M.A. in International Development Requirements

Requirements

• Completed application form. See Application Instructions to learn how.
• A non-refundable application fee of $75.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a four-point scale) in all previous undergraduate and graduate study. (Occasionally, applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally upon the recommendation of the department.)
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate study, including evidence of having received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. (Those applying during their final undergraduate year will be required to submit a final transcript after completion of their bachelor’s degree and before enrolling in their first semester of graduate study.) See Application Guidelines and FAQ for more information.
• Official transcripts of all graduate study. See Application Guidelines and FAQ for more information.
• Goals statement. See below for more information.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• All international applicants from non-English speaking countries must demonstrate English language competence via the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) examination. TOEFL results may be substituted instead of taking the DRP. (Use 5240 for the ETS institutional code)

Additional Program Requirements

• A basic understanding of economics is necessary to complete coursework in Economic Development and Micropolitics. Therefore, students must have passed an introductory course in economics.
• Interview with the International Development MA Program. After you submitting a complete application, the program will contact you to arrange an interview (either face to face or via video-platform)
• Goals statement questions
  • What got you interested in the International Development field? Describe experience working in deaf development organizations, community-based organizations, social justice work, international experiences, or other experiences that led you to International Development.
  • The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals describe 17 areas of global issues that include things like access to quality education, employment, food, health, gender equity, disasters and climate change, and emphasize disability inclusion in each area. What areas are you interested in studying and working on in your career?
  • In your academic, community, or professional experiences–describe a situation that required you to work with others to create a solution to a problem? What role did you take in creating that solution?
  • In your online application, you will submit a written personal statement answering four questions and submit a link to an American Sign Language (ASL) video where you discuss the same four questions. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the way that you approach the four questions in each language. The ASL video and written Goal Statement can address the same key points or different points, and can vary in both composition structure and content. The ASL and English Goal Statement do not need to be identical.
  • What kind of professional work do you envision for yourself after graduation? For example — implementing community-based projects, developing policy, research, monitoring and evaluation of projects.
  • Provide any other information that will help us better understand you as an individual and better evaluate you as an applicant for this program.
• February 15 – Priority application deadline (for scholarship consideration)
• May 15 – Standard application deadline