2026-2027 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 20, 2026  
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2026-2027 Academic Catalog

International Development, MA Accelerated 4+1

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Overview

 

Take the next steps as a catalyst of change

This is a defining moment for the field of international development

Poverty, gender inequality, forced migration, education and health disparities, and climate change are among the world’s most pressing challenges.

For some, these challenges can be overwhelming. For you, they are a call to action to help build a socially just and sustainable world.

Your time as a master’s degree student in international development at Clark helps you harness your passion for these challenges. Our department faculty and staff provide you with the opportunity and the resources to develop the tools and skills of critical thinking and reflection that you need to thoughtfully and intentionally make a difference in the world.

Collaborate across disciplines and with multiple communities

The world’s most significant challenges are not confined to a single issue or discipline. Neither is our program. Our researchers, educators, and practitioners - experts in a broad range of fields - teach and work collaboratively to improve our world. With their guidance, you’ll better understand the forces shaping today’s development challenges. Experiential learning is integrated throughout our curriculum, providing you with the opportunity to engage with communities and develop hands-on skills.

Master skills for success

Learn to address complex societal issues on every level, from a single community to the global policy arena. Gain knowledge about how to work effectively with communities in ways that are inclusive and attentive to sustainability. Acquire skills related to data collection and management, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder analysis, and project management and implementation.

The accelerated Master of Arts degree in International Development (ID) emphasizes the connection between critical thinking and effective action. It is designed for scholars of international development, as well as for present and future practitioners of grassroots and community-based development.

Departmental Eligibility Requirements

This program is open to students who have successfully met departmental and University requirements. The university requirement for admission is a 3.4 GPA. Students will need to complete ID 125 , ID 121  or PECO 101 ; ECON 010  , one research course, preferably ID 132  or GEOG 141  , and one 200 level ID course to meet department requirements.

Students are required to meet with the International Development 4+1 adviser before April 1 as a formal part of the admissions process. This meeting is intended to assist prospective students in assessing the appropriateness of the degree to their professional aspirations. The student applies to the MA program by completing the Online Application no later than April 15 of the junior year. Please note that application deadlines differ for students who are graduating off-cycle (either a semester early or late) or who have advanced standing; such students should contact Graduate Admissions for alternative dates.

Program of Study

The ID Master’s degree requires 10 graduate course units. Students enter the fifth year of the 4+1 having completed two graduate SSJ course units (taken in the senior year of the undergraduate major) that transfer from the undergraduate degree into the graduate year transcript. These are the two upper-level (300-level) SSJ courses required for the major, which count both toward the completion of the IDSC undergraduate major or any other undergraduate major (please consult with your advisor) and toward the ID 4+1 MA degree. See below for stage-by-stage programmatic guidance:

Senior Year

In the senior year, students take two graduate-level (300-level) International Development (ID) courses (taught by core ID program faculty) which are credited toward the Accelerated M.A. degree. Students must achieve a grade of a B- or better for each of these two graduate courses and earn a 3.4 grade point average (GPA) in their respective undergraduate majors.

Graduate (MA) Year

In the graduate year (two semesters), students will take eight additional course units,

Students will take the following courses:

Core Courses (2 units)-recommended for the senior year, Sustainability Studies (1 unit), Social Change and Institutional Transformation (1 unit), Fundamental Skills (2 units), Methods of Inquiry and Subject Matter Electives (1.5 to 2 units), Intersectionality (.5 to 1 unit), Common Seminar (.5 unit) and one Experiential Learning unit.

 

4+1 students may also choose to do an additional internship to gain additional field-based experience; this internship experience could be used as course units or credit(s) to help satisfy their subject matter elective requirements. In cases where 4+1 students are awarded year-long fellowships such as Fulbright or Boren Fellowship after the completion of their senior year, they may use these fellowships as internship course units or credits towards their subject matter electives with prior approval of the 4+1 coordinator. Such year-long academic internships must have prior approval from the University’s Graduate School for the returning student to remain eligible for the 4+1 program.

In rare cases, students in this program may take longer than the fifth year to complete the requirements for graduation. In such circumstances, students must register as a non-resident if they do not complete the requirements in time for August degree conferral. Students have up to two semesters of non-residency status to complete all requirements for the ID 4+1 Master’s degree.

 

Core courses (2 units)

 

Program Requirements

Fees

This program is eligible for up to 100% tuition remission rate for a student’s fifth year graduate program.  There is a one-time program fee in the first semester of graduate study.  The student continues to be responsible for paying other enrollment and activity fees as well as their housing, books and personal items.  Tuition and fees are set annually by the Board of Trustees. 

In rare cases, students in this program may take longer than the fifth year to complete the requirements for graduation. In such circumstances, students must register as a non-resident if they do not complete the requirements in time for August degree conferral. Please note there is a $200 fee (per semester) associated with the non-residency status registration and a two semester maximum to finish the degree.

 

Program Adviser

Students are required to meet with the designated 4+1 program adviser before April 1, and have them sign the 4+1 Adviser Form.  The signed form confirms the student and program adviser have discussed the requirements of the program. This form is also available on the Graduate Admissions website.

The designated program adviser is:

Professor Cynthia Caron

1-508-793-8879

SSJ Department

ccaron@clarku.edu
 

*Once you have started your fifth year, you may be assigned a different academic adviser.

Any students considering applying to the 4+1 program should read and understand the Eligibility Requirements and Policies.

 

Advice for prospective students
Students in the MA program benefit from field experience in international development. Students are encouraged to do field work abroad. Students can identify appropriate internships, work abroad, and other opportunities through Career Services or consult with their major advisors and the 4+1 BA/Master’s Degree Program advisor in ID.

Sustainability and Social Justice Program Faculty

David Bell, Ed.D.

Ramón Borges-Méndez, Ph.D

Nigel Brissett, Ph.D.

Cynthia Caron, Ph.D.

Timothy Downs, D.Env.

Anita Fábos, Ph.D.

Jude Fernando, Ph.D.

Ellen Foley, Ph.D.

Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Ph.D.

Eman Lasheen, Ph.D.

Ken MacLean, Ph.D.

Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger, Ph.D.

Margaret Post, Ph.D.

Laurie Ross, Ph.D.

Morgan Ruelle, Ph.D.

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