Preparing students for a career in international social management

The M.A. in International Social Sciences (Development Studies) has a specific focus on development studies and issues around global justice. Students learn about relevant theories as well as the practical realities of the development/aid industry.

Everyone is required to do an internship and can specialize their interest through relevant electives on topics such as migration, social security, sustainability and gender.

The M.A. prepares thoroughly for an academic career in development through its emphasis on project planning courses and a focus on disaster management and a critical lens on global power relations and postcolonial perspective. Being highly cosmopolitan with students from all over the world, its specific worth lies in the opportunity to assess international issues through a literally global perspective stemming from the diversity of the student body.

Study Options

International Social Sciences (full-time – 4 semesters)
Development Studies Online (3 year program – online + two obligatory 10-day workshops in Abidjan)
Development Studies Online (2 year program – entirely online)

The M.A. in International Social Sciences (Development Studies) includes:

• Theories of Development
• Critical Reflection on Development Cooperation
• Sustainability, De-Growth and Resource Politics
• Development Economics
• Social Protection and Poverty Analysis
• Public Health in Developing Countries
• Peace and Conflict Studies
• Migration and Development
• Project Planning
• Disaster Response and Humanitarian Aid
• Public Health
• Internship in the Field of Development Cooperation or Humanitarian Aid
• Methods of Empirical Research
• Advanced Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
• Research Oriented Master Thesis

Admission Requirements

For admission, the completion of a degree program at a university or an academically recognized college or university of applied sciences or an equivalent degree in social sciences or humanities is required and proven by a Bachelor degree, a Master degree, a Diploma, a State Examination or a Doctorate. A final grade (certificate grade) of at least 2.5 is required.

Language requirements

• All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a result of at least 550 (PBT = paper-based test) or 79 (IBT = internet-based test) points or a comparable performance in another test, such as the IELTS (6.0) or the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (FCE).
• Applicants who received their B.A. degree in an English-language program are exempt. These applicants submit a certificate from the university indicating that the medium of instruction at the university is English.

Stipends

The university offers stipends to cover part of the tuition fee. On campus stipends are offered by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and complemented by the Society, Friends of Friedensau.

About Friedensau

Friedensau was established as an institution of higher learning in 1899. Friedensau Adventist University (FAU) is financed by the Church and State recognized. The School of Social Sciences offers among others BA and MA courses in Social Work, Development Studies, Counseling and Music Therapy. FAU is located in the German State of Saxony-Anhalt about 120 km West of Berlin.