Dr Philipa Mladovsky, Dr Elliott Green and Dr Rajesh Venugopal

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Development Management, MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Health and International Development and MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies. This course is not available as an outside option.

DV410 is taken together with MY410 to provide students a coordinated introduction to the design, research and writing of the 10,000 word dissertation (see also separate entry for MY410). The objective is to enable students to conduct independent research, to consider the methods used to generate evidence, and to critically assess the quality and validity of research analysis and findings in development research and policy.  Students will learn about: the challenges of conducting research; research design, including how to generate a research question and how to select a research method; the relative strengths and weaknesses of alternative research methods; some of the practical and ethical issues of doing fieldwork; and, preparing for the dissertation.

DV410:  Up to 6 hours of lectures in the MT. Up to 8 hour workshop in the ST

Students are provided with guidance and training on their dissertation over the course of three terms from their academic mentor, lecturers in DV410, and from the dissertation workshop.  Additional support and feedback is also available from other ID faculty via the Department’s open-door policy, and from individual and group sessions provided through LSE Life throughout the academic year.

Formative verbal feedback is provided on an ongoing basis from the academic mentor. In ST, formative feedback in a more structured format is provided in the dissertation workshop.

Dissertation (80%, 10000 words) in the ST.
Coursework (20%) in the MT and LT.