Global Development Management

The world is at a turning point with humanity facing unprecedented Global Challenges. This postgraduate certificate in global development management critically engages with the complex and contested policies and practices of ‘development’ whilst helping you build the core knowledge and capacities you need to analyse, evaluate and manage humanity’s efforts to bring about positive change. Building on the global agenda for sustainable development, it assumes that development management is a political and ethical process, a matter of the use of power to bring about desired goals in contexts characterised by conflicts of interests, values, and agendas. You’ll learn a range of skills needed by a development manager or practitioner to do with strategic thinking, research, advocacy, planning, policy making and evaluation.

Key features of the course
• Explores the complexity of ‘development’ locally and globally.
• Critically analyses development management, challenges conventional thinking, and encourages the creation of better approaches.
• Builds a range of understandings and skills – conceptual, professional, and practical – for managing development.
• Promotes competence in using key tools that contribute to development management practice.
• Makes links between academic learning and professional practice, to the benefit of both.

Modules
To gain this qualification, you need 60 credits from the following:
Compulsory module
Global development in practice (D890) 60 Credits

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

For module details please see "Course Web Page".

It is recommended that you hold a UK bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), or have had experience of working, in a paid or voluntary capacity, in a development agency (international or local) prior to embarking on this qualification. However, these requirements are not compulsory and you will not be required to provide any supporting documentary evidence.

Minimum – 9 months

See Course Web Page link for next start date.

Career relevance
Managers working in development contexts need the ability to appreciate the diversity and complexity of these contexts and the capacity to bring about good change. They also need the capacity to understand their own role and the roles of others in bringing about change that works. The module in this certificate provides an historical, interdisciplinary and international framework for analysing the contexts in which development interventions take place and a set of skills for planning, implementing and evaluating those interventions. They equip practitioners to make more effective contributions to the policy and practice of their organisations.

Research Areas

Primary care research
Management of cardiovascular disease in the community
Professional practice (with an emphasis on rural practice)
Patients' perspectives
Antimicrobial resistance in the community
Medical education research