Master of Development Studies (MDEVS)

Master of Development Studies (MDEVS)

The Master of Development Studies (MDEVS) is a two-year graduate program offered by the School of Development and Social Engineering (SDSE), Pokhara University under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. SDSE is a constituent school of Pokhara University at Dhungepatan, Pokhara.

MDEVS takes an interdisciplinary approach to development. Its curriculum brings together development studies, public policy, planning, social engineering, statistics, natural resources, globalization, research methods, program management, development analysis, field-based planning, specialization, and dissertation work.

Quick Highlights

MDEVS is organized into two semesters per year, with the curriculum progressing from core development concepts and analytical subjects to specialization, field-based planning, seminar work, and dissertation.

What MDEVS Covers

The course examines development as more than a single economic or social issue. Students work across public policy, planning, social and environmental development, research, program management, and institutional dimensions of development.

Its academic objectives include developing interdisciplinary understanding, technical knowledge, practical skills, and the ability to examine contemporary development questions through observation, analysis, and research.

The course also gives students room to concentrate on specific development themes later in the program through its specialization structure.

Who May Consider MDEVS?

MDEVS may suit graduates interested in studying development through policy, planning, social change, natural resources, human settlements, research, program management, or development practice.

The course involves both conceptual and applied work. Students encounter statistics, research methods, information technology for social research, development analysis, a field-based planning workshop, specialized subjects, seminar work, and dissertation research.

It may therefore be relevant to students who want a graduate program that combines development theory with analytical, planning, and research-oriented study.

Eligibility

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification in any discipline from a recognized university.

The program does not restrict entry to a single undergraduate subject area.

Admission Process

Selection is based on the merit list of an entrance examination conducted by the School of Development and Social Engineering.

The confirmed admission structure therefore consists of:

• completion of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university;

• participation in the SDSE entrance examination; and

• selection according to the resulting merit list.

Course Duration and Credit Structure

MDEVS runs for two years and contains four semesters, with two semesters in each academic year. The full program carries 60 credits.

The first year establishes the theoretical, policy, planning, research, and analytical base. The second year moves further into development management, specialization, field-based planning, national development planning, seminar study, and dissertation research.

MDEVS Curriculum by Semester

First Semester

The first semester introduces development at an advanced level while building foundations in policy, planning, social engineering, and quantitative analysis.

• Advanced Development Studies

• Social Engineering in Development

• Public Policy Studies

• Planning Theory and Practice

• Statistics for Social Sciences

Second Semester

The second semester broadens the discussion to spatial, environmental, global, methodological, and technological dimensions of development.

• Spatial Organization of Development

• Natural Resources and Development

• Globalization and Development

• Research Methods for Development Studies

• Information Technology for Social Research

Third Semester

By the third semester, the curriculum becomes more applied. Students study development management and analysis while beginning their specialization and field-based planning work.

• Development Program Management

• Development Analysis and Planning Techniques

• Specialization I

• Specialization II

• Planning Workshop (Field Based)

Fourth Semester

The final semester combines specialized study with broader national development analysis and independent research.

• Comprehensive National Development Plan for Nepal

• Specialization III

• Specialization IV

• Seminar on Contemporary Development

• Dissertation

Specialization Areas

MDEVS provides three specialization themes. These allow students to concentrate on a particular side of development while remaining within the broader interdisciplinary framework of the degree.

Humanistic Development

The Humanistic Development theme brings social transformation, inclusion, gender, population, and social work into the specialization stage.

Its subjects examine development through people, social conditions, demographic questions, and processes of inclusion and transformation.

Human Settlements Development

This specialization concentrates on settlements and the systems that support them. Its subjects cover sustainable development in the Himalayan region, public works, development management, transformation of human settlements, and service delivery.

Development Practice

Development Practice moves toward the organizational and implementation side of development. Students encounter monitoring and evaluation, employment and livelihood, development institutions, and conflict in development management.

Research and Analytical Learning

Research runs through several stages of MDEVS rather than appearing only in the dissertation.

Statistics for Social Sciences establishes an analytical base in the first semester. Research Methods for Development Studies and Information Technology for Social Research follow in the second semester.

Development Analysis and Planning Techniques then adds a more applied analytical dimension, while the fourth-semester dissertation requires independent research.

Through this sequence, students may develop abilities in:

• development research;

• policy analysis;

• planning and development analysis;

• use of statistics in social-science study;

• research methodology;

• information technology for social research;

• program analysis;

• academic writing;

• interpretation of development issues; and

• independent dissertation work.

The extent of these abilities depends on the student’s coursework, research practice, field participation, and academic performance.

Field-Based Planning

The third semester includes a Planning Workshop (Field Based).

This component distinguishes the program from a curriculum based entirely on classroom study. It places planning within a field-oriented academic setting, alongside Development Program Management and Development Analysis and Planning Techniques.

The field-based workshop also precedes the fourth-semester Comprehensive National Development Plan for Nepal, seminar, and dissertation, creating a progression from taught planning concepts toward applied and independent work.

Development Policy and Planning

Policy and planning appear from the beginning of the degree.

Public Policy Studies and Planning Theory and Practice are taught in the first semester. Later courses include Development Program Management, Development Analysis and Planning Techniques, the field-based Planning Workshop, and Comprehensive National Development Plan for Nepal.

Students interested in how development ideas move from policy and planning into programs and institutional practice therefore encounter these questions at several points in the curriculum.

Fees and Payment

The program fee is arranged for payment in three installments per semester.

Scholarship

The MDEVS scholarship provision covers 20 percent of the total student quota and is linked with entrance examination or semester performance.

Career Direction

MDEVS connects academically with several areas in which development knowledge, planning, research, policy understanding, and program analysis may be relevant.

Graduates may explore work connected with:

• development programs and projects;

• development analysis;

• government and public-sector development work;

• international organizations;

• bilateral and multilateral development agencies;

• non-governmental organizations;

• international non-governmental organizations;

• civil society organizations;

• social enterprises;

• development-oriented research; and

• academic work.

These are possible professional settings rather than guaranteed employment outcomes. Career direction depends on a graduate’s specialization, research ability, academic performance, experience, additional qualifications, and the requirements of individual organizations.

How the Four Semesters Fit Together

The structure of MDEVS is relatively easy to understand when viewed as a progression.

The first semester establishes the main concepts: advanced development studies, policy, planning, social engineering, and statistics.

The second expands the analytical setting through natural resources, spatial development, globalization, research methods, and information technology.

The third moves into program management, development analysis, specialization, and field-based planning.

The fourth brings those strands together through further specialization, contemporary development discussion, a national development planning course, and dissertation.

For students comparing graduate development programs, this sequence is important because MDEVS combines broad interdisciplinary study with a defined specialization stage and independent research.

FAQ

How long is Master of Development Studies at Pokhara University?

MDEVS is a two-year program divided into four semesters, with two semesters in each academic year.

How many credits does MDEVS have?

The Master of Development Studies carries a total of 60 credits across four semesters.

What is the eligibility for MDEVS?

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline from a recognized university.

Is there an entrance examination for MDEVS?

Yes. Applicants are selected from a merit list based on the entrance examination conducted by the School of Development and Social Engineering.

What specialization options are available in MDEVS?

The program has three specialization themes: Humanistic Development, Human Settlements Development, and Development Practice.

Does MDEVS include fieldwork?

The third semester includes a Planning Workshop (Field Based), alongside development program management, analysis, and specialization courses.

Does MDEVS require a dissertation?

Yes. Dissertation is included in the fourth semester together with specialization courses, Seminar on Contemporary Development, and Comprehensive National Development Plan for Nepal.

Is there a scholarship provision for MDEVS?

Yes. The scholarship provision covers 20 percent of the total student quota and is linked with entrance examination or semester performance.