Dr Elliott Green and Prof David Keen

This course is compulsory on the MRes/PhD in International Development. This course is not available as an outside option.

Students will work with their academic supervisors to structure a doctoral research proposal that has the potential to make a significant contribution to knowledge and that reflects a sophisticated mastery of advanced theoretical and methodological tools from one or more academic disciplines related to international development.  They will learn how to identify good research questions that are embedded in the current academic literature, and how to apply recognisable, defensible and academically sophisticated methodologies to address those questions.  The doctoral research proposal itself will identify a key research question(s) for investigation, a justification well embedded in existing academic literature for why the topic is theoretically and empirically important, and a well-developed theoretical and methodological framework for researching the question(s).

Students will meet their supervisors three times a term during their first year of study in accordance with the LSE's regulations for Research Degrees.  Their proposals will be developed over the course of these meetings.

Students will be expected to produce 3 pieces of coursework in the MT, LT and ST.

Students will submit drafts of their proposal to their supervisors and receive feedback.  

The reading list for each student will be determined by the research they propose undertaking.

Other (100%) in the ST.