfully define, plan, implement and lead projects. Emphasis on this course is positioned on Project Planning. The course may be particularly useful to students who attend experiential learning programs, such as MDP, where teams of students may need to define and plan projects along their semester or the year. Course content includes lecture notes on Project Management theory and tools, Business Cases and Project Management software and a Simulation on Project Execution.
Project Management: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024
This course focuses on the tools, techniques and methodologies by which sustainable development leaders can enhance the impact and viability of their organizations and/or plans. In this course, we will assume a leadership perspective on the management of organizations with the intent of improving your strategic decision-making skills. You will learn the analytical tools used by organizations to maximize their impact on key stakeholders.
Strategic Planning and Managemenr: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of estimation, prediction, and hypothesis testing. The course will focus on impact evaluation theory and methods and will explore the variety of tools available for rigorously measuring the impact of development programs on poverty.
Quantitative Methods and Impact Evaluation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024
Delve into the triumphs of public policy in the Global South, with a primary emphasis on Latin America. Uncover stories of social welfare programs that lifted millions from poverty, criminal justice reforms that curbed human rights abuses, and transformative voting technologies. Assess the effectiveness of these policies, and explore the political dynamics that facilitated their success. By the end, you'll gain insights into the symbiotic relationship between good policy and good politics in the Global South.
Politics of Policy Success: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
The seminar will introduce core disciplines and concepts in public health, using a case-based, integrated approach. Examples of cases discussed include: respiratory disease and air pollution; tobacco control and prevention of smoking-related conditions; disease elimination or eradication via childhood immunization; environmental control and prevention of schistosomiasis; behavior change and prevention of HIV/AIDS; and novel economic approaches to improving healthcare delivery to impoverished groups.
Foundations of Public Health: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Law, Politics, and Policymaking will introduce students to principles of law, the mechanisms of politics, political economy, and policymaking delving into fundamentals of business, as well as environmental, international, and human rights law in the context of development. This course will provide students with insights into real-world contexts in which sustainable development practice takes place. It will consist of case studies of political economic and legal analysis.
Law, Politics, and Policymaking: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Learn to apply the tools of economic analysis to problems of growth, poverty, and environmental sustainability in developing countries and to understand what can be done to promote development through policies and investment projects, and learn to analyze the economic, social, and environmental impacts of specific initiatives. This course will teach students to use data to conduct development analyses and learn to prepare the corresponding reports for international development agencies and policymakers.
Economic Development and Policy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This three-segment course starts with critical evaluation of literature and methods for communal natural resource management, followed by a segment that emphasizes leadership skills and conflict resolution approaches for development. The third segment will address issues of conflict and policymaking in a global context and provide the institutional perspective of development organizations and strategies.
Leadership, Conflict Resolution, and Community Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2022
This course provides an opportunity for Master of Development Practice students to interact with a diverse group of invited guest speakers, including academics and practitioners. It will also provide opportunities for group discussion of basic questions, and it will provide opportunities to present ideas and discuss research and internship plans and experiences.
Interactive/Multidisciplinary Seminar: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023
Introduction to Development Practice is a course geared towards first-semester MDP students to provide an introduction, overview, and history of the development field, including a discussion of the emergence of various forms of development institutions and organizations, as well as key policies influencing the emergence and evolution of the field.
Introduction to Development Practice: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024
The focus of the course is on rigorous analysis of issues in development economics from a microeconomics lens. We take a threefold approach to each topic: we examine, in turn, theory, evidence, and policy. Yet the goal of the course is not simply to have you learn facts and theories about poor countries—instead, the goal is that you learn, hands-on, how economists approach problems of development. As such, the bulk of the course will be devoted to in-depth analysis of (microeconomic) models and (micro-econometric) empirical methods. Finally, a sub-theme of the course is to provide the professional tools and experience in using data sets for analysis.
International Poverty and Economic Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018
This course emphasizes the development and application of policy solutions to developing-world problems related to poverty, macroeconomic policy, and environmental sustainability. Methods of statistical, economic, and policy analysis are applied to a series of case studies. The course is designed to develop practical professional skills for application in the international arena.
International Economic Development Policy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
This course provides a hands-on introduction to entrepreneurship as it relates to sustainable development. Its focus is on exploring and developing the toolsets, skillsets and mindsets required to launch and sustain a successful venture, be it from the ground up or from inside an existing organization, for-profit or non-profit. Guided by visiting experts and guest lectures, students will learn how to focus on “customers” first and to understand "sustainability" not only in environmental and social terms but also how to ensure critically important financial sustainability.
Special Topics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022
This course will bridge the gap between development theory and its application by sharing the challenges that arise from: i) the implementation of projects and programs supported by international financing institutions like IFAD; and ii) the assessment of their impact. Since the mandate of IFAD is to focus on fighting rural poverty, the seminar will cover a range of topics regarding: i) sectoral/sub-sectoral domains such as rural development, natural resource management, and micro-finance; ii) vulnerable social groups such as indigenous people, marginal farmers, women and youth; and iii) key development processes such as targeting, empowerment, participatory planning, and monitoring and evaluation.
Implementing and Assessing International Development Projects and Policies: From Theory to Practice: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course will focus on the means and methods of finance applied to social, economic, and environmental challenges facing developing economies. It will survey the application of innovative financing emerging through new products and services, new processes and operations and organizational forms in addressing problems as diverse as entrepreneurial finance, renewable energy, environmental finance, global health, accelerating medical solutions, regional development, affordable housing, urban revitalization and infrastructure.

Innovative Finance for Development: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Fall 2022
Supervised Independent Study and Research
Independent Study: Read More [+]