Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Development Practice M.D.P.

HHH Administration
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-3800; fax: 612-626-0002)
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2012
  • Length of program in credits: 50
  • This program requires summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Development Practice
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The master of development practice (M.D.P.) prepares students for careers in international development. The degree provides rigorous interdisciplinary training and equips students with the skills needed to address the problems of poverty and sustainable development in the developing world. The M.D.P. program is jointly administered by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change (ICGC) and spans several academic units across the University of Minnesota. The degree provides training in policy analysis and management, health and education, natural sciences, social sciences, and interdisciplinary research methods. An international field experience and capstone workshop in development practice also are required. The M.D.P. degree is part of a global consortium of international development programs.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. university or foreign equivalent at time of enrollment.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
A grade of B or better in an introductory microeconomics or general economics course that includes introductory microeconomics is required. A macroeconomic course will not satisfy this requirement. Competence in college-level algebra (including facility with functional notations; algebraic manipulation of polynomials, logs, and exponentials; and graphic representation of equations) is required for M.D.P. students. A grade of B or better in a college-level course in biology, chemistry, or ecology. At least one course in political science (that analyzes political institutions) is strongly recommended. Competence in MS Excel and Word is strongly recommended. International professional experience and foreign language competency are strongly preferred.
Special Application Requirements:
A complete application will include a Graduate School application, personal statement, resume or C.V., transcripts, GRE scores, TOEFL scores, at least three letters of recommendation, and a diversity statement.
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
  • GRE
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 100
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 600
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 7.0
The preferred English language test is Test of English as Foreign Language.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan C: Plan C requires 50 major credits and up to credits outside the major. There is no final exam. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project: The capstone project is an opportunity for M.D.P. students in their second year to apply their knowledge through a client-based team project. Each student team and the workshop instructor will work with an NGO or public sector client engaged in some dimension of international development, preferably situated in a developing country, to identify a suitable project. While the specifics of each project will vary, all will include in-depth research, analysis, and the creation of a professional written report. Student teams will be expected to develop an appropriate presentation of this product to the relevant stakeholders. The projects will be done by small groups and can have multiple dimensions. Students will have the opportunity to integrate various aspects of development such as economic development, public health, environmental sustainability, education and skills development, and citizen participation.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
A minimum GPA of 2.80 is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 1 semesters must be completed before filing a Degree Program Form.
Required Core Courses
AGRO 5321 - Ecology of Agricultural Systems (3.0 cr)
MDP 5001 - Ways of Knowing for Sustainable Development (2.0 cr)
MDP 5002 - Program Development Workshop (3.0 cr)
MDP 5003 {Inactive} (1.0 cr)
MDP 5100 - Capstone Prep Workshop (1.0 cr)
MDP 5200 - Capstone Workshop in Development Practice (3.0 cr)
PA 5501 - Theories and Policies of Development (3.0 cr)
PA 5521 - Development Planning and Policy Analysis (4.0 cr)
PA 5031 - Statistics for Public Affairs (4.0 cr)
PA 5003 - Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management (1.5 cr)
PA 5941 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
Education Policy
OLPD 5121 - Educational Reform in International Context (3.0 cr)
or OLPD 5080 - Special Topics: Organizational Leadership, Policy, & Development (1.0-3.0 cr)
Environmental Science
GEOG 5401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change [ENV, WI] (3.0 cr)
or EEB 5146 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or FNRM 5146 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
Qualitative Analysis
OLPD 5056 - Case Studies for Policy Research (3.0 cr)
or PA 5041 - Qualitative Methods for Policy Analysts (4.0 cr)
Public Health
PUBH 6320 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3.0 cr)
or PUBH 6100 - Topics: Environmental Health (1.0-4.0 cr)
Electives
Electives to bring total degree credits to at least 50. See www.hhh.umn.edu/degrees/mdp/ for further information.
 
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· Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs

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AGRO 5321 - Ecology of Agricultural Systems
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro/Ent 5321
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Ecological approach to problems in agricultural systems. Formal methodologies of systems inquiry are developed/applied. prereq: [3xxx or above] course in [Agro or AnSc or Ent or Hort or PlPa or Soil] or instr consent
MDP 5001 - Ways of Knowing for Sustainable Development
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Complexities of interdisciplinary study of development and a range of ways of knowing the field of development studies and sustainability. Approaches practiced by physical, biological, social science, and humanities scholars. "Ways of knowing" in different cultures/groups and from a variety of situated perspectives. Key issues and concepts and key methodological challenges facing us as we engage in interdisciplinary and international development study and practice. Sustainable livelihoods. Team taught when possible by faculty from biological, social sciences, and humanities, or at minimum will include guest lecturers who can offer a range of disciplinary perspectives on questions of development. prereq: Grad MDP major or instr consent
MDP 5002 - Program Development Workshop
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Research/writing skills to support work in international development. Discussion of basic qualitative research methods/data analysis. Qualitative/quantitative data, collaborative research/analysis. Relationship between research/policy. prereq: MDP grad student or instr consent
MDP 5100 - Capstone Prep Workshop
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
This project-focused seminar meets once at the beginning of the fall semester to collect observations, reflections and insights from the summer field placements. Then, throughout the fall semester, the seminar will meet periodically to stage the spring capstone course. Staging includes a capstone overview session, presentation of projects, team selection process and initial client engagements, the latter being particularly important for teams aspiring to travel during the winter or spring breaks.
MDP 5200 - Capstone Workshop in Development Practice
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Learning from field experiences. Analytical/practical skills developed in academic training. Apply skill/experiences to "real world" problem provided by local or international development-focused organization. Reflective practice. prereq: MDP grad student or instr consent
PA 5501 - Theories and Policies of Development
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
What makes some countries wealthier than others, one group of people healthier and more educated than another? How does the behavior of rich nations affect poor nations? Origins of development thought, contemporary frameworks and policy debates. Economic, human, and sustainable development. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
PA 5521 - Development Planning and Policy Analysis
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Techniques of development planning/policy analysis at national, regional, and project levels. Effects of external shocks and government interventions on national/regional economies. Macroeconomic modeling, input-output analysis, social accounting matrices/multipliers, project evaluation. prereq: 5031 or equiv recommended or instr consent
PA 5031 - Statistics for Public Affairs
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic statistical tools for empirical analysis of public policy alternatives. Frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, elementary probability/probability distributions, statistical inference. Estimation/hypothesis testing. Cross-tabulation/chi-square distribution. Analysis of variance, correlation. Simple/multiple regression analysis.
PA 5003 - Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management
Credits: 1.5 [max 1.5]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Finance/accounting concepts/tools in public/nonprofit organizations. Fund accounting. Balance sheet/income statement analysis. Cash flow analysis. Public/nonprofit sector budgeting processes. Lectures, discussions. Cases. prereq: Public policy major/minor or major in development practice, public affairs or liberal studies or grad nonprofit mgmt cert or instr consent
OLPD 5121 - Educational Reform in International Context
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Critical policy analysis of educational innovation and reform in selected countries. Use theoretical perspectives and a variety of policy analysis approaches to examine actual educational reforms and their implementation.
OLPD 5080 - Special Topics: Organizational Leadership, Policy, & Development
Credits: 1.0 -3.0 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Topical issues in organizational leadership, policy, development.
GEOG 5401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change (ENV, WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Geog 3401W/5401W
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Geographic patterns, dynamics, and interactions of atmospheric, hydrospheric, geomorphic, pedologic, and biologic systems as context for human population, development, and resource use patterns. prereq: grad student or instr consent
OLPD 5056 - Case Studies for Policy Research
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall, Spring & Summer
This course introduces students to knowledge and skills appropriate for the conduct of rigorous case study research in educational, organizational, and other social settings. Underlying purposes and assumptions of case study methods will be examined as well as a variety of methodological approaches. The course focuses on the use of qualitative and mixed-methods approaches as these are the predominant strategies employed in contemporary case study research. Accordingly, it emphasizes links between research purposes, the conceptualization of case study projects, and the development of researchable questions. It also takes up a variety of ethical and political issues related to working with participants during the research process, as well as contemporary trustworthiness criteria for case study reports. The bulk of the course is given to training in observation, generating field notes, interviewing, collecting material cultural artifacts, using surveys, and analyzing, interpreting, and writing up case study data. The first segment of the course focuses on a critical discussion of research paradigms and epistemological assumptions of a variety of case study approaches. Students choose and critique a published case study from their field of interest. The second part of the course is devoted to a very small scale case study project which students design and carry out themselves. This project is supported by relevant readings and in-class activities (including peer review) related to the actual conduct of case study research.
PA 5041 - Qualitative Methods for Policy Analysts
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Qualitative analysis techniques, examples of application. Meet with researcher. Hands-on experience in designing, gathering, analyzing data.
PUBH 6320 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course provides an understanding of basic methods and tools used by epidemiologists to study the health of populations.
PUBH 6100 - Topics: Environmental Health
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 20.0]
Grading Basis: OPT No Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
New course offerings/topics in environmental health.