1. Do you lose sleep over issues of globalisation, the climate crisis, migration or inequality and poverty around the world? 
2. Do you want to contribute as a change agent at the intersection of global, national and local policy arenas? 

The Institute of Development Policy (IOB) at the University of Antwerp brings together people from around the world who share your concerns and ambitions.  In this advanced Master you will gain insight into the global development context in all its dimensions (global market for goods and services, capital, labor/migration and the challenge of sustainable development). The master provides insights and tools to improve the impact of the global context on development and poverty. In an international class room, both theoretical insights and policy strategies are provided interactively to prepare you for your future professional environment. Successful completion of the programme leads to the awarding of a Master of Science degree.

About the programme 

The programme takes 12 months of full-time study to complete, starting and ending in mid-September and is modular in structure. 

1. Module 1: You start with a broad, interdisciplinary look at the various theoretical models of development and poverty. Then you can choose from a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methods or from a research internship with one of our Southern partners (in the Philippines, Nicaragua, Tanzania). 
2. Module 2: The master now zooms in on ‘globalisation’. You will analyze the interaction between foreign and domestic actors at the interface of (inter)national and local arenas and the opportunities and constraints this presents for sustainable development. 
3. Module 3: You now delve into a course on linking institutions and poverty reduction. You can choose from courses such as gender, migration, local governance, natural resources, value chains, labor, land and development. 
4. Module 4: For your master dissertation, you will conduct research on a development-relevant topic. Many IOB students choose to conductfieldwork but this is not obligatory; the master dissertation can also be literature-based research.