Prof Kate Meagher

Prof Catherine Boone

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Development Management (Applied Development Economics), MSc in Development Management (Applied Development Economics) (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Management (Political Economy), MSc in Development Management (Political Economy) (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Health and International Development and MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies. This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes.

This course covers the design, research, and writing of the 10,000 word dissertation in international development. Students will learn about the challenges of conducting independent research in international development, consider the methods used to generate evidence, and to critically assess the quality and validity of research analysis and findings in development research and policy.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

Students are provided with guidance and training on their dissertation over the course of three terms from their academic mentor, lecturers in DV410, and from individual and group sessions provided through LSE Life and the Methodology Institute throughout the academic year.

Formative verbal feedback is provided on an ongoing basis from the academic mentor, and in the dissertation proposal form in WT. In ST, formative feedback in a more structured format is provided in the dissertation workshop.

Dissertation (100%, 10000 words).