Master of Arts: Development and Governance

This Master programme in Development and Governance combines teaching in several political science sub-disciplines like development studies, international relations, peace and conflict studies, administration and policy studies, as well as comparative politics of European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa or East Asia.

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University of Duisburg-Essen

Location The Ruhr metropolis is full of surprises, one of which has been its cultural transformation from a traditional industrial region to a European Capital of Culture and home to 5.3 million people from 140 countries.

Two Cities: Duisburg & Essen

Iron, steel and the port still characterise Duisburg and the life of its 500,000 inhabitants. Half of all Germany’s pig iron is produced here, along with a third of the country’s crude steel. As the largest inland port in Europe, Duisburg is not only a logistics hub but also a hub of cultural activity, with restaurants, museums and cultural venues located on the city’s inner harbour. A lively pub culture also thrives in the university district of Neudorf and the area known as the Dellviertel.

In Essen, the district of Rüttenscheid enjoys similar status and attracts large numbers of students and academics. The Ruhr city is home to some 580,000 people in all and is probably best known as an exhibition and healthcare centre, thanks in no small part to the University Hospital and its reputation for specialisation in cardiology, oncology and transplantation. From the Zeche Carl cultural centre in one of Essen’s former coal mines to the Hüttenwerk, a disused smelting works set in the Landschafts­park Duisburg-Nord, both cities have retained their past industrial charm and transported it to the present day.

The centres of both cities have become stylish shopping areas with plenty of culinary highlights. The Limbecker Platz mall in Essen has raised the city’s profile as a shopping destination considerably, and the same is true of the Forum on Duisburg’s Königstraße, where the famous Lifesaver Fountain is located. Nearby recreational areas such as the Sechs-Seen-Platte in Duisburg and Essen’s Baldeneysee are also very popular with visitors.

Course focus The Master’s programme in Development and Governance combines teaching in several political science sub-disciplines (development studies, international relations, peace and conflict studies, administration and policy studies, comparative politics of European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa or East Asia). The main emphasis is on acquiring knowledge of the relevance of different tiers and forms of governance-processes (local, national, international) both within established democracies and developing societies, and on training students’ analytical skills. The programme is thus providing students with both policy- and region-specific Expertise.

The curriculum consists of three modules and the Master’s Thesis (accompanied by a mentoring programme).

Module 1 (Development) is dedicated to developmental problems from a governance perspective. It comprises three courses: Global Governance and Development discusses basic theories and concepts of global governance, with a special emphasis on developing regions and their participation in global governance processes. The seminar on Conflict, Democracy and Human Security reflects current debates in peace and conflict studies, based on national, regional and global conflict resolution strategies. There is also an optional course where students can choose or to participate in the United Nations Simulation hosted by the University of Duisburg-Essen for many years or to select a language course or take other optional courses.

Within the three courses of Module 2 (Governance) students gain knowledge of governance processes in industrialised and developing countries. An introduction on basic concepts and approaches in comparative Policy Analysis is complemented by a seminar on management and juridical aspects of administrative processes and reforms (Public Administration). The third course is focused on Democracy and Governance outside the OECD highlighting the applicability of democratisation and governance concepts in the developing areas.

Module three (Area Studies) complements the first two modules with an in-depth study of region-specific governance structures. Students select two out of the three courses on African Politics, European Politics and Asian Politics. Students shall learn to critically assess the relevance of general theoretical models and problem solving strategies for governance problems in their home countries.

Target group Our programme is primarily addressing students from developing countries with an academic background in social science and working experience related to the subjects of Development and Governance.
Course language English
Application process The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a limited number of scholarships to highly qualified applicants from Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia as well as from countries in the Middle East, within the Good Governance and Public Policy Programme (PPGG). Further information on the PPGG Programme and a detailed list of countries can be found on the DAAD webpage.

The deadline for applications for PPGG scholarships for the academic year 2018/19 closed on 31 July 2018. The application period for the intake 2019/2020 will start 1 June and will end on 31 July 2019.

Please note that all applications for a PPGG DAAD scholarship have to be submitted directly to the University. There is no additional application to DAAD required.

The application form for a PPGG scholarship is accessible here. Please fill this form and send it to maximum 3 PPGG Master courses of your choice. Please be aware that the University-Duisburg Essen will mainly consider applicants that have chosen Duisburg-Essen as a first and second priority. Moreover, the admission criteria for each university differ a bit. Make sure that you meet the criteria of every university you apply to.

If you are applying for the Master of Development and Governance at the University Duisburg-Essen within the PPGG DAAD scholarship  programme, the application form and all required documents have to be send to: ppgg-application@uni-due.de

Required documents for application Due to the digital form of applications under PPGG some formalities are slightly modified:

  • Completed PPGG scholarship application form
  • Statement of Purpose not exceeding two pages.
  • Full Curriculum Vitae including information about precise field of study and job experience (should not exceed two pages). Please note that we require at least one year of full time working experience in a relevant field for our Master’s.
  • Two confidential letters of recommendation (by university professors and/or current or former employers). The recommendation letters are to be sent directly by the recommending parties, also via email to ppgg-application@uni-due.de.
  • Please send scans of your original educational certificates if they are in German or English; otherwise certified translations into one of those languages are needed.
    • Original or certified true copies of academic transcripts and graduation diploma from each university attended as well as
    • Certified true copy of secondary education certificate (higher education entrance qualification)
  • Proof of good English language proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must provide a recent language certificate (TOEFL or IELTS) giving evidence of their level of proficiency in English
    • TOEFL: Paper based test: minimum score of 550; Computer based test: minimum score of 213; Internet based test: minimum score of 80
    • IELTS: minimum score of 6.
    • Applicants can be exempted from this requirement only if they hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from an English-language college or university. Instead they are required to provide proof that English was the language of instruction and of all examinations of their degree course.

For your own convenience we have assembled a checklist. You do not need to hand it in with your application.

Format of digital applications

Applications must be submitted in one email, with one single pdf file attached.
Please do not send us more than a maximum of 45 text pages.
Keep the file size below 10 MB. We cannot consider attachments in rare file formats or archive formats (e.g. rar or zip) and we do not download files from filesharing platforms (e.g. dropbox).

 FAQ Please find all the answers to the FAQ here
 Application deadline The deadline for applications for PPGG scholarships for the academic year 2018/19 closed on 31 July 2018.

The application period for the intake 2019/2020 will start 1 June and will end on 31 July 2019.

http://www.ma-dev-gov.de/

Institute of Political Science

Lotharstr. 65

47057 Duisburg

Dipl.reg.wiss. Georg Lammich

Email: Georg.Lammich@uni-due.de

Phone: +49 (0)203 379 3182