Subject overview

Programmes

• PhD in Development Studies (Global Studies)
• PhD in Development Studies (IDS)
• MPhil in Development Studies (Global Studies)

Research in the School of Global Studies

We welcome enquiries from students wishing to undertake research in any areas of faculty interest. 

All research students are required to complete an appropriate programme of research methods training. This may involve enrolling on the MSc in Social Research Methods – a stand-alone Masters degree – before proceeding to a PhD. This is known as a 1+3 degree. 

Students who have already completed a programme of research methods training can apply for the basic, three-year doctoral degree leading to a PhD. 

Coursework and supervision

Whether you start the three-year PhD or the 1+3 MSc/PhD degree, you will normally be required to complete some research methods training modules and possibly some specialist thematic modules drawn from the MA degrees. You will be allocated two academic supervisors with whom you work for the duration of your research degree. These are allocated according to their regional and thematic expertise, to provide a complementary ‘match’ with your research. 

Fieldwork

Research degrees usually involve fieldwork away from Sussex during the second year of your PhD. Supervision continues during fieldwork, while you gather data to be written up in the final year. Students on the 1+3 degree can normally go to the field by the middle of their second year. 

Recent thesis titles

Aboriginal property rights and biodiversity within the globalised political economy 

Building capacity for community economic development: the case of Kat River Valley, South Africa 

Community development among the Khasis in Meghalaya, India 

Conservation, development and participation: the rhetoric of medicinal plant policy in Nepal 

Emancipation and overcoming metaphysics in post-development thought 

Enterprise development and informality: case studies from Mozambique 

Environmental degradation and sustainable livelihoods following the return of Mozambican refugees from Dedza and Ntcheu Districts, Malawi 

Legitimacy of local institutions for natural resource management in Manica, Mozambique 

Poverty, livelihoods, social capital and migration: a case of two villages in northwest Cambodia 

Small farmers and the political economy of pesticide use in banana production in St Lucia 

Research at IDS

IDS runs a PhD for research in areas aligned to our research teams and Fellows. Prospective applicants, and those applying for the MSc in Social Research Methods with a view to subsequently enrolling for a doctorate, are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the research priorities of our research teams and Fellows, and to enter into dialogue with them, prior to application. 

Information on research priorities can be obtained from our research teams. Alternatively, a current annual report can be obtained from the IDS teaching team: 

T +44 (0)1273 606261 
F +44 (0)1273 621202/691647 
E teaching@ids.ac.uk 
IDS

Registration

Students are required to register (and pay full-time fees) for a minimum of three years. 

Coursework

Research training needs will be assessed at the time of application and admission. You may be required to undertake coursework on research skills. You will be allocated two academic supervisors with whom you work for the duration of your studies. 

Fieldwork

Research degrees normally require fieldwork, usually in the second year of your programme of study. 

Recent thesis titles

Claiming citizenship in the shadow of the state: violence and the making and unmaking of citizens in Rio de Janeiro 

Commercial pressures and social justices in the Indian textile and garment industries: rules, conventions, commitments and change 

Devolution and deconcentration in action: a comparative study of five Municipal Health Directorates in Ghana 

Global environmental agreements and local livelihoods: how the internationalisation of environmental resources shapes access to and control over wetland resources in Okavango Delta, Botswana 

Negotiating citizenship through communal water management in Highland Ecuador 

Penetrating localities: participatory development and pragmatic politics in rural Andhra Pradesh, India 

Risk, modernity and the H5N1 virus in action in Indonesia. A multi-sited study of the threats of avian and human pandemic influenza 

The EU Economic Partnership Agreements with Southern Africa: a computable general equilibrium analysis 

The governability dilemma: progressive politics under Lula and the Brazilian Workers’ Party 

The political ecology of road construction in Ladakh  

Entry requirements

MPhil in Development Studies (Global Studies)

UK entrance requirements

A first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in any relevant social science but applicants with other backgrounds may be considered. Applicants should submit an outline (two to three pages) of their research interests.

Overseas entrance requirements

If your country is not listed below, please contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

Country	Overseas qualification
Australia	Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class upper division
Brazil	Bacharel, Licenciado or professional title with a final mark of at least 8
Canada	Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.3/4.0 (grade B+)
China	Bachelor degree from a leading university with overall mark of 75%-85% depending on your university
Cyprus	Bachelor degree or Ptychion with a final mark of at least 7.5
France	Licence with mention bien or Maîtrise with final mark of at least 13
Germany	Bachelor degree or Magister Artium with a final mark of 2.4 or better
Ghana	Bachelor degree from a public university with second-class upper division
Greece	Ptychion from an AEI with a final mark of at least 7.5
Hong Kong	Bachelor (Honours) degree with second-class upper division
India	Bachelor degree from a leading institution with overall mark of at least 60% or equivalent
Iran	Bachelor degree (Licence or Karshenasi) with a final mark of at least 15
Italy	Diploma di Laurea with an overall mark of at least 105
Japan	Bachelor degree from a leading university with a minumum average of B+ or equivalent
Malaysia	Bachelor degree with class 2 division 1
Mexico	Licenciado with a final mark of at least 8
Nigeria	Bachelor degree with second-class upper division or CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0
Pakistan	Four-year bachelor degree, normally with a GPA of at least 3.3
Russia	Magistr or Specialist Diploma with a minimum average mark of at least 4
South Africa	Bachelor (Honours) degree or Bachelor degree in Technology with an overall mark of at least 70%
Saudi Arabia	Bachelor degree with an overall mark of at least 70% or CGPA 3.5/5.0 or equivalent
South Korea	Bachelor degree from a leading university with CGPA of at least 3.5/4.0 or equivalent
Spain	Licenciado with a final mark of at least 2/4
Taiwan	Bachelor degree with overall mark of 70%-85% depending on your university
Thailand	Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or equivalent
Turkey	Lisans Diplomasi with CGPA of at least 3.0/4.0 depending on your university
United Arab Emirates	Bachelor degree with CGPA of at least 3.5/4.0 or equivalent
USA	Bachelor degree with CGPA 3.3-3.5/4.0 depending on your university
Vietnam	Masters degree with CGPA 3.5/4.0 or equivalent

If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas qualifications, contact the University at E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

PhD in Development Studies (Global Studies)

UK entrance requirements

A Masters degree in any relevant social science but candidates from other backgrounds may be considered. Applicants should submit an outline research proposal indicating the nature, ambition and primary questions of the research project.

Overseas entrance requirements

If you are an international student and wish to find out if you have the necessary qualifications for this degree, please refer to Overseas qualifications.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

PhD in Development Studies (IDS)

UK entrance requirements

A Masters degree in any relevant social science but candidates with other backgrounds may be considered. Applicants should submit an outline proposal indicating the nature, ambition and primary questions of the research project.

Applicants must have substantial professional work experience in a developing country or in development-related work

Overseas entrance requirements

If you are an international student and wish to find out if you have the necessary qualifications for this degree, please refer to Overseas qualifications.

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with not less than 6.5 in each section. Internet TOEFL with 95 overall, with at least 22 in Listening, 23 in Reading, 23 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

Related subjects

• Anthropology
• Human rights
• Migration studies

Fees and funding

Fees

MPhil in Development Studies (Global Studies)

Home UK/EU students: £3,900¹
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £3,900²
Overseas students: £13,000³

¹ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
² The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
³ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

PhD in Development Studies (Global Studies)

Home UK/EU students: £3,900¹
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £3,900²
Overseas students: £13,000³

¹ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
² The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
³ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

PhD in Development Studies (IDS)

Home UK/EU students: £3,900¹
Overseas students: £13,000²

¹ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
² The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

Faculty interests

Global Studies faculty

Within the School of Global Studies there is a close academic collaboration between departments and interdisciplinary research centres. Both faculty and students are members of the Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies, the Centre for World Environmental History, the Justice and Violence Research Centre, and the Sussex Centre for Migration Research. Research interests are briefly described below. For more detailed information, visit International development.

Dr Andreas Antoniades Globalisation, political economy. 

Dr Paul Boyce Gender, sexualities, health, South Asia. 

Dr Grace Carswell East Africa, Southern India; rural livelihoods; population-environment interactions. 

Professor Andrea Cornwall Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Brazil, India, UK: political anthropology, gender. 

Dr Vinita Damodaran Protest and nationalism in India. 

Dr Geert De Neve Politics of labour in India, anthropology of globalisation. 

Professor Saul Dubow Racial segregation and apartheid, ethnicity and national identity, the nature of imperialism and of colonial science. 

Professor Mick Dunford China, regional and urban economic development. 

Dr Nigel Eltringham Rwanda, anthropology of rights and reconciliation. 

Professor James Fairhead West and central Africa; environmental anthropology; conflict, violence, health. 

Dr Anne-Meike Fechter Ethnographies of aid workers, gender, South-East Asia. 

Professor Katy Gardner Mining, livelihoods and social development in Bangladesh; transnational migration and development. 

Dr Elizabeth Harrison Partnership and participation, development discourses, UK and sub-Saharan Africa. 

Dr Pamela Kea Gender relations, agrarian change and development. 

Dr Evan Killick Poverty, development and social relations in Amazonia. 

Professor Dominic Kniveton Climate systems and the hydrological cycle in southern Africa, migration. 

Dr Mark Leopold Conflict and political violence in Uganda. 

Professor Alan Lester Colonial origins of humanitarianism, imperial networks in Africa and Australia. 

Dr Julie Litchfield Poverty and development. 

Dr Peter Luetchford Central America, fair trade and development. 

Dr Kamran Matin Processes of modern socio-political transformation in the Middle East. 

Dr Lyndsay McLean Hilker Conflict and violence, reconciliation, ethnicity, Rwanda. 

Professor Peter Newell Environment, development and climate change. 

Dr David Ockwell Low-carbon technology transfer to developing countries, energy policy, communication and behaviour change. 

Dr Filippo Osella Social relations, migration, masculinity in South India. 

Dr Fabio Petito International political theory, international relations of the Mediterranean. 

Dr Rebecca Prentice Health, gender and the politics of labour. 

Dr Dinah Rajak Corporate social responsibility and development. 

Dr David Robinson Impacts of development; environmental change; soils, coasts. 

Professor Ben Rogaly Political economy of migrant work in India. 

Dr Pedram Rowhani Climate change and food, GIS, East Africa. 

Dr Jan Selby Peace processes and water politics in the Middle East. 

Dr Ben Selwyn Export production and development in Brazil. 

Professor Ronald Skeldon Professorial Fellow. Population migration in the developing world, especially Asia. 

Dr Anna Stavrianakis Global arms trade, civil society, imperialism. 

Dr Maya Unnithan India, reproductive rights and development.

IDS Fellows and research associates

Dr Jeremy Allouche Access to water and sanitation and pro-poor regulation, water security, transboundary water conflicts. 

Inka Barnett Nutrition, food security, health, children and youth and ICTs. 

Dr Christopher Béné Socioeconomic, governance and policy issues related to natural resources. 

Dr Evangelia Berdou Implications of information communication technologies for work, livelihoods, learning and collaboration. 

Dr Gerald Bloom Finance, performance of markets for health-related goods and services, the changing role of government. 

Professor Danny Burns Participatory methods, systemic action research, community development and action. 

Dr Terry Cannon Rural livelihoods, disaster vulnerability and climate change adaptation, especially at community level. 

Dr Deepta Chopra Managing and designing livelihoods programmes and poverty policies in India. 

Dr Stephen Devereux Economist working on food security, rural livelihoods, social protection and poverty reduction. 

Jerker Edstrom Gender and masculinities, the informal economy of sex, HIV-related citizenship and policy, children affected by HIV and AIDS. 

Dr Rosalind Eyben Feminist, social anthropologist with extensive experience in international development policy and practice. 

Professor John Gaventa Citizen participation: power, participatory governance. 

Dr Martin Greeley Aid and public policy, agricultural development, programme and project impact evaluation, poverty measurement. 

Dr Jing Gu Issues of governance and accountability, international trade disputes settlement, aspects of trade policy making. 

Dr Jaideep Gupte Economist with research interests in violence, vulnerability and conflict with a particular geographic focus on South Asia. 

Professor Lawrence Haddad Director of IDS. The intersection of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition; women’s empowerment. 

Professor Spencer Henson Applied economist and expert in agri-food standards and developing countries. 

Dr Naomi Hossain Political effects of discourses of poverty and governance, social change in gender and childhood. 

Dr Peter Houtzager Analysis of political empowerment strategies and democratisation processes. 

Professor John Humphrey Global concentration in retail and its impact on developing country manufacturers. 

Dr Anuradha Joshi Public policy and experience in institutional analysis of development programmes. 

Dr Patricia Justino The micro-level causes and effects of violent conflict, the role of social security and redistribution on economic growth. 

Dr Akshay Khanna Anthropologist, lawyer and queer activist currently working on continuities between eroticism and violence. 

Professor Melissa Leach Social and institutional dimensions of environment and health; knowledge, power and policy processes. 

Dr Jeremy Lind Livelihoods in contexts of conflict and violence, the delivery of aid in difficult environments. 

Dr Dolf te Lintelo Political scientist with research interests in the governance of agri-food systems. 

Dr Michael Loevinsohn Issues of natural resource management in contexts of social and environmental change. 

Dr Hayley MacGregor Medical anthropology. Human rights discourses and citizen mobilisation in the context of health provisioning. 

Dr Edoardo Masset International development in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Rural development, child poverty, food consumption. 

Dr Rosemary McGee Institutional transformation, southern ownership and partnership in development cooperation. 

Professor J Allister McGregor Economist and anthropologist. Governance and development policies’ impact on poor people. 

Dr Lyla Mehta The politics of water and scarcity of water; forced migration; linkages between gender, displacement and resistance. 

Dr Shandana Mohmand Governance, state capacity, informal institutions, voting behaviour, colonial land history and socioeconomic inequality in Pakistan. 

Professor Mick Moore Political economist working on political and institutional aspects of ‘good government’, taxation and accountability. 

Dr Lars Otto Naess Social and institutional dimensions of adaptation to climate change at local and national levels. 

Dr Lizbeth Navas-Aleman Governance and upgrading issues in clusters, value chains and local systems of innovation. 

Dr Andrew Newsham Environment and development in Southern Africa and South America. 

Dr Nick Nisbett Nutrition policy, rural and urban poverty, food security, agriculture, ICTs and aid. 

Jethro Pettit Design and facilitation of learning, creative approaches to reflective practice. 

Dr Ana Pueyo Climate change, low-carbon development, techonology transfer. 

Dr Keetie Roelen Poverty, poverty reduction policies and social assistance and protection policies. 

Dr Rachel Sabates-Wheeler Comparative law, post-socialist transition, the gendered implications of newly acquired land. 

Professor Hubert Schmitz Industrialisation and employment, industrial clusters and collective efficiency. 

Dr Patta Scott-Villiers Public conversation and its influence on discourse, how research affects bureaucratic and political subordination. 

Dr Markus Schultze-Kraft Democratisation, conflict prevention and resolution; civil-military relations; security system reform. 

Professor Ian Scoones Links between ecological dynamics and local resource management in Africa. 

Dr Alex Shankland Social scientist working on democratisation and citizen-state engagement in health system reform. 

Dr Stephen Spratt Development finance, global and national financial sector reform and regulation. 

Dr Jim Sumberg Small-scale farming systems and agricultural research policy in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. 

Dr Mariz Tadros Research and teaching interests in gender empowerment; advocacy, participation and development.

Dr Thomas Tanner The policy and practice of adaptation to climate change. Climate risk management, child-centred approaches.

Dr John Thompson The political ecology and governance of agri-food systems, community-based natural resource management.

Dr Linda Waldman Dimensions of poverty; racial classification, ethnicity, identity, ritual and gender in South Africa.

Dr Noshua Watson Private-sector governance and codes of conduct, labour standards, corporate social responsibility.

Dr Joanna Wheeler Participatory research on topics including citizenship, gender, urban poverty, rights, and violence.

Dr Dirk Willenbockel Experience and publications in quantitative economic policy modelling. 

IDS research associates

Professor Robert Chambers Development knowledge in perceptions, concepts and realities of poverty and well-being.

Carlos Fortin The relationship between the emerging international trade regime and human rights.

Professor Sir Richard Jolly Long-run trends in global inequality and the history of UN contributions to development.

Dr Richard Longhurst Development aid policy, rural poverty, agriculture, food and nutrition policy, gender.

Dr Robin Luckham Legal systems and the legal profession; Third World and African military institutions, disarmament and development.

Careers and perspectives

School of Global Studies 

Many of our graduates find employment in the development world, within which we have strong international networks, or go on to do further research. 

IDS

Many of our graduates have gone on to careers in further research. 

School and contacts