Master’s Program

The Global Human Development Program curriculum combines core courses in economics, political economy, quantitative analysis, and project design and management, with the content designed to prepare students to work in any phase of the development process and in a variety of environments. The curriculum aims to give students a strong foundation in these topics, along with the flexibility to focus their electives in the areas in which they are particularly interested through Specializations and Certificates. All of our courses are practitioner-oriented, and are complemented by our Capstone Project, overseas summer internship, Washington DC internship, Ethics Retreat, skills workshops, and language courses, which together give students the academic and practical skills they need for a successful international development career. The program is two years in duration, and students must complete 48 credits (not including optional language courses) in order to graduate.

For a better idea of what courses are available for electives, check out the Georgetown Course Catalog.

The GHD program is designated as a STEM-certified program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Graduates of the GHD program with F-1 visas may apply to work in the United States for up to three years of Optional Practical Training (OPT) following graduation.

Core Courses

  • GHDP-5001: Economics of Development: Growth
  • GHDP-5002: Political Economy of International Development
  • GHDP-5003: Quantitative Methods for Research and Evaluation in Development
  • GHDP-5004: Strategy, Design and Implementation
  • GHDP-5006: Evaluation for Development
  • GHDP-5007: Development Finance
  • GHDP-5012/5013: Economics of Development: Poverty
  • GHDP 5014 Ethical Leadership in Development
  • GHDP-5098: Management Analysis & Practice I
  • GHDP-5099: Management Analysis & Practice II

In addition to the above core courses, all students are required to complete three (3) additional credits of STEM-related courses, which can be selected from an extensive list of GHD and non-GHD courses and relate to the student’s academic and professional interests. This requirement must be completed prior to graduation.

As students complete their foundational courses, they have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of topics that are of interest to them, through the pursuit of specializations and/or certificates. Students must select, at a minimum, one specialization or certificate, and may choose from 7 specializations and 10 certificates.

Specializations

One of the strengths of the Global Human Development Program is the access to graduate-level courses across a wide range of disciplines within Georgetown University. We provide the opportunity for students to use some of their elective courses to acquire a specialization while pursuing their degree, which requires the completion of 9 credits on a focused topic such as Global Health or Education and Human Capital.

The most popular specializations are listed below. There are also a variety of course offerings related to gender, humanitarian assistance, conflict, science and technology, and regional studies.

  • Education and Human Capital
  • Food, Agriculture, and Rural Livelihoods
  • Environment and Climate
  • Quantitative Analysis and Evaluation
  • Global Health
  • Humanitarian Crises and Displacement
  • Self-Designed (Must be approved by the Associate Director of Academic Programs)

Certificates

Georgetown University offers a wide variety of formal Certificate Programs that students can obtain along with their Master in Global Human Development. Certificate requirements differ across programs, but typically require completion of 5-6 courses plus other requirements. Completion of a Certificate Program will appear on a student’s transcripts and other formal records at Georgetown.

Capstone Project 

The Capstone Project is the culmination of the student’s two years of course work and experiences at Georgetown. Working in pairs, the Project is designed to provide students with the opportunity to bring together the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the program and apply them to a real-world challenge identified jointly with an client organization working in the development field. The Capstone Project comprises much of students’ second year in the program, and offers a practitioner-focused opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of their coursework.

Language Proficiency

We understand that developing a shared language is one way in which development practitioners can more effectively partner with the communities they serve. Thus, we require that all students pass an oral proficiency exam in a non-native language before they graduate from the GHD program, and provide them with language scholarships for one class per semester until they pass their exam. Students can either choose to take classes in the language they hope to take their proficiency exam in, or, if that language department is satisfied that they are proficient enough to pass the exam, they can choose to take courses in another language until they pass their proficiency exam. Note that language courses do not factor into the 48 credits required to graduate from the GHD program.

Georgetown University offers a number of languages for students to take, however, your language of proficiency is not limited to these languages. For more detailed information about the the languages offered at Georgetown and the oral proficiency exam, visit the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics.