Specialisation Development Research: Institute of Social Studies

Educational requirements:

• BA degree in social science, from a recognised university, at least class 2.2 or B, preferably class 2.1. Check ISS website for specific requirements.

Professional experience required:

• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience relevant to DRES is normally expected and is a preference for admission

Language requirements:

• TOEFL (minimum score: Overall 580); IELTS (minimum score: Overall 6.5), Other tests, like ALIGU and Michigan, are also recognised. Applicants need to demonstrate a level at least equivalent to the TOEFL/IELTS requirements
  Other requirements

Objectives:

• DRES makes students familiar with the main epistemological and methodological traditions in social science. Alumni will be capable of undertaking advanced research design, enquiry and evaluative analysis, and engage in debates on development research. They will understand a range of key research methods, techniques and instruments, and they will have specific research skills for impact evaluation

Subjects:

• Philosophy of social science; (inter)disciplinary research strategies and methods; ethics in research; research methodology; qualitative and quantitative data-analysis, data-collection and data-management; presenting and debating research strategies, issues and methods; writing-up research

Modes of instruction:

• Lectures, individual and group work, assignments, exercises and small-group tutorials, simulation games, study visits, research paper. Several of these elements of the courses are organised in consultation with the participants.