Economic development remains one of the most urgent global challenges, with persistent inequalities in income, health and education and over a billion people living in extreme poverty. This research-oriented MSc, taught in English and spanning four semesters, is designed to equip students with the analytical tools needed to understand and address such problems. Established in 2011, the degree builds on earlier master’s programmes with a long tradition of development-focused teaching and research.
The programme benefits from the University of Göttingen’s large, internationally visible concentration of development economics researchers and draws on teaching and supervision from two faculties: the Faculty of Economic Sciences and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (notably the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development). Core training covers both micro- and macro-level development topics, rigorous econometrics, and rural development issues, while allowing students to pursue deeper specialisation and independent research.
Students gain practical experience through internships, collaborative research projects and opportunities for fieldwork in developing countries. The programme also supports international exchange — with partner universities in regions such as South Africa, China, Indonesia, Latin America and the Caribbean — and offers a range of language courses to complement technical training and prepare graduates for careers in international organisations, development cooperation, research institutions and policy advising.
Program highlights and requirements
This two-year (four-semester) Master's programme is worth 120 ECTS: 90 ECTS come from taught modules and 30 ECTS from a Master's thesis. The programme is structured so that core economic and econometric training is completed early (typically within the first two semesters), after which you build specialist expertise through a combination of required specialisation modules, a set of preselected courses, free electives and a research seminar. The degree is completed by a 30‑credit Master's thesis that demonstrates your ability to carry out independent research.
Core coursework includes three compulsory economics modules (Development Economics I & II, and Socioeconomics of Rural Development) totaling 18 ECTS, together with one compulsory econometrics module (choice of Econometrics I or II). After the core phase you choose a specialisation in either quantitative or agricultural economics — each specialisation requires 12 ECTS, achieved by selecting two modules from a pool of four in that field. You also take five additional modules from a preselected catalogue covering development/agricultural economics and statistics, plus one compulsory seminar (chosen from about 15 eligible development or agricultural economics seminars). Finally you select three free elective modules from across the Faculty of Economic Sciences, the Sustainable International Agriculture programme, or other subjects with formal approval.
From this curriculum you will gain advanced theoretical and empirical knowledge in development economics, solid applied econometric skills, and specialised competence in your chosen subfield (quantitative or agricultural economics). The seminar and thesis components develop your ability to design and execute independent research and to present findings to an academic audience.
This programme expects a strong academic background in economics or a closely related field. Applicants should have completed a Bachelor's-level course of study lasting at least six semesters and achieved top grades in economics, agricultural economics, or a closely related subject. A substantial portion of your prior coursework must be in economics-specific modules (see examples below); note that business administration courses do not count toward this requirement.
You must be able to document most of your undergraduate credit load when you apply. If your degree uses a different credit system or duration, the programme applies proportional rules (see the official information page linked below) — check that your transcript clearly shows the required credits before submitting your application.
Admission requirements (summary)
For full details on application and admission procedures, please consult the programme’s official information page: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/businessandeconomics/studying/economics/bachelor-development-studies/648484.html
Winter Semester (International)
15 November 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 May 2026
Graduates are prepared for careers in development-oriented organisations — for example, international and national development agencies, NGOs, policy institutions, research institutes and think tanks — as well as for analytical roles in consulting or the private sector where development expertise is valued. The programme’s strong empirical and econometric training also provides a solid foundation for doctoral study and academic research.
Internships and fieldwork opportunities embedded in the programme help students gain applied experience and professional contacts in development cooperation, international organisations and research institutions, improving employability in both practitioner and research-oriented career paths.