The new MDP full-time program will be offered in September 2012 by the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development and is aimed at producing graduates with a set of practical skills and functional forms of knowledge in the interrelated areas of management, social science, physical science, and health as they relate to the practice of international development. It is our belief that graduates with this knowledge and expertise will constitute the foundation of a new kind of development practitioner who is a social innovator, helping to shape a just, humane and ecologically sustainable world.
The program is part of an international network of over 20 universities put together by the MacArthur Foundation that strives to fill the serious practical and multi-disciplinary gaps in existing International Development Studies (IDS) programs that do not match the needs and aspirations of young people today. The Master of Development Practice (MDP) program combines courses from several faculties and departments (for example, Economics, Environment, Planning, Health and Governance), and combines theory and practice with hands-on field experience to do this.
The Master of Development Practice (MDP) is a natural extension of the shared vision, mission and programs found in the Faculty of Environment, our International Development undergraduate program and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.
It provides an excellent setting for mid-career development professionals wishing to retrain themselves or to augment their current knowledge and skills for the complex challenges of the 21st Century, and for younger scholars eager to combine generalist management strengths with issue and area specific training and experience.
If you are interested in development issues in Canadian communities see the related Master of Local Economic Development degree.
The UW MDP program consists of nine (9) required courses, one milestone, a four-month field placement and three elective courses selected in one area of specialization. Click here for course descriptions.
YEAR 1: CORE CURRICULUM: THE FOUR PILLARS
Pre-programme orientation (September)
| Term 1: September-December | INDEV 601: Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Development (Global Classroom from Columbia University) INDEV 602: International Development: theory and practice INDEV 603: Global Health INDEV 609: Methods of Sustainable Development Pactices INDEV 605: Economics for Sustainable Development |
| Term 2: January-April | INDEV 606: Energy and Sustainability INDEV 604: Sustainable Cities INDEV 607: Management for Sustainability INDEV 608: Water and Security Milestone - Pre-Departure Workshop |
| Term 3: May-August | INDEV 611: Summer Abroad: Field Placement Project |
Term 4: September-December
Normally students will complete all three courses during the Fall semester (Sept-Dec); Some of the listed courses are not offered in the Fall semester, but will be available in Winter or Spring (to cater for cases where students are unable to complete during the normal time period). Note: some courses may not be offered in a given year. Students may be able to take equivalent courses at MDP partner universities. Students must consult with their advisor to determine an appropriate suite of courses.
Water Resources Management 3 electives from the following list: |
INDEV 612: Introduction to Water Resources (e- course in collaboration with UWC) INDEV 613: Water, Human Security and Development (e-course in collaboration with UWC) INDEV 614: Integrated Water Management (e- course in collaboration with UWC) INDEV 615: Transboundary Water Governance |
Natural Resources and Sustainable Food Systems 3 electives from the following list: |
INDEV 616: Urban Food Security ENBUS 621: Carbon Management ENBUS 622: Product Life Cycle Assessment GEOG 665: Environmental Planning Theory and Practice GEOG 668: Environmental Assessment GEOG 673: International Perspectives on Resource and Environmental Management ERS 606: Governing Global Food and Agriculture GEOG 639: Food Systems and Sustainability |
Sustainable Urban Futures 3 electives from the following list: |
INDEV 616: Urban Food Security PLAN 602: Land Development Planning PLAN 614: Issues in Houses PLAN 622: Contemporary Urban Planning and Government PLAN 648: Urban Design Philosophy and Method PLAN 678: Advances in Public Transportation Planning, Operation and Control PLAN 684: Physical Infrastructure and Planning PLAN 623: Social Concepts in Planning PLAN 625: Methods of Social Investigation for Planners PHS 614: Health Program Evaluation |
Tourism and Local Economic Development 3 electives from the following list: |
TOUR 601: Contemporary Perspectives on Tourism TOUR 603: Consequences of Tourism TOUR 604: Social Planning for Tourism LED 615: Community Economic Development LED 685: Theories of Local Economic Development LED 686: Practice of Local Economic Development |
Global Governance 3 electives from the following list: |
HIST 606: International Development in Historical Perspective GGOV 610/PSCI 688: Governance of the Global Economy GGOV 611/PSCI 689: Emerging Economies in Global Governance GGOV 614/PSCI 614: International Business & Development GGOV 642/PSCI 639: Global Social Policy GGOV 650/PSCI 657: International Organizations & Global Governance GGOV 651/PSCI 617: Unconventional Diplomacy & Global Governance GGOV 652/PSCI 618: Non-State Actors in Global Governance PSCI 634: Comparative Public Administration PSCI 651: Democracy and Development ENBUS 631: Stakeholder Engagement ENBUS 632: Sustainability Reporting ENBUS 642: Business Partnerships and Policy for Sustainability |
Peace and Conflict Studies 3 electives from the following list: |
PSCI 659: Conflict and Conflict Resolution PSCI 655: Ethnic Conflict and Conflict Resolution GGOV 640/PSCI 658: Human Rights in a Globalized World Three electives from Conrad Grebel’s MAPACS program will be added once that program is in place. |
To be considered for admission to the MDP, you must:
Have completed a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from a recognized university in a humanities, social science, health, engineering, environmental science, or business discipline, and have a minimum of 75% overall standing in the last two years of study.
A minimum of three letters of reference are required; at least two of which must be from academic referees. The third must be from a referee who can attest to the leadership competencies of the applicant.
Upload a current curriculum vita (resume).
Provide a statement of interest.
Only qualified applicants will be invited to an interview (in-person or by telephone) to ensure that you have a background, both academically and experientially, in the areas of leadership and communication.
Applicants who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary work at a Canadian institution or a university at which English was the primary language of instruction, or have not completed a graduate degree at a university where English is the primary language of instruction, or have not been employed for a similar period of time in a position in which English was the primary language of business will be required to provide certification of English language proficiency through one of the accepted examinations: TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based), or 90 (internet-based) or the equivalent on one of the following comparable tests: CAEL 70, IELTS 7.0, MELAB 85. (See Academic Regulations - English Language ProficiencyCertification for other acceptable tests of English.)
Field Placement Awards are available for students through financial support from the MacArthur Foundation and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
International students may be eligible to apply for the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) (closing date is 31 March 2012). Please note that while you may not see the University of Waterloo’s MDP program listed on the JJ/WBGSP website under ‘preferred universities’, the JJ/WBGSP is very interested in receiving applications from our MDP students and will accept your application. You must, however, please write “Master of Development Practice” program on everything that you submit as part of you application.
March 1st is the deadline for applying to the Master of Development Practice. All applications are completed and submitted on-line. Links to the application form are available on the UW Graduate Studies webpages: www.grad.uwaterloo.ca/students/applyingonline.asp.
Click here for a list of the FAQ.
Detailed information on the department and its faculty members is accessible at http://www.seed.uwaterloo.ca.
For more information on the new MDP program, contact Professor Bruce Frayne, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, at bfrayne(at)uwaterloo.ca or Linda Zepf at lzepf(at)uwaterloo.ca .
For more information on application requirements, see the University of Waterloo Graduate Studies website at www.grad.uwaterloo.ca.
