Development Studies08

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AT OXFORD
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES is a disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary enquiry

into economic, social and political change. At Oxford we seek to challenge narrow theoretical
and policy approaches derived from a single model of development. Our aim is to encourage
plural, critical and innovative approaches to research and to the theoretical understanding and the
practice of development, without the sacrifice of rigorous standards.
Two-thirds of humankind live in developing countries, and most of the world's worst deprivation
is located there. The study of these societies is therefore of central importance to any enquiry
into the human condition. Political and economic changes following the end of the Cold War,
most recently 9/11 and all that has ensued since then, have foreclosed some development options
and opened up others. The globalisation of finance, manufacturing, agriculture, information and
waste; complex emergent forms of political, economic and social governance; fundamentalist
ideologies; new forms of Empire and of resistance; and vast forced and voluntary movements of
people have introduced new areas for research and activism. Some long-standing concerns of
the department have gained particular immediacy. One is the failure to eradicate many forms of
poverty and the threat that that failure poses to the Millenium Development Goals. In some
regions, economic development is adversely affecting women rather than leading to egalitarian
renegotiations between the genders. Violent conflict continues to be one of the most important
causes of human suffering and economic under-development. The role of constructed identities,
notably ethnicity, in causing conflict needs better understanding as does the impact on children
of assuming adult roles. The breakdown of serious global agreements intended to deal with
environmental issues, notably global warming, is also having a disproportionately adverse
impact on many developing countries. The health crisis caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is
once again a phenomenon which has most pervasively affected poor people.
Queen Elizabeth House, as the University's Department of International Development, is the hub
for Oxford University's work on these issues. Development Studies encompasses many topics,
approaches, regions and countries. Some interpret development as involving a modernising
agenda in which institutions from advanced countries aim to develop societies elsewhere. We
take a more comprehensive and less normative view of the topic, interpreting it as the analysis
and exploration of change and transformation in society. Geographically, we focus mainly on the
areas covered historically by development specialists - Africa, Asia, The Middle East, and Latin
America - but we also do a limited amount of work on post-communist transition societies. For
some purposes ranging from investment, trade and aid flows, energy politics, asylum regimes
and the development role of rights’ remittance, we must also work on industrialised countries.
There is a creative and comparativist overlap with the intellectual project of Area Studies. We
approach the topic from a multi- and inter-disciplinary perspective, drawing on anthropology,
economics, gender studies, geography, history, international relations and diplomacy, law,
politics and sociology.
Recognising the need for multi- and inter-disciplinary learning, we have developed the MPhil in
Development Studies, the MSc in Forced Migration, the new MSc in Global Governance and
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Diplomacy, and a doctoral programme in Development Studies. Yet we also see the value of
having specialist strength in particular disciplines, enabling people to bring the rigour and
experience of their disciplines to bear on the topics being studied. Consequently, many of us also
teach within disciplines, both at QEH and throughout the University. The MSc in Economics for
Development is a joint degree of Queen Elizabeth House and the Economics Department.
There are a vast number of important and interesting topics that can be studied under the general
rubric of Development Studies. Choices have therefore to be made. Our choice is to focus on
issues of particular and growing importance in the early twenty-first century, and issues related
to forms of deprivation and the social impact of development policy-making. For example, we
have a heavy focus on globalization, finance and trade; on technology and its
management; on ethnicity, inequality and human security; on human development, poverty work
and vulnerability on the lifeworlds of the working poor; on gender and development; on children
in poverty; on violence, wars and conflict; on refugees and migration; on commodification, rural
transformations and their politics. In each of these areas have specialist research activity: we aim
to advance knowledge, theoretically and through empirical enquiry, and to communicate our
findings, where relevant, to agents of change - for example through workshops and seminars
involving officials as well as academics, and through work for government agencies such as
DfID and international institutions, especially the United Nations, and NGOs, as well as
engagement with social and political movements.
The core academic staff represents only a fraction of the community of scholars at QEH working
together on these issues. Senior researchers and research assistants, supported by research
programme financing and other sources, more than double the number of academics working at
QEH. In addition, a network of academics within the University of Oxford has been formed, with
forty Senior Research Associates of QEH, bringing together scholars working on similar issues
elsewhere in Oxford who are often involved in collaborative research and teaching. QEH works
closely with the new School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies in the University and the
Environmental Change Institute; also with Anthropology, Economics, History, Politics, Social
Policy, Social work and the Business School. Outside Social Sciences has active links with
Continuing Education and Public Health. Our collaborative enterprise is strengthened by the
work of Visiting Fellows and an international network of associates. Finally, and by no means
least, the students contribute to the research areas, with their theses frequently forming
components of the overall programme.
QEH contains a number of research centres including the Refugee Studies Centre, the
International Migration Institute, the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and
Ethnicity, the International Gender Studies Centre, the Young Lives Programme, the Oxford
Poverty and Human Development Initiative. Each conducts research, runs seminars, workshops
and visitors' programmes and contributes to graduate teaching. QEH also encourages outreach
and has a history of summer schools and short courses attracting professionals and practitioners
in diplomatic practice and informal politics, refugee studies, and human development. The
Foreign Service Programme is dedicated to a multi-disciplinary mid-career formation for people
serving practically as diplomats. The centres and outreach activities are important for focussing
work and its funding and administration, but the whole is larger than the parts, enabling us
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collectively to advance knowledge and education in a way that we could not individually, in a
subject that is of overwhelming importance in the world today.
QEH STAFF AND SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Teaching and Research Staff
Dr Christopher Adam
Reader in Development Economics (specialising in quantitative methods) (St Cross)
Research interests: Development macroeconomics; macroeconomics of Africa; applied
econometrics.
Mr Simon Addison
Senior Research and Policy Liaison Office, Refugee Studies Centre
Research Interests: Forced migration, internal displacement in northern Uganda, humanitarian
crisis management, humanitarian protection.
Dr Jocelyn Alexander
University Lecturer in Commonwealth Studies (Linacre)
Research interests: Southern African political and social history; agrarian reform; conflict;
crime and punishment.
Dr Sabina Alkire
Director Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (Somerville)
Research interests: Development economics, human development, the capability approach, and
measurement
Dr Masooda Bano
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (Wolfson)
Research interests: Bringing philanthropy into Development Discourse.
Dr Leah Bassell
ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow (Nuffield)
Research interests: The agency of refugee women: the cases of France and Canada
Dr Jo Boyden
Director Young Lives Programme
Research Interests: Anthropological perspectives on childhood; the impacts of armed conflict
and forced migration on children, with a particular focus on Cambodia, Burma and Peru.
Dr Graham Brown
Research Officer, CRISE
Research interests: Ethnic conflict, Indonesia, identity, Malaysia, social movements.
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Professor Stephen Castles
Professor of Forced Migration and Director, Refugee Studies Centre (Green)
Director International Migration Institute
Research Interests: International migration, racism, citizenship, human rights, globalization and
social transformation.
Dr Corinne Caumartin
Research interests: Latin American politics, comparative politics, public security, civil-military
relations, policing and police reform.
Dr Dawn Chatty
Reader in Forced Migration and Deputy Director, Refugee Studies Centre (St Cross)
Research interests: Anthropology of the Middle East; women/gender and development;
development-induced displacement, particularly regarding mobile populations and conservation;
the impact of forced migration on children and young people.
Professor Robin Cohen

Professorial Research Fellow (Wolfson)
Research interests: International migration and development, diasporas, cosmopolitanism and
creolization
Professor Stefan Dercon

University Professor of Development Economics (Wolfson)
Research interests: Applied microeconomic work, with a focus on risk, poverty and
vulnerability issues in Africa and India.
Professor Valpy FitzGerald

Professor in International Development (St Antony’s)
Director Department of International Development
Research interests: Financial and trade linkages between industrial and developing countries;
macroeconomics of Latin America; conflict and reconstruction; history of economic thought.
Dr Jorg Friedrichs
University Lecturer in Politics (St Cross)
Research interests: International relations with particular regard to IR theory, Global
governance, and regional integration.
Dr Xiaolan Fu
University Lecturer in Development Studies (Green)
Director Sanjaya Lall Programme for Technology and Management for Development
Research interests: industrialisation/technology and development, foreign direct investment and
economic development in China, emerging Asian economies, innovation in US/EU.
Dr Matthew Gibney
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Elizabeth Colson Lecturer in Forced Migration (Linacre)
Research Interests: The evolution and future of asylum in liberal democracies; the ethical and
political issues raised by deportation and expulsion; the role of forced migration in reshaping the
modern state.
Dr Roy Gigengack
Departmental Lecturer in Development Anthropology
Research Interests: Street children in Mexico City and elsewhere, police in the context of
development.
Dr Nandini Gooptu
Reader in South Asian Politics (St Antony’s)
Director South Asia Visiting Scholars Programme
Research interests: Caste and communal politics in India; the urban poor and labour in India;
urban development and politics.
Mr Yvan Guichaoua
Research interests: Household economics, microeconomics of development, inequality.
Dr Rodney Hall
University Lecturer in International Political Economy (St Cross)
Research interests: International relations theory, sovereignty, international organization, and in
particular international political economy and the role of the international financial institutions in
banking and financial crises in the developing countries and the transitional democracies.
Dr Jason Hart
Leverhulme Lecturer, Refugee Studies Centre
Research interests: impact of war and displacement on children and adolescents; developing
political consciousness amongst adolescents living in situations of armed conflict.
Professor Barbara Harriss-White

Professor of Development Studies (Wolfson)
Research interests: Markets and capitalism; rural development; poverty and social welfare;
South Asian political economy; field economics.
Dr Eva-Lotta Hedman
Senior Research Fellow, Refugee Studies Centre
Research interests: Regional migration; civil society across South East Asia; elections and
social movements in the Philippines.
Mr Alan Hunt
Diplomatic Director Oxford University Foreign Service Programme
Dr Maria Jaschok
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Director Women’s Empowerment in Muslim Contexts
Research interests: China: Religion, gender and agency; gendered constructions of memory;
feminist ethnographic practice; marginality and identity
Dr Cathie Lloyd
Senior Research Officer
Research Interests: Social Movements for Justice; Gender; Migration; Antiracism; North Africa.
Dr Adeel Malik
Islamic Centre Lecturer in the Economies of Muslim Societies
Research Interests: Development macroeconomics and applied microeconometric analysis of
firm investment behaviour.
Dr Luca Mancini
Research Officer in Applied Econometrics, CRISE
Research Interests: Applied microeconometrics, economics of education, inequality.
Dr Abdul Raufu Mustapha

University Lecturer in African Politics (St Antony’s)
Research interests: Rural politics, Ethnicity and identity politics, the military and
democratization.
Dr Laura Rival
University Lecturer in Anthropology and Development (St Cross)
Research Interests: The impact of development policies on indigenous peoples; biodiversity
conservation and sustainable development; schooling and culture.
Professor Frances Stewart

Professor of Economics and Director of Centre for Research and Inequality, Human Security and
Ethnicity (CRISE) (Somerville)
Research interests: Poverty and human development; development under conflict; ethnicity and
inequality.
Mrs Rosemary Thorp

Reader in Economics of Latin America (St Antony’s)
Research interests: Institutions behind the market; the market and development in Latin
America; the making of economic policy in Latin America.
Professor John Toye

Visiting Professor of Economics (St Antony’s College)
Editor of Oxford Development Studies
Research interests: Macroeconomics; Africa; history of the UN.
Professor Adrian Wood

Professor of International Development (Wolfson)
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Research interests: Economic interactions among human resources, trade and growth; political
economy of aid.
Professor Roger Zetter

Leopold Muller Reader in Refugee Studies
Director of the Refugee Studies Centre (Green)
Research interests: Refugee and forced migration studies – built environment of refugees,
policies and institutional behaviour in relation to refugees and asylum seekers.
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Senior Research Associates & Research Associates

Senior Research Associates and Research Associates comprise members of the University
working on subjects allied to those of QEH, but whose main base is elsewhere in the University.
Prof Alistair Ager

Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh
Research interests: Psychological intervention in complex emergencies, refugee integration.
Prof Frederic Ahearn

National Catholic School of Social Service, Washington
Research interests: Psycho-social adjustment of refugees and displaced persons.
Mr Stephen Akroyd
Oxford Policy Management
Research interests: Rural development policy, the analysis of public spending to agriculture.
Mr Christopher Allsopp
New College
Reader in Economic Policy
Research interests: Macroeconomic Policy.
Profesor Sudhir Anand

St Catherine’s College
Professor of Economics
Research interests: Inequality, economic development, poverty.
Dr David Anderson
St Cross College
University Lecturer in African Studies
Research interests: African studies.
Mr Alan Angell
St Antony’s College
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University Lecturer in Latin American Politics
Research interests: Chile, decentralization, economic reforms in Latin America.
Dr Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
Oriel College
Research interests: Disparities in Economic Growth and Development across India.
Dr Sonia Bhalotra
Reader in Economics, University of Bristol
Research interests: Economics of the family, child health, child labour and schooling, welfare
policy and microeconometric approaches to modelling.
Professor Bob Barnes

Professor of Social Anthropology
Research interests: South East Asia tribal societies – kinship theory.
Professor William Beinart

St. Antony’s College
Rhodes Professor of Race Relations
Research interests: South Africa, rural development, environmental history.
Professor Gerard Bodeker

Green College
Research Associate
Research interests: International health policy pertaining to traditional and complementary
medicine use; potential of traditional medicine for helping rural communities in managing
communicable diseases.
Dr David Browning
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
Registrar
Dr Deborah F Bryceson
International Gender Studies Centre
Research interests: East Africa; urbanization; food marketing; rural-urban linkages.
Dr Esteban Castro
Research interests: Interrelations between water policies and citizenship rights, highlighting the
interplay between environmental and socio-political change.
Dr Peter Carey
Trinity College
CUF Lecturer in Modern History
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Research interests: Modern history of the Pacific; colonial history; nationalism; conflict.
Sir Neil Chalmers

Warden of Wadham College
Research interests: Sustainable development and environment.
Dr Red Chan
Research interests: China and Hong Kong; translations.
Dr Nicholas Cheeseman
New College
Junior Research Fellow
Research interests: Civil-authoritarian regimes of Kenya and Zambia, paying special attention to
the role of electoral politics and political participation.
Professor Colin Clarke

Jesus College
Professor of Urban and Social Geography
Research interests: Central America; Mexico; ethnicity and development.
Dr Anne Coles
Research interests: Gender, development and social change.
Dr Christopher Davis
Wolfson College
University Lecturer in Russian and East European Political Economy
Research interests: East European Societies and their political economy.
Dr Janette Davies
International Gender Studies
Research interests: Power structure and Gender within Medical and Nursing Hierarchies. The
Social construction of Ageing.
Dr Jan-Georg Deutsch
St. Cross College
University Lecturer in Commonwealth History
Research interests: Social and economic history of Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
Dr Tom Downing
Linacre College
Senior Environmental Fellow
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Research Interests: Risks of climate hazards, environmental and development policy.
Professor Marcel Fafchamps

Mansfield College
Reader in Economics
Research interests: Development economics; risk coping mechanisms; market institutions; intra-
household allocation.
Dr Guy Goodwin-Gill
All Soul’s
Senior Research Fellow
Research interests: Public international law, with a particular and longstanding interest in
questions of immigration, refugees and asylum, and the use of force.
Dr Sarah Harper
Director, Oxford Institute of Ageing
Research interests: Social Implications of demographic ageing with particular emphasis on
intergenerational relationships and the multigenerational family, and late life work and
retirement.
Dr Mark Harrison
Green College
Director, Welcome Unit for the History of Medicine, Reader in History of Medicine
Research interests: History of disease and medicine, especially in relation to the history of war
and imperialism from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Currently working on a history
of medicine and British imperial expansion, c.1700-1850.
Dr Paula Heinonen
International Gender Studies
Research interests: Street children, child labour, gender studies and feminism.
Dr Elizabeth Hsu
Green College
University Lecturer in Medical Anthropology
Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Research interests: Medical Anthropology; Traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr Andrew Hurrell
Nuffield College
University Lecturer in International Relations
Research interests: International Relations; International agreements for the environment; Brazil.
Professor Harold Jaffe

Head of Department of Public Health
Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care
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Research interests: HIV/AIDS and public health in developing countries.
Dr David Johnson
University Lecturer in Comparative and International Education
Educational Studies
Research interests: Educational systems in Africa and South Asia, particularly policies and
innovations aimed at strengthening education quality.
Mr Stephen Jones
Oxford Policy Management
Research interests: Aid effectiveness, political economy of policy reform, agricultural policy.
Mr Vijay Joshi
Merton College
Reader in Economics
Research interests: Macroeconomics; India.
Professor Wendy James

St. Cross College
Research interests: Political and religious traditions in Africa.
Dr Geeta Kingdon
Research Officer, Centre for the Study of African Economies
Research interests: Microeconomics, Economics of Education, Labour Economics, India and
South Africa.
Professor Alan Knight

Professor of the History of Latin America
Research interests: Mexico – 19th century development and social change; state/peasant
relations.
Professor John Knight

St Edmund Hall
Professor of Economics
Research interests: The economy of China, education, South Africa, inequality.
Professor Diana Liverman

Director, Environmental Change Institute
Research interests: Human dimensions of climate change, Latin American environmental issues.
Professor Neil MacFarlane

St Anne’s College
Lester Pearson Professor of International Relations
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Research interests: International organizations and security; the Soviet Union/CIS in
international relations.
Dr Kate Meagher
British Academic Research Fellow
Research interests: Informalization and embeddedness in south-eastern Nigeria.
Dr Vladimir Mikhalev
Research Associate (OPM)
Research interests: Poverty Analysis, poverty reduction strategies, social protection, regional
development in transitional and developing economies.
Dr Rana Mitter
St Cross College
University Lecturer in History and Politics of Modern China, Centre for Chinese Studies
Research interests: Chinese nationalism, the modern Chinese state.
Dr Fiona Moore
Research interests: Transnational studies; performance and the media.
Dr Benito Muller
Oxford Institute of Energy Studies
Research interests: Climate change; pollution and transport.
Prof Judith Okely

Deputy Director, International Gender Studies Centre
Emeritus Professor of Social anthropology, University of Hull
Research interests: Feminism, Gender, Fieldwork Practice, Gypsies, Autobiography, Visualism,
Landscape Representations and the Aged.
Professor David Parkin

All Souls College
Professor of Social Anthropology
Research interests: East Africa; Indian Ocean Migrations and Trade; Medical Anthropology.
Professor Ceri Peach

St. Catherine’s College
Professor of Social Geography
Research interest: Migration and ethnicity; social networks.
Dr Frank Pieke
St Cross College
University Lecturer in Modern Politics and Society of China, Centre for Chinese Studies
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Research interests: Anthropology, human geography of modern China.
Dr Emma Plugge
Director, MSc Global Health Science
Research interests: Currently analysing data from a large longitudinal study looking at what
happens to women's health when they are imprisoned.
Professor Steve Rayner

Professor of Science and Civilisation
Said Business School
Research interests: interdisciplinary study of the social, political, and cultural aspects of science,
technology, and the environment.
Dr Josephine Reynell
Deputy Director, International Gender Studies Centre
Research interests: India; Jainism, diaspora communities in Europe.
Professor Adam Roberts

Balliol College
Montague Burton Professor of International Relations
Research interests: Strategic studies and international security; international law; international
organizations.
Professor Mari Sako

Director of Research, Said Business School, Professor of Management Studies
Research interests: The global automobile industry.
Mr Abbas Shiblak
Refugee Studies Centre, Research Associate
Research interests: Refugee/host country relationships, Palestinian refugees in particular, and the
issue of statelessness in the Arab region.
Professor Vivienne Shue

Professor of Contemporary China, Centre for Chinese Studies
Research interests: China; history; modernization; the state.
Dr Michael Spence
St Catherine’s College
CUF Lecturer in Law
Head, Social Sciences Division
Research interests: intellectual property and the law of obligations.
Dr Stanley Ulijaszek
St Cross College
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University Lecturer in Human Ecology
Research interests: Biological anthropology; nutrition; fertility and population growth.
Dr Nick Van Hear

COMPASS
Research Associate, Refugee Studies Centre
Research Interests: Migration, refugees, conflict and development issues in Africa, the Middle
East and South Asia.
Dr Arjan Verschoor
Research interests: The effectiveness of aid in terms of poverty reduction; the political economy
of social policy; the link between labour market formation and poverty, mainly in East Africa.
Dr Jacqueline Dee Waldren

Research interests: Ethnicity and identity; tourism, development and modernisation.
Dr Tina Wallace
Research interests: East Africa; gender in organisations and gender in development practice.
Dr David Washbrook
Reader in Modern South Asian History
Research interests: India; history.
Mr Laurence Whitehead
Nuffield College
Official Fellow in Politics
Research interests: Comparative Democratization: Latin American Politics and Mexican Politics.
Mr Gavin Williams
St Peter’s College
CUF Lecturer in Politics
Research interests: South Africa; structural adjustment policies; land reform; development
theory.
Dr Ngaire Woods
University College
CUF Lecturer in Politics
Research interests: Global governance; IMF, World bank and regulation of the
global economy.
Dr Linda Yueh
Department of Economics
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Research interests: Development and growth, labour economics, international economic law and
trade (WTO, TRIPS), and China; Relationship between globalisation and economic development
and growth; The economy of China, including economic growth, legal development, its labour
market and intellectual property rights.
Dr Xiang Biao Zarni

Department of International Development
Visiting Research Fellow
Research interests: Imperialisms; Social change; rural and sustainable development, education
and development; nation-building; political economy of development; sociology of knowledge,
social movements.
In addition Queen Elizabeth House has large numbers of Research Associate Doctoral students
supervised by QEH staff but registered with other departments of the University, listed at
‘www.qeh.ox.ac.uk’
GRADUATE STUDIES
Degrees by Coursework
M.Phil. in Development Studies
The aim of this two-year course is to provide a rigorous and critical introduction to development
as a process of change and of managed change in societies on the periphery of the global
economy. The course exposes students to development studies as both an interdisciplinary and
multidisciplinary subject. Attention is paid to the intellectual history of development, the
paradigm shifts and internal conflicts within the discipline, and the contemporary relevance of
research to development policy and practice. The course is not designed for direct training in
development practice or the management of development projects, but the critical enquiry
emphasised in the course is crucial for the proper performance of such tasks. The course
encourages innovative and original work, and has received the recognition of the Economic and
Social Science Research Council. About 30 students are admitted each year, from up to 20
countries. On completion, some have continued with doctoral research in Oxford or elsewhere,
while others have obtained jobs in the United Nations, government, NGOs, the media, business,
finance and development consultancies. Students who are admitted to the DPhil in Development
Studies after the MPhil are expected to complete their doctoral research in two further years plus
time needed for fieldwork.
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I found the MPhil in Development Studies to be a challenging but rewarding programme
which pushed me in all sorts of new directions, at the same time as allowing me to
consolidate my interests and strengths. Whilst the first year of the programme includes a
number of fixed requirements, the second year allows students to pursue their individual
interests, be they thematic or regional, in greater depth.
I felt that researching and writing my MPhil thesis, for which field research is conducted in
the summer after the first year, was a particularly valuable learning experience. My
fieldwork with indigenous San communities and environmental NGOs in Namibia has
continually challenged me to reflect upon my own approaches, practices and thinking, in both
the personal and academic spheres. I have taken my earlier thesis research forward into a
doctorate, and thus the MPhil provided the perfect stepping stone to the DPhil. It also gave
me the chance to get to know potential doctoral supervisors.
Queen Elizabeth House is unique in the diversity of disciplinary and research backgrounds
that it brings together, and the MPhil in Development Studies undoubtedly brings together a
diverse group of students. The MPhil is certainly one of the most demanding Masters-level
courses at Oxford, if one chooses to engage with it (and all the other things that Oxford
offers!) to the full. That said, my other memories of the MPhil group include that it was great
socially too, and I have come away from it with lasting friendships.
Julie Taylor
MPhil 2003-2005, current DPhil
Studying for the MPhil in Development Studies provided the scope to analyse and question
many ideas about development, particularly through the Core Course as the most explicitly
interdisciplinary element of the MPhil. Having primarily studied politics as an
undergraduate, it was both challenging and rewarding to engage with the ways that other
disciplines approach studying development during the first year of the MPhil. Following
the inter- and multi-disciplinary nature of the first year, I then enjoyed the opportunity to
focus on my regional and thematic interests in greater depth through the option papers and
thesis in the second year of the course.
I found that QEH provided a dynamic and stimulating environment for postgraduate study.
The students in my MPhil class came from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, as
well as from many different countries, and this diversity facilitated interesting debates and
discussions between people with very different views and experiences of development. The
large number of departmental seminars were a valuable addition to the formal teaching for
the MPhil as they provided an opportunity to hear about and discuss the work being done
by academics and researchers from both inside and outside QEH. My experience of QEH
and the MPhil course reinforced my desire to continue studying, which I am now doing on
QEH’s DPhil programme by extending the research that I conducted for my MPhil thesis.
Tom Harrison
MPhil 2003-2005, current DPhil
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While the degree is highly structured, self-motivation is vital in every student and at all stages of
the course. Students are expected to be able and willing to use their own initiative to achieve the
maximum benefit from the course. An ability to work both independently and in groups is
essential.
Some indicators of the quality of the course are:
• The course attracts many high calibre students holding Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright,
Clarendon, Chevening and ORS scholarships.
• The degree and the Department have been granted ESRC recognition.
• External Examiners have summarised the quality of the course in the following words:
“This is in all respects a quite excellent course. It attracts first class students, offers them
a curriculum that is admirable in its range, quality and balance, teaches them very well,
and produces graduates who are unusually well prepared for independent research or
high-level employment in the public and private sectors. Oxford has every reason to be
proud of it.” and
“… I can say with conviction that this MPhil programme maintains the highest standards
for a degree of this level. … I was particularly impressed by the breadth of the material
covered in the core course, the standards of the work achieved by the students, and the
standards expected by the examiners. The work is scrutinised by the internal examiners
whose comments suggest real engagement with the students work.”
In the first year, students receive a grounding in two out of three foundation subject areas:
economics, history and politics, and social anthropology. Students do not normally take
foundation courses in disciplines in which they have a previous qualification. This means that in
their first year they must be prepared to undertake intensive study in disciplines with which they
may not be familiar. Students with no previous training in economics are required to take
economics as one of their foundation disciplines. The foundation courses are examined by means
of written examinations towards the end of the first year. A pass in these examinations is a pre-
requisite for progressing to the second year.
In the economics foundation course subjects covered include national income accounting and
analysis; macro-economic policy, theories of inflation and growth; supply and demand; theories
of the firm; the functioning of markets, externalities and other market failures; theories of
international trade; trade policy, exchange rates and balance of payments management; the
operation of the international monetary system. The emphasis is on concepts and their
application in the context of development.
The history and politics foundation course covers state formation and development, colonialism,
collaboration and resistance; nationalism and decolonization; class formation, gender relations
and the formation of political identities; politics and policy. Students are expected to show
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knowledge of developments in countries from more than one of the following regions: Africa,
South Asia, and Latin America.
The foundation course in social anthropology is concerned with social change; personhood and
well-being; social and personal agency, authority and responsibility in the field of productive
activity; marriage, kinship, family and gender in theory and practice; agencies of managed
change and their interaction with local communities.
In addition, all students are required to take a course in research methods for the social sciences
which provides a training appropriate for doctoral research and for professional practice. It
includes the epistemology of social science and social science paradigms, quantitative methods
(the presentation of statistical information, hypothesis testing) and research design (sampling
theory, questionnaire design, the critical reading of documents, participant observation, action
research, rapid research and evaluative research). This course is also examined at the end of the
first year but the marks awarded are carried forward and form part of the final marks awarded for
the degree.
The core course is an inter- and multi-disciplinary course, comprising three components:
i) theories of development, social change and the state;

(e.g. the ideas of seminal thinkers and their legacy in the present; concepts of
development)
ii) major themes in development;

(e.g. sustainable development and the environment, anti-development and development
alternatives, conflict, the policy process, gender relations and ideology; poverty,
fundamentalism, social movements and related areas of policy)
iii) international dimensions of development;

(e.g. globalization, the international financial system, international trade and its
regulation, development aid, the United Nations, Bretton Woods Institutions, migration,
NGOs and voluntary agencies).
Competence in the core course is tested by an examination at the end of the first year. The marks
awarded form part of the final marks for the degree.
Students normally spend the summer between the first and second years working on their thesis.
If fieldwork is likely to be required, then students must budget for the additional costs involved,
as sources of funds for travel are very limited. The thesis topic is of their own choosing, with the
agreement and guidance of their supervisor. The thesis should be not more than 30,000 words
in length including a 5,000 word research methods appendix, footnotes and bibliographical
references. It is submitted for examination towards the end of the second year.
Also in the second year, students take two courses from an extensive list of options. This allows
each student to explore specialist aspects of development studies, either to deepen knowledge of
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one of the foundation disciplines or to complement the topic of the thesis. Each option is
examined by means of a written examination at the end of the second year. The marks awarded
for the thesis and the options form part of the final marks for the degree. The range of options
(subject to availability) includes:
1. Environment and Development

This course examines theoretically and through particular applications the contested field
of sustainable development, as it applies to the developing world. It provides students with
an interdisciplinary introduction to diverse understandings of the relationship between the
environment and development. Themes covered in this option include: the link between
inequality, poverty and environmental degradation; natural resource use, degradation and
depletion; common property resources; pollution control; the science of biodiversity loss
and biodiversity policy; evaluation of trade-offs between development and conservation;
non-monetary valuations of environmental resources.
2. Rural Societies and Politics

This option examines major theoretical approaches to the analysis of rural societies
including the formalist-substantivist debate in anthropology; peasant differentiation;
economic mobility and relations with capitalism; peasant rationality; theories of peasant
politics and peasant rebellions; theories regarding gender and generation; agrarian
capitalism, dominant and subaltern classes; and analyses of relations between the state,
peasants and pastoralists.
3. Forced Migration: International Legal and Normative Framework

This option examines the international legal and normative framework in relation to
refugees and displaced persons; the international and domestic application of individual
and group rights to displaced persons and refugees; the activities and involvement of the
relevant international organs, governments, and inter-governmental and non-governmental
organizations relevant to forced migration; concepts of intervention and their justifications;
the evolution of humanitarian responses to forced migration; the organizational culture of
assistance; and ethical issues raised by efforts to assist, control, prevent, and deter
movements of forced migrants.
4. Forced Migration: Causes and Consequences of Forced Migration

This option concerns theories of the causes of forced migration and humanitarian crises;
historical dimensions and social dynamics of forced migration; social and cultural
constructions of place and space; the impact of forced migration on gender relations and
age structures; coercion and conflict; the implications of forced migrants for
conceptualizing the modern state and the international order; the security and stability of
states; environmental and development-induced displacement; poverty and vulnerability;
the impact of forced migrants on host populations and governments; agency, coping
mechanisms and survival strategies of affected populations; nationalism ethnicity and
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group identity; consequences of resettlement programmes for livelihood and economic
autonomy; and repatriation and local-level social reconstruction.
5. Theory and Practice of Economic Development: Economic Theory (Limited access:

requires previous training in economics and passing a qualifying test set in Trinity term of
first year). An option from the MSc in Economics for Development for students with
substantial previous training in economics. This option examines social forms of
production and exchange; micro-economic decision making; general equilibrium;
functional and personal income distribution; welfare and society; macro-economics:
money, stabilisation and growth; international trade and payments.
and either
6. Theory and Practice of Economic Development: Quantitative Methods (Limited

access: requires previous training in economics and passing a qualifying test set in Trinity
term of first year). An option from the MSc in Economics for Development for students
with substantial previous training in economics. This option examines probability and
statistical inference; statistical decision theory; methodology; empirical research including
observational, survey and sampling techniques; survey analysis; index numbers; national
income accounting; measures of inequality and poverty; econometric methods for cross-
section and time-series analysis; simultaneous and dynamic models, linear programming
and extensions; input-output analysis and investment appraisal.
or
7. Development Economics
This option examines the political, economic and social structure of developing countries;
analysis of growth, income distribution and stability; poverty, malnutrition and starvation;
alternative approaches to and strategies for development; planning and project appraisal;
labour migration, capital markets, land and natural resources; fiscal and monetary policies;
international commodity, labour and financial markets; foreign investment and aid; trade
and regional integration.
8. Introduction to Latin American Economies

This option covers the main trends in the evolution of Latin American economies in the
twentieth century. Themes include export economies, import substituting industrialisation,
the impact of external shocks, integration movements, the role of international agencies,
and trends in poverty and income distribution. Candidates with limited reading knowledge
of Spanish should consult the course director of the MPhil in Latin American Studies
before applying to take this option.
9. The Politics of Democracy in Latin America

This option examines definitions of democracy; the conditions for stable democratic
regimes; the breakdown of democratic regimes; transitions from authoritarian regimes;
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parties and electoral systems; political participation; political ideologies; the role of
constitutions in theory and practice; executive-legislative relations; public administration;
policy-making in democratic systems; civil-military relations; the international context of
democracy.
10. The History and Politics of West Africa

This option examines the political history, political sociology, political institutions and
political economy of West Africa since 1939, including nationalism and transfers of power;
forms of government, civilian and military; parties and elections; conditions for
democracy; class, ethnicity, religion and gender; business, labour and peasantries;
agricultural policies and economic reforms; West African regional politics and institutions
and the influence of external agencies. Candidates will be required to show knowledge of
Nigeria and of at least one Francophone country.
11. Violence and Historical Memory in Eastern Africa

This option from the MSc in African Studies offers historical, theoretical and empirical
perspectives on the impact of conflict on social, economic and political change in eastern
central Africa over the past century, covering Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and eastern DRC (Zaire). The
purpose of the course is to give a comprehensive explanation of the historical origins of
violence and war based upon case studies from the region.
12. South Africa: Apartheid, African Politics and the Transition since 1948
This option explores the historiography of apartheid and the transition. Many of the central
problems echo wider historiographical debates: how should scholars balance, and
interweave, material and ideological factors in explaining apartheid and its demise; in
which ways did race and ethnicity become such central organising concepts in a modern
society and how were they challenged; should we see this late twentieth century revolution
as stemming primarily from global forces, or from internal opposition; what is the character
of the transition, and how has social transformation been constrained? How do we
understand the newly emerging African ruling group and the patterns of cultural change in
South Africa? How are understandings of South African history changing in the post-
apartheid era?
13. The History and Politics of South Asia

This option examines the political history, political sociology, political institutions and
political economy of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) since 1947;
the state, political institutions, party politics and ‘movement’ politics; conditions for
democracy; the politics of gender, class, caste, religion and ethnicity; the evolution of
political ideologies; social organisation, culture and identities as they bear on politics; the
politics of ‘development’.
14. The Indian Political Economy

This option examines population and human resources; the economics of the sex ratio; the
work force; the Indian agrarian question and the technical transformation of agriculture;
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industrialisation - the evolution of corporate capital, petty production and industrial
districts; trade, markets and the informal economy; poverty and anti-poverty policy; the
Indian state and the limits to planned development; liberalization and globalization and
their impact on the Indian economy.
15. International Relations in the Developing World

This option examines the international relations of developing countries from 1945 to the
present day, focussing on the characteristics of developing states and their interaction with
the international system at the political, economic, and military levels. Topics include
decolonization and the emergence of the Third World; the nature of the state, self-
determination and the problems of state building; the political and economic forces shaping
international arrangements for trade, investment, and finance; the political and economic
constraints on growth in the world economy; international financial institutions and their
political impact; the politics of global investment; security, conflict, and the intervention;
the politics of alliance formation including Third World coalitions and their impact on
international order; regionalism and ‘regimes’.
16. Transition Economies of the Former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China
This option examines the theory and reality of the complex process of transition to a market
economy; similarities and differences between economies in transition and conventionally
defined developing countries; the development of market socialism in the context of its
inheritance from the command economy; strategies of transition; macroeconomic
stabilization; liberalization of price and markets; privatization; creation of social safety
nets; and developments in foreign economic relations. The main countries studied are
Russia, China, and those in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
17. Economic Development Problems and Policies

Following the course Development Economics from the M.Sc. in Economics for
Development (see option 7).
18. Gender and Development

This option examines key concepts in gender and development relating to: population;
land-use and the environment; employment, assets, markets and credit; social issues; civil
society; violence and conflict; political organization and theories of power.
19. Environment and Empire in the 20th Century

This option examines themes in the environmental history of the British
empire/commonwealth including ecological imperialism, environmental degradation, and
environmental transformation; environmental explanations in history and the social
sciences. Cases link economic change in Britain to commodity production and
environmental change in the former dominions and colonies. The option also explores the
rise of conservationist approaches, attempts by colonial governments to regulate
environmental resources, and conflict over such regulation. The option concludes with
seminars on environmental politics and environmental knowledge – including the
reassertion of indigenous ideas.
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20. The Politics and Government of a Major State: The People’s Republic of China
Candidates will be expected to show a thorough knowledge of the recent political
development of the country chosen, of its political structure, and of the manner in which its
system of government operates. They must be able to read the available literature in a
language of the country selected, except in the case of Russia and China.
21. Health and Development

This option examines the evolution and organisation of the health and development policy
process; theories of development and poverty and their relation to health; through case
material the impact of development on health and the impact of health on development.
22. Migration and Development

This course will examine the relationship between processes of migration and
development. It will cover key topics and debates such as: theories of migration and their
links to theories of development; changing patterns of migration and their relationship to
development (including rural-urban migration, unskilled/skilled /business-led migration,
gender relations and migration, internal and international migration and trans-nationalism);
social, economic and political impacts of migration on development (including social
change, urbanisation, remittance flows, return migration, diaspora engagement in
development, notions of citizenship, integration and political engagement); and the
evolution of policy responses to migration (including relationships between policies of
industrialised states and those of developing countries
Enquiries about the MPhil in Development Studies should be addressed to the Graduate Student
Administrator: email: admissions@qeh.ox.ac.uk
MSc in Forced Migration
The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), was founded in 1982. It is an integral part of QEH. The
Centre carries out multi-disciplinary research, including policy relevant work, on the causes and
consequences of forced migration. Research at the RSC is currently organized around the
following three broad areas of investigation: Forced migration, global economy and governance;
the experience and management of displacement; and institutional and normative responses to
forced migration. In addition to its research programme, the Centre offers a nine-month multi-
disciplinary taught Master of Science (MSc) degree course in Forced Migration.
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Testimonial of two past MSc in Forced Migration students:
David Muraskin (MSc 2005-6)

The MSc in Forced Migration was a fantastic intellectual and personal
experience. The RSC consists of academics who are both leaders in their fields
and invested in helping students pursue and develop their areas of interest and
research. The other students had an extraordinary set of backgrounds and
experiences, greatly contributing to classroom discussions. We became a true
community of students, working together and learning from each other both in
and out of the classroom.
Karin Afeef (MSc 2005-6)

On the MSc in Forced Migration I met some exceptionally talented and dedicated
individuals who inspired me, both academically and personally. It was a pleasure
and a challenge to study with people of such high calibre.
This nine-month degree in Forced Migration offers an intellectually rigorous path to the
examination of forced migration resulting from conflict, repressive regimes, environmental
change and development policies. The course places forced migration in a historical, global and
human context, encouraging informed reflection on international and national responses to both
internal and international displacement. MPhil in Development Studies students registered at
QEH may participate in parts of the MSc course. Supervision is also provided by the RSC for
MPhil and DPhil students registered at QEH and other departments, who are working on topics
related to forced migration. Students are assessed by written papers and examination at the end
of the third term. They are expected to satisfy the examiners in two papers and two essays.
The papers are:
Paper I: International Legal and Normative Framework
A written examination at the end of the third term which covers subjects such as the international
and domestic application of individual and group rights to displaced persons and refugees; the
implications of displaced populations for international order and for the security and stability of
states; the activities and involvement of relevant international organs, and humanitarian
responses to forced migration; the ethical issues raised by efforts to assist, control, prevent, and
deter movements of forced migrants
Paper II: Causes and Consequences of Forced Migration
A written examination looking at topics such as the social dynamics of forced migration; the
impact of forced migrants on host populations and governments; coercion and conflict; agency
coping mechanisms and survival strategies of affected populations; nationalism, ethnicity and
group identity; environmental and development-induced displacement; and the impact of
resettlement programmes on the livelihood and autonomy of affected populations;
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Dissertation:
A multi-disciplinary essay of between 10,000 and 15,000 words to be submitted towards the end
of the third term;
Group Research Essay:
A research methods group essay of about 5,000 words based on field work conducted during a
four-week period in Hilary Term.
Candidates may be required to attend an oral examination which may be on one or more of the
candidate’s written examinations and essays. Any candidate who fails a group assignment may
be considered for a pass on the basis of an oral examination.
Enquiries about the MSc in Forced Migration should be addressed to the The Graduate Student
Administrator Email: admissions@qeh.ox.ac.uk
MSc in Economics for Development
Testimonial of past MSc Economics for Development student:
Michael Wang (MSc Economics for Development)
I was drawn to do the MSc at Queen Elizabeth House because it provided the opportunity to work one-on-one
with academics. Although it is rare to receive personalised attention in Master'
s programmes, Oxford ensured
that I met individually with my lecturers in regular hour-long meetings. Being able to discuss my ideas with
renowned experts in their field was a huge motivational factor, and provided the necessary support to
understand what might have otherwise been an overwhelming amount of material. More generally, though, I
felt Queen Elizabeth House was a great place to explore my intellectual interests because it provided a
community of like-minded individuals, all with interests in development, providing an incredibly supportive
atmosphere. Regardless of how senior people were, or how busy, someone was always willing to help if I
needed it. I think that level of support is unparalleled anywhere.
25
The MSc is a taught graduate degree in development economics with strong emphasis on bring
methods of modern economic analysis to development theory and policy. It aims to prepare
students for further academic research and for work as professional economists on development
issues in international agencies, governments or the private sector by providing the rigorous
training in economic analysis and quantitative techniques that research and applied work in the
development field now requires.
At the practical level, the course seeks to equip graduates with a range of skills. These include:
• The application of the tools of modern economic analysis to issues of development policy
• The use of quantitative and statistical techniques for policy analysis and evaluation in a
development context
• The capacity to evaluate critically different approaches to development analysis and policy
• The ability to communicate effectively with researchers, policymakers and practitioners in

the field, to develop their capacity to work with and advise governments and
development institutions on development problems
The course is taken in one year. It is registered with the UK Economic and Social Research
Council as a Research Training Degree and is a recognized entry route into the doctoral
progamme at Oxford. Candidates progressing to the doctoral programme are expected to achieve
a Distinction in the final examinations and will normally be required to take further coursework
as PRS students. . A good previous degree, in economics or in a related discipline with a strong
concentration in economics, and an aptitude for theory and quantitative methods, is a
requirement for admission to the course. With increasing competition for places, a first class or
equivalent degree at the undergraduate level is now essential.
The course normally admits 25-30 students. It is taught through a combination of lectures,
classes and essay writing with individual supervisors. The tutorial system (writing essays for the
supervisor) is used to build critical and analytical skills, and is particularly beneficial to students
from a different background of instruction (typically these comprise over three-quarters of the
MSc student population). There are weekly classes and lectures in economic theory (split
between macro and microeconomics) and econometrics , and a sequence of elective development
modules taught by lectures, seminars and student presentations. The quantitative methods course
includes hands-on training in the use of specialist statistical software. Specific issues in
development economics cover such topics as poverty, inequality, education, health, rural
development, political economy institutions, risk, globalisation, corruption and macroeconomic
management. Students receive further teaching from individual supervision.
A central component of the course is a 10,000 word Extended Essay written on a subject chosen
by the student in consultation with the supervisor, and agreed with the Course Director. The MSc
examination at the end of the summer term has three written papers (Theory, Quantitative
Methods and Development Economics); the Extended Essay is assigned one quarter of the
weight of the final result.
26
The M.Sc. has establish a reputation for quality in both research and policy circles:
The external examiner has consistently commented on the quality of the extended essays and
on the coverage and level of material examined in the economic theory and quantitative
methods papers.
Several Extended Essays have been published in academic journals.
Graduates of the MSc are well received by the job market: for instance, the Overseas
Development Institute (ODI) regularly takes MSc students for overseas postings, and
graduates have been employed in international institutions working on development.
Significant numbers of M.Sc. graduates now work in the Department for International
Development and in the major international financial institutions (World Bank, IMF, UN
organization).
Two to three graduates each year are accepted to read for the DPhil. in economics at Oxford,
and some return after a few years of work experience to start on doctoral work
For details on the applications process, see Applying for Admission. Candidates are reminded
that there are number of funding sources; for information see the details on the applications
process. Applicants from developing countries are specifically alerted to the newly created QEH
Scholarships. In the case of the MSc in Economics for Development, and thanks to funding by
both the Department of International Development and the Economics Department of the
University, we expect two to three scholarships to be available for suitable applicants. Students
are reminded that they have to state their interest in this scholarship in the standard university
application form; there is no separate procedure.
Prospective students may find that the Course Handbook) gives them a more detailed sense of
the course. This is the booklet offered to students at the beginning of the academic year. Note
however that the course is changing regularly, and the current programme may change from year
to year. A new Course Handbook is published in October.
Enquiries about the MSc in Economics for development should be addressed to The Graduate
Student Administrator: Email admissions@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
Foreign Service Programme
Testimonial of past Foreign Service Programme Member:
27
Ubaid ur rehman Nizamani (Foreign Service Programme 2003-2004)
The Oxford University Foreign Service Programme has provided me with the opportunity of a lifetime to study
diplomacy and its attendant subjects in their modern context at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
The programme combines formal classroom lectures and unique Oxford tutorials with informal learning through
interaction with prominent personalities in the relevant fields of diplomacy, politics, academia, the media and civil
society. OUFSP rightly claims to equip diplomats with the tools necessary to operate in the globalizing world. I will
leave the programme enriched intellectually and fired with the desire to continue to learn the subjects I have been
taught here. And this ability to infuse, in its participants, an enduring interest in subjects as serious and diverse as
Politics, Economics and International Law, distinguishes the Foreign Service Programme from any other course
offered anywhere else in the world.
The Foreign Service Programme is a one-year course of postgraduate academic and practical
studies specially designed for established diplomats in early to mid-career. It is the longest-
standing international course in Diplomatic Studies and enters its thirty-eighth year in October
2006. Over the years some 1000 diplomats from 141 countries have completed the Programme.
Many of them now hold leading positions in the Diplomatic Services of their countries.
The core curriculum focuses on International Politics; International Trade and Finance;
International Law; and Diplomatic Practice. Stress is laid on national and regional issues relevant
to the countries and regions from which the participants come. Teaching is carried out through
lectures, seminars and tutorials. There are also study visits to government departments,
international organizations and business and media institutions in the United Kingdom and
continental Europe.
Successful participants qualify for the Oxford University Certificate in Diplomatic Studies.
Those who are accepted into the “diploma option”, and successfully complete an additional
research project, qualify for the Oxford University Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomatic Studies.
Opportunities are also provided for more senior diplomats (of Counsellor rank or above) to
conduct academic research as Mid-Career Visiting Fellows into a subject of interest to them in
the field of international relations, selected in consultation with the Programme.
Enquiries about the Foreign Service Programme should be addressed to The Directors (E-mail
fsp@qeh.ox.ac.uk. Detailed information is also available on the Foreign Service Programme
website (http://www.qeh.ox.ac.uk/fsp.html).
MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
The aim of this one-year degree is to provide high quality graduate training in debates about the
institutions and processes of global governance and diplomacy, multilateralism and regional
integration. The degree aims to prepare students for careers in diplomacy and/or the regional and
28
transnational institutions of international governance such as international and non-governmental
organisations, and private sector firms interacting with these institutions. The degree also
provides the basis for future doctoral studies. Students will elect to follow one of two foundation
courses (Global Governance or Diplomatic Practice) plus two options to be chosen from a range
of courses available within Queen Elizabeth House. They will also undertake a mandatory two-
term course on research methods in the social sciences. They will be examined in all these
courses and will also be required to research and prepare a 10,000-12,000 word dissertation to be
delivered towards the end of the third term.
Enquiries may be directed to: Course Coordinator, MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy,
Department of International Development, Queen Elizabeth House. Email: fsp@qeh.ox.ac.uk
Degrees by research
D Phil in Development Studies
This programme provides the opportunity to study at Oxford for a doctorate in development
studies, including forced migration, on topics requiring an interdisciplinary approach. There are
close links with other Oxford departments that provide opportunities to study development at the
doctoral level in the framework of a single discipline.
Applicants for the doctoral programme should have a master’s degree in a relevant subject,
preferably with distinction, and a first degree in a social science, normally with first class
honours or a 3.8 GPA or equivalent. Research experience in a developing country is desirable.
Availability of an appropriate supervisor in the department is a vital consideration in assessing

applications, because a close fit between the research interests of supervisor and student greatly
enhances the prospects of successfully completing the degree. The topics for research proposed
in applications should thus be explicitly related to the expertise and current research interests of
specific members of QEH’s academic staff (information about which can be found on other
pages of this website).
Sufficient funding is also crucial for successful doctoral research, and applicants will need secure
sources of finance for full-time study. Students are encouraged to undertake some teaching and
research assistantship, but as part of their professional development rather than as a major
income source.
Successful applicants are admitted initially as Probationer Research Students (PRS) and then
transfer to full DPhil student status, usually near the end of their first year. This transfer is
conditional on completing any required coursework (usually one course in research methods or
from an Oxford master’s degree relevant to their research) and on departmental approval of a
fully developed research plan.
29
Students are expected to complete their degrees in a period of three years plus up to one year of
fieldwork (if needed), as are students who transfer to the DPhil after a one-year Oxford master’s
course. For students who transfer to the DPhil after the MPhil in Development Studies or other
two-year Oxford master’s courses, the expected period is two years plus time needed for
fieldwork.
Enquiries about research degrees should be addressed to The Graduate Student Administrator
Email: admissions@qeh.ox.ac.uk
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
All prospective applicants are advised to consult the University’s Graduate Studies Prospectus
2008-2009, available from the Graduate Admissions Office, which sets out general information
on study in Oxford, the roles of faculties, departments and colleges in graduate study, costs of
study and methods of application as well as the application deadlines (gathered fields). The
Graduate Studies Prospectus is available at: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/
All students should make adequate provision to cover their fees and expenses for the entire
period of the expected study. MPhil and research students must remember to include adequate
provision for the expenses of fieldwork where their thesis topic requires it. Opportunities to raise
adequate funding through teaching or research assistantships are not available within the
department.
Overseas Students
The Graduate Studies Committee for Development Studies accepts applications from a wide
range of overseas countries. The Graduate Studies Prospectus 2008-2009 contains information
of particular relevance to overseas applicants. Overseas students who would like advice about the
financial aspects of study at Oxford should contact the International Office (University Offices,
Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD). Email: international.office@admin.ox.ac.uk.
English Language Requirements
A good command of English (both written and spoken) is essential. Candidates whose first
language is not English are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English (eg by taking
the TOEFL or IELTS test). All courses require the higher level of language requirements as
outlined in the Graduate Studies Prospectus. These standards are strictly observed.
(Relevant information available at Graduate Prospectus web address:
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english.shlml).
30
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Whether you are from the UK or overseas, the admissions procedures to study at Oxford for a
post-graduate degree are the same:
Application Form
Applicants for the MPhil course in Development Studies, the M.Sc. in Forced Migration, the
M.Sc. in Economics for Development, the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, and for
Research Degrees should obtain a copy of the application form, the Graduate Studies Prospectus,
and information on the application (gathered field) dates, from the Graduate Admissions Office,
(http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/), postal address: University Offices, Wellington
Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD, (Graduate Studies Prospectus can be downloaded from the web:
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/).
Electronic application will be available for those applying for entry in 2008/09. Further
information will be obtained from (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/).
The number of places available on each programme is limited and all are heavily over-
subscribed.
Available Gathered Fields:

MPhil in Development Studies and MSc Economics for
Development: Gathered Fields 1, 2, 3 and 4
PRS in Development Studies: Gathered Fields 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
MSc in Forced Migration: Gathered Fields 3 and 4.
MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy: Gathered Fields 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Please refer to the Graduate Studies Prospectus for the gathered field dates:
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/apply/gathered.shtml
Funding:
Those applying for ORS, and Clarendon funding (Email: international.office@admin.ox.ac.uk.
Web page: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/io/ for full information about these funds) are strongly
advised to apply in gathered fields 1 or 2. Applications in gathered field 3 are unlikely to be
considered. Gathered Field 3 may be used, however, in the case of a Clarendon award for the
MSc in Forced Migration. Those applying for ESRC funding (email: ‘morag.mcCormack-
power@admin.ox.ac.uk’) must apply in gathered fields 1 and 2. Those applying in gathered
field 3 may not be considered (except in the case of the MSc in Forced Migration). Any
application received after these dates will not be considered for any of these funds.
For all the above courses applicants are strongly advised to apply in the first three gathered fields
since very few places are available and the competition for them is intense. Students who apply
in gathered fields 4 & 5 may be disappointed to find that all available places have been filled.
31
Please refer to the Graduate Prospectus (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/) for full information on
what to include with your application but as a guide, all applications should include along with
the application form:
(a) a transcript or similar detailed official record of the applicant's academic achievement;
(b) two separate samples of the applicant's written work, of about 2,000 words each (e.g.
undergraduate essays);
(c) a statement of the applicant’s study plans while at Oxford (for MPhil and PRS applications,
please pay particular attention to the requirements set out below);
(d) for those whose first language is not English, an acceptable certificate of proficiency in
English.
(e) for those applying for the MSc in Economics for Development a GRE score of the required
level.
Applicants must also ensure that they submit references in sealed envelopes as directed in the
Notes of Guidance for completing application forms. Applications cannot be considered until the
requisite items of supporting material have been received. Candidates who fail to comply with
this requirement may find that their applications are disqualified from consideration.
Choosing a College
Applicants are encouraged to list on the application form two colleges by which they wish to be
considered (see further information and advice in the Graduate Studies Prospectus 2008-9). The
choice of college is important and one distinction is between colleges that cater only for post-
graduate students, and those where the majority of students are undergraduates but which also
admit post-graduates. In practice most students of development studies, development economics,
forced migration, and global governance and diplomacy are at Wolfson, Linacre, St. Antony’s,
St. Cross and Green, although other colleges do welcome them too. Points to look for in a
college are: provision of separate accommodation for graduates, availability of accommodation
outside term time, graduate scholarships and funds, facilities specifically for graduates (e.g.
access to computers and word processing equipment), the total number of graduate students. For
further information about a particular college, write to the Tutor for Graduates or the Tutor for
Admissions of the college concerned. For further advice on choice of Colleges, please contact
the Department’s Graduate Student Administrator: email: admissions@qeh.ox.ac.uk.
Entry Requirements
32
MPhil in Development Studies
A student wishing to read for the MPhil in Development Studies has to be admitted first by the
Development Studies Graduate Studies Committee and then by a College. At least a good upper
second class honours degree in a social science from a British University (or its equivalent
elsewhere) is normally required. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful
applicants have a first class degree or its equivalent (such as a 3.8 GPA in the USA). As one of
the purposes of the course is to provide a basic education in the subject, in exceptional cases
students who have not specialised in a social science may be admitted to read for the M.Phil. in
Development Studies. It should be recognised that for some students the transition to a social
studies approach to learning may not be easy. Relevant experience in developing countries is
also desirable. It is essential for applicants to apply early, and respect the deadlines. Please
refer to the Graduate Studies Prospectus for information on gathered field deadlines, and higher
level language requirements.
In their Statement of Study Plans, applicants for admission to the MPhil must state in what
way they believe the MPhil might contribute to their career development plans. They must also
indicate an awareness of the structure of the degree, by stating the foundation courses that
they might take in the first year, and the options which might be of interest in the second year.
Applicants should also indicate - very briefly - what their thesis topic might be.

A student wishing to read for the MSc in Forced Migration has to be admitted first by the
Graduate Studies Committee and then by a College. At least a good upper second class honours
degree in a social science is normally required. However, entrance is very competitive and most
successful applicants have a first class degree or its equivalent (such as a 3.8 GPA in the USA).
It is also possible for students who have not specialized in a social science to read for the MSc in
Forced Migration. Relevant experience in forced migration is desirable. It is essential for
applicants to apply early, and respect the deadlines. Please refer to the Graduate Studies
Prospectus for information on gathered field deadlines, and higher level language requirements.

A student wishing to read for the MSc in Economics for Development has to be admitted first
by the Queen Elizabeth House Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Economics
Committee, and then by a College. At least a good upper second class honours degree in
economics from a British university (or its equivalent elsewhere) is normally required, together
with some evidence of ability in quantitative analysis. However, entrance is very competitive and
most successful applicants have a first class degree or its equivalent (such as a 3.8 GPA in the
USA). Students who have not completed a degree from a British University at the time of
application are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Relevant
experience in developing countries is highly desirable. It is essential for applicants to apply
early, and respect the deadlines. Please refer to the Graduate Studies Prospectus for
information on gathered field deadlines, and higher lever language requirements.
MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy: At least a good upper second class degree from a
British University (or its equivalent elsewhere) is required. However entrance is very
33
competitive and most successful applicants will have a first class degree (or equivalent). It is
essential for applicants to apply early, and respect the deadlines. Please refer to the
Graduate Studies Prospectus for information on gathered field deadlines, and higher level
language requirements.
Research in Development Studies

A student wishing to read for a research degree has to be admitted first as a Probationer
Research Student by the Development Studies Graduate Studies Committee and then by a
College. At least a good upper second class honours degree, and preferably a first class degree,
in a social science from a British University (or its equivalent elsewhere), followed by a master’s
degree at distinction level in a relevant discipline is normally required. Evidence of training in
Social Science research techniques is important. Relevant experience in developing countries is
desirable. It is essential for applicants to apply early, and respect the deadlines. Please refer
to the Graduate Studies Prospectus for information on gathered field deadlines, and higher level
language requirements.
In their Statement of Study Plans, applicants for a research degree should provide a coherent
outline of the topic to be researched, the methodology to be used, and a reasoned argument as
to why the topic is of significance. Students will not be held to the details of this outline if their
application is successful, as it is recognised that a thesis topic develops over the course of the
research.
Fees
Please see the Graduate Studies Prospectus for full information on fees
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/finance/. All students should make adequate provision to cover
their fees and expenses for the entire period of the expected study. MPhil and research students
must remember to include adequate provision for the expenses of fieldwork where their thesis
topic requires it. Opportunities to raise adequate funding through teaching or research
assistantships are not available within the department.
Funding and Studentships
ESRC: The MPhil in Development Studies, MSc in Forced Migration, MSc in Economics for
Development and Research in Development Studies all have ESRC recognition. All eligible
applicants must indicate on the course application form that they wish to be considered for ESRC
funding. A shortlist will be drawn up from those who have indicated their interest and
interviews will be held in March/April. Only those chosen for the quota and competition awards
following the interviews will need to complete the ESRC application form. This may need to be
done at short notice in order to meet the ESRC deadline of 1st May. Two ESRC Quota Awards
34
are available for suitably qualified candidates from the MPhil in Development Studies, the MSc
in Forced Migration and PRS in Development Studies (applications for MSc Economics for
Development are considered by the Department of Economics). In addition the Department can
put forward one candidate chosen from all the courses for the competition award. The
competition candidate will be chosen following the interviews as indicated above.
Overseas students should consult the Graduate Studies Prospectus 2008-2009 for information on
funding. A range of scholarships is available, for example through the British Council, the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Overseas Development Administration, the Fulbright
Trust, the Rhodes Trust, the Radhakrishnan, Inlaks and Felix Scholarship Funds, Clarendon, and
University Bursaries and College Awards. Further information is available from the International
Office. Email: international.office@admin.ox.ac.uk. Web page: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/io/.
The government-funded Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORS) enables recipients
to pay University Fees at the lower rate applicable to EU students, the award meeting the
balance. (The College fees are unaffected.) These competitive awards are made solely on
academic merit and potential. Only applications from students with a first class honours degree
from a British University (or its equivalent elsewhere) will be considered. Application is via the
Course application form and only those who have indicated interest will be considered. Since
financial need is not a criterion, possession of other sources of funds is not a disqualification.
Overseas Graduate students intending to embark upon, or already pursuing full-time study for the
M. Phil. or research degrees, are entitled to apply for an ORS award. Application forms are
obtainable from the International Office. Email: international.office@admin.ox.ac.uk. Web
page: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/io/.
The Department of International Development will offer a number of full scholarships (covering
University fees, College Fees, and maintenance) to be known as “Queen Elizabeth House
Scholarships”. Students entering the following courses will be eligible:

MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
MPhil in Development Studies
PRS/DPhil in Development Studies (may not be available for 2008/9)
The criteria for selection will be outstanding academic ability and citizenship (and normal
residence in) of a developing country as defined by the United Nations, with a preference for
candidates from Sub-Saharan Africa. Continuation of scholarships in the case of multi-year
courses (MPhil and DPhil) will be conditional upon a high standard of academic performance.
There is no separate application process. Candidates for admission for any of the above five
courses should indicate on their application forms whether they wish to be considered for a QEH
Scholarship.
35
Further scholarship news: The Economics Department has agreed a further scholarship worth
£20,000 to be allocated to any successful candidate in the programme. The scholarship is open to
any candidate, irrespective of nationality or background; all applications will be considered on
merit only. In the event of multiple strong candidates applying, some with partial funding from
other sources, we would be willing to share the award between two candidates, to the value of
£10,000 each. Please notify your interest in applying for this scholarship (known as the
"Economics Department Scholarship") on your application form. There is no separate application
form.
July 2007
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DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AT OXFORD

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES is a disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary enquiry

QEH STAFF AND SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

Teaching and Research Staff

Professor Robin Cohen

Professor Stefan Dercon

Professor Valpy FitzGerald

Professor Barbara Harriss-White

Dr Abdul Raufu Mustapha

Professor Frances Stewart

Mrs Rosemary Thorp

Professor John Toye

Professor Adrian Wood

Professor Roger Zetter

Senior Research Associates & Research Associates

Prof Alistair Ager

Prof Frederic Ahearn

Profesor Sudhir Anand

Professor Bob Barnes

Professor William Beinart

Professor Gerard Bodeker

Sir Neil Chalmers

Professor Colin Clarke

Professor Marcel Fafchamps

Professor Harold Jaffe

Professor Wendy James

Professor Alan Knight

Professor John Knight

Professor Diana Liverman

Professor Neil MacFarlane

Prof Judith Okely

Professor David Parkin

Professor Ceri Peach

Professor Steve Rayner

Professor Adam Roberts

Professor Mari Sako

Professor Vivienne Shue

Dr Nick Van Hear

Dr Jacqueline Dee Waldren

Dr Xiang Biao Zarni

M.Phil. in Development Studies

Some indicators of the quality of the course are:

i) theories of development, social change and the state;

ii) major themes in development;

iii) international dimensions of development;

1. Environment and Development

2. Rural Societies and Politics

3. Forced Migration: International Legal and Normative Framework

4. Forced Migration: Causes and Consequences of Forced Migration

5. Theory and Practice of Economic Development: Economic Theory (Limited access:

6. Theory and Practice of Economic Development: Quantitative Methods (Limited

8. Introduction to Latin American Economies

9. The Politics of Democracy in Latin America

10. The History and Politics of West Africa

11. Violence and Historical Memory in Eastern Africa

13. The History and Politics of South Asia

14. The Indian Political Economy

15. International Relations in the Developing World

17. Economic Development Problems and Policies

18. Gender and Development

19. Environment and Empire in the 20th Century

21. Health and Development

22. Migration and Development