MDP Program
Video: Jeffrey Sachs Introduces the first Master's in Development Practice program
The Global Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) is an innovative, cross-disciplinary graduate degree program that provides students with the knowledge and skills required to better identify and address the global challenges of sustainable development. MDP programs consist of two years of cross-disciplinary academic training in the health, social, natural & engineering sciences and management, along with rigorous, hands-on field training experiences. The creation of MDP programs is an acknowledgement that addressing extreme poverty and sustainable development throughout the world requires expert knowledge and an interdisciplinary approach. By broadening students’ training they will be able to more effectively understand and address the root causes of extreme poverty and the challenges of sustainable development. All MDP programs belong to a Global Network of MDP programs and have been developed in concert with the recommendations of the report of the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice.
In addition, the MDP Programs are designed to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for:
- “Generalist” development practitioners for understanding the complex interactions among fields enabling them to coordinate and implement effectively the insights offered by subject-specific specialists;
- “Specialist” development practitioners in rounding out their knowledge base for the practice of sustainable development, so that they can contribute as effectively as possible to cross-disciplinary policy teams;
- Policy administrators, policy professionals, and other decision makers who want to pursue effective strategies for sustainable development practice;
- Private-sector professionals dealing with decision-making and problem-solving relating to sustainable development practice; and
- Educators who want to better address the challenges of sustainable development practice in their curricula.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has committed $15 million to create MDP programs at up to 15 universities worldwide over the next three years. On June 30, 2009, the MacArthur Foundation announced that 10 universities across the globe will receive significant grants to establish new MDP programs. The universities will produce approximately 250 graduates with a Master’s in Development Practice degree by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled.
The first ten universities to join the Global Network of MDP programs are:
- Columbia University (New York, New York), supported by a MacArthur grant from 2008, will launch the first Master’s in Development Practice program this September. Columbia has helped develop the MDP core curriculum with courses bridging the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and management. Students will conduct field training in several Millennium Village sites in Africa.
- Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) will offer training in the core curriculum, while emphasizing the health-related aspects of sustainable development through its work with partners that include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India) will emphasize energy and climate sciences, building on its contributions to scientific and policy research in energy, environment, and sustainable development.
- James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia) will offer coursework at its two campuses and field training in the Philippines and Indonesia, focusing on the challenges to sustainable development and governance in tropical island nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland) will integrate their teaching in international development and also partner with the National University of Rwanda to offer field training and coursework in conservation and sustainable development.
- Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) will build on its English-language degrees and master’s programs in international development and public administration to focus on development models for China.
- University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal) will focus on current development challenges facing Africa by integrating health, social and natural sciences, engineering, information technology, and management. It will also serve as a MDP program hub for French-speaking West African nations.
- University of Botswana (Gaborone, Botswana) will create a modular program designed for working professionals. Rigorous independent study will be complemented by two to three weeks of on campus training each semester. University of Botswana will partner with University of Florida to offer field training experiences in Botswana.
- University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida) will implement a program that includes the core curriculum, building on University of Florida’s expertise in conservation and sustainable development, especially in Latin America. The program also incorporates faculty and student exchanges and a field-training program in Botswana, in partnership with University of Botswana.
- University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria) will build on existing graduate programs in health, science, and natural resources with the long-term goal of creating a Centre for Development Studies. It will also serve as a MDP program hub for English-speaking West African nations.
- University of Minnesota (Twin Cities, Minnesota) MDP program will enroll its first cohort of students in August 2010. The UMN MDP program will focus on developing practices to support sustainable and poverty-reducing livelihood strategies across the global south, through interdisciplinary policy-oriented training in public health, environmental processes, economic analysis, societal change, agriculture, education, mixed methodologies, management and leadership