Peace and Development Work, Master Programme
60 creditsIn Peace and Development Work you study the relationship between poverty, conflicts and sustainable development as well as political room for manoeuvre for change.
Peace and Development Work is for students who are looking for a specialisation in issues linked to peace, development and international development co-operation. We focus on current research concerning development as well as the practical work carried out by international institutions, non-governmental organisations and social movements.
As a Master student, and in writing your final thesis, you have the possibility to work together with an organization or to conduct a field study in a developing country. The interdisciplinary approach of the progamme - where we also discuss how development issues can be solved in real politics - allows us to keep a close connection with people who are employed within our field and to learn from them. Moreover, most of our teachers have long experience from working with peace and development in developing countries.
In the program we also discuss communication issues and how they can influence international development.
Career
The objective of the programme is to create possibilities for future employment within e.g., civil society and international organisations that deal with Peace and development issues. During your study you have the possibility to work together with an organisation or to conduct a field study in a developing country. Students develop both analytical capabilities and practical skills which are necessary for work in the complex reality of international development.
Degree
Master of Science (60 credits) (Main field of study: Peace and Development Work)
Statement of purpose
International possibilities
At Linnaeus University, you have plenty of opportunity to broaden your international perspective. During the course of your programme, you can choose to study abroad through exchange studies to gain international experience. If you do, you will conduct part of your studies at one of our many partner universities around the world.
Also at home you can gain international experience. Many courses contain intercultural elements. For instance, in the form of course literature or guest lecturers from other countries. In your leisure time, you can get involved in associations together with students from a wide range of other programmes and countries, or meet international students through our buddy programme.
Learn more about international possibilities at Linnaeus University
Contacts for life and a great springboard for a future career
"The most valuable thing about the program is all the contacts I have gathered. The program has meant a lot for my development both on a personal, professional and academic level." Cajsa Larsson, Peace and Development Work, Master Programme
"Development is a dynamic field that requires cross-cutting solutions and innovations"
Aluwani Mauda from South Africa is a student at the Peace and Development Work master programme. She was attracted to the degree for its practicality and relevance, to the university for its diverse student profile, and to Sweden for its international reputation of being a friendly and equal society.
More information about the programme
Field work in a developing country
At the end of the second semester, students in the programme are provided a possibility to carry out a supervised field study during four weeks, learning more about processes and conditions that affect development in Eastern Africa.
Since 2006, about 80 students have participated in the field study in northern Mozambique to collect data for their Master thesis. The field trip is organized in cooperation with local stakeholders and designed to resemble a kind of study, frequent in international development cooperation work and commonly asked for by development organisations. One teacher accompanies the students and guides them throughout their work. Before departing from Sweden the students identify the themes of their study and, together with stakeholders in the developing country, draft a research proposal.
Through this work, students have the opportunity to apply their studies in a local context. The focus of the studies allows students to follow the particularities of local development problems. At the same time, students gain practical experience from field work in close connection with local stakeholders, although the final analysis is also placed in a multi-level perspective.
The results of the field research is presented in the students' final theses and discussed in a seminar. Initial results are also presented to and discussed with local partners in the developing country before returning back to Växjö.
Individual travel and accommodation expenses are carried by the participating student. A minimum of six interested students is necessary in order to organize the field trip.
Växjö – the student city with a living campus
Just south of Växjö’s city centre you will find Linnaeus University’s campus. In Växjö, many students choose to live on campus.
Here you will have five minutes’ walking distance to friends, restaurants, lecture rooms, gym, grocery store, the University Library, nature trails, and student pubs. If you live in another part of Växjö, you can quickly get to the university by bus or bicycle.
With its 90 000 inhabitants, Växjö is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden. Here you will find the famous Småland entrepreneurship spirit and a lot of companies, for instance within the IT industry – perfect for when you are looking for an internship position or a job. Växjö is also a picturesque city where you are always close to forests and water.
