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International Development Curriculum and Course Descriptions

Gain Essential Knowledge

International Development requires a combination of innovative thinking and the ability to act in an evolving world. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota understands this, combining more than 100 years of Lasallian education with real-world practitioners who have worked on social development, microfinance, global education and more. Our courses blend theory with true “boots on the ground” practicality for a perfect balance of thoughtfulness and action.

The online M.A. in International Development program consists of 39 credit, or 13 courses of 3 credit hours each and the program typically takes about 2.5 years to complete.

Program Outcomes to Revolutionize the World

Upon completion of the Saint Mary’s online International Development program, you will be able to:

  • Integrate knowledge and theory from multiple disciplines to articulate and address problems in the international environment.
  • Create sustainable solutions pertaining to international problems or social challenges.
  • Approach problems with the consideration of ethics, cultural inclusivity, and sustainably.
  • Engage resources, stakeholders, and organizations to break down barriers and achieve sustainable growth.
  • Lead, communicate, and think critically and entrepreneurially within an intercultural context.
  • Analyze and utilize the flow of information from evolving media.
  • Embrace ambiguity and ethics in global problem-solving endeavors.

You’ll also complete a field project, giving you the opportunity to apply what you’re learning to real-world situations and allowing you to make a difference in the world even before graduation.

Learn more about the field project and how international development alumni have transformed communities and changed their own lives during their field project experiences.

Click the course name below for more details:

Foundation Courses (12 credits)

MID600 – International Development Environments (3 credits)

This course introduces the fundamentals of international development and analyzes the global environments in which this pursuit is conducted. It explores the history, evolving definitions, theories, management, and synergies of international development. The course also explores tools of information, policy, and sustainability. Additionally, an overview of legal, ethical, and cultural competency issues in international development are provided.

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

  1. Analyze the ways in which international development theory and practice have evolved.
  2. Evaluate the elements of the global economy which affect international development.
  3. Compare and contrast various economic theories.
  4. Assess how economic, political and socio-cultural factors shape and influence international development objectives.
  5. Develop strategies to address the barriers to successful international development.
  6. Identify the ethical issues inherent in international development.
  7. Locate and assess the quality of relevant information, studies, and resources. (CT)

MID605 – Global Religions and Belief Systems (3 credits)

This course examines beliefs and practices of religious traditions around the world and their effect on culture, geopolitics, and business. Students examine and analyze the major religions of the world --Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism--their differences, similarities, and how practice of these religions impacts today's world.

Upon completion of the course students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Apply the methods used to study religions and belief systems.
  2. Analyze the traditional ways that human beings have been religious.
  3. Characterize the modes of human awareness used to express meaning.
  4. Compare the major religions and belief systems of the world.
  5. Analyze the similarities and differences between culture and religious traditions.
  6. Design international business strategies that incorporate the ways in which global religions and belief systems impact the conduct of international business.

MID610 – International Political Economy (3 credits)

This course identifies the international political and economic elements shaping international development, including domestic economies; regional economic integration; demographic trends; and social, cultural, religious, ethnic and related tensions. The course also identifies political forces affecting the economic choices of states, non-state actors, enterprises, and individuals involved in international trade, investment, monetary, and development affairs.

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

  1. Analyze how political and economic factors interact to shape the global marketplace and international development environment, including as they relate to states, non-state actors, and patterns of cooperation and conflict in the international system.
  2. Evaluate strategies regarding the impact of international political economy on global trade and investment, international development, and regional economic integration.
  3. Synthesize in a balanced manner the individual, organizational, and systemic issues in conflicting situations.
  4. Analyze the viewpoint of another culture to gain new knowledge and insights.

GM623 – Academic Research and Writing (3 credits)

This course focuses on graduate academic writing skills, including voice and style, incorporating source material, ethical use of source material, APA writing guidelines, and revising writing. Students learn to locate and evaluate resources relevant to the research and writing process.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Develop a research question, delineating the complexity in an issue.
  2. Use information from a variety of sources relevant to a question.
  3. Evaluate information for relevance and credibility.
  4. Analyze and synthesize scholarly articles.
  5. Integrate source material into academic writing, including correct use of summary, paraphrase, and quotation, along with proper citation.
  6. Incorporate different points of view on an issue.
  7. Write clearly and concisely.
  8. Demonstrate skills in rewriting, editing, and proofreading.

Core Courses (15 credits)

MID615 – Global Trends and Solutions in International Development (3 credits)

This course analyzes global trends and issues of current significance to which international development tools offer creative solutions. Topics range from emergency assistance, humanitarian intervention, refugee management, and poverty reduction to sustainable economic and social development, human rights, health, education, and the environment.

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

  1. Analyze the significance of topics in the global context of the moment.
  2. Locate and analyze current information and research materials on ways in which international business and development can work together to create solutions to current problem areas.
  3. Analyze problem-solving approaches to issues from a variety of cultural, legal, ethical, economic, political, and other perspectives.

MID620 – International Financing Mechanisms (3 credits)

This course explores the fundamentals of international development finance policy and practice. It examines the potential of government contracts and such donor sources as multilateral development banks, bonds, loan guarantees, tax increment, tax credits, seed and venture capital, public finance, and microfinance. Funding opportunities through private foundations, corporations, and government, including federal, state, incentive, and grants programs are covered.

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of finance policy and sources of capital.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to mobilize and manage financial and other sources of support from relevant constituencies.
  3. Research and identify diverse and relevant sources of international development funding.
  4. Develop a program funding plan.
  5. Create an effective rationale for project funding.

MID625 – International Development Project Management (3 credits)

Prerequisite(s): MID600 and MID610
This course overviews project management elements specifically related to international development. Aspects of developing and managing projects from planning and estimating to dealing with risk and uncertainty to monitoring and evaluation are included. Culturally competent communications, dealing with unknown variables and ambiguity, and the politics and bureaucracy encountered in the international development arena are emphasized.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Analyze project stakeholder needs and expectations.
  2. Create measurable project objectives to guide a project and its evaluation.
  3. Integrate the elements of project management into a detailed project plan.
  4. Strategize how to address project variables, risks, uncertainties, and the political realities inherent in international development projects.
  5. Apply cultural competence in communications with all stakeholders.

MID635 – Social Entrepreneurship (3 credits)

This course explores the skills and resources which enable entrepreneurs to respond to complex social needs by providing practical and innovative solutions to social, economic, environmental, and other problems locally and worldwide. It also introduces the theory and practice of organizational mission, strategy, management, marketing, finance, decision making, organizational behavior, and evaluation within an ethical framework.

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following:

  1. Distinguish social service providers from social activists from social entrepreneurs.
  2. Demonstrate social entrepreneurs’ techniques such as leadership, team building, negotiation, and working in complex social and cultural environments.
  3. Assess potential sources of funding for social enterprises, including philanthropy, government and regenerative financing, and self-sustaining social enterprises.
  4. Plan an enterprise with an organizational mission focused on social improvement.
  5. Develop assessment tools to measure social outcomes.
  6. Analyze the viewpoint of another culture to gain new knowledge and insights.
  7. Question one’s own purposes, evidence, conclusions, assumptions, concepts and point of view.

MID640 – Social Marketing for International Development (3 credits)

This course examines how marketing concepts and techniques can be utilized to address social problems and to influence individual and group behavior. Strategies and campaigns to promote international development projects designed for social and economic improvement are studied. Optimization of both traditional and online/social media for the intended purpose and audience is considered.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Apply development communication theory.
  2. Analyze how social marketing practices can be utilized to promote social change and development.
  3. Evaluate the effectiveness of social marketing and communication strategies that have been implemented by a variety of international development organizations.
  4. Align communications strategies with political, cultural, and social expectations.
  5. Develop a social marketing strategy that addresses a specific development related issue.

Management Courses (3 credits)

GM630 – Quantitative Methods (3 credits)

This course focuses on statistical analysis of data for professional applications or research with an emphasis on quantitative methodologies. The course covers populations, sample selection, descriptive and inferential statistics. Significance, Chi Square, correlations, analysis of variance and simple regression, and concepts of reliability, validity and levels of measurement are addressed.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to do the following:

  1. Apply statistical ideas and practicalities to real world quantitative situations within organizations.
  2. Read and interpret the statistical content of literature relating to management of people and resources.
  3. Analyze statistics through performing basic computation both by hand and with computer software.
  4. Determine and apply the appropriate inferential analysis for different types of data and derive correct conclusions.

Summative Activities (6 credits)

MID690 – International Development Field Project (3 credits)

Prerequisite: All required courses
In this course, students apply learning in the field through individually designed projects focused on international development. Projects may include exploration trips abroad, internships, or other practical opportunities for students to discover how concepts, theories, and strategies play out in real world applications and organizations.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Outline a coherent international development project or experience for practical learning application.
  2. Apply skills in project management, research, communications/media, or planning to an international development situation.
  3. Evaluate the project or experience.

MID680 – International Development Organizational Strategy (3 credits)

This course surveys the broad spectrum of international development through the lens of organizational strategy. It examines the diverse tools, strategies, and best practices of today’s international development organizations in implementing long-term sustainable solutions in developing countries. The course pays particular attention to strategic organizational management, theories and methods of program monitoring and evaluation, and recent innovations in organizational approaches to empowering women, building local economies, and caring for the environment.

After completing this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

  1. Evaluate the management challenges faced by today’s international development organizations.
  2. Implement strategic planning skills to ethically and practically effect outcomes.
  3. Identify and use ethical, culturally inclusive, and sustainable approaches to problem solving.
  4. Apply multidisciplinary research methods to diagnose the key drivers and relevant obstacles of a situation.
  5. Analyze the leading theories and methods of program monitoring and evaluation.
  6. Create innovative solutions to international development problems in pattern-breaking, sustainable, and scalable ways.

Electives (3 credits, select one)

GM600 – Management Principles (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of key organizational and behavioral concepts which underlie effective management practice in private and public sector organizations. Comparative management systems are examined. Special attention is given to defining and interpreting cross-cultural differences and influences. The course gives attention to the external and internal forces that influence organizational structure, behavior and change.

GM643 – Multicultural Perspectives (3 credits)

Students examine how diversity of all kinds influences both organizational behavior and client outcomes. Coursework explores the place of culture in society, the marketplace, and the workplace; the importance of cultural competence; and the knowledge and skills needed to work with, manage and serve diverse groups of workers and clients.

GM675 – Managerial Ethics and Issues (3 credits)

This course examines philosophical theories and ethical practices that can be used to resolve organizational dilemmas. The course emphasizes the role of managers to strengthen the ethical culture of the organization. Application of ethical principles and models to deal with complex ethical issues facing domestic and global organizations are studied. Students develop skills in values-based decision making built upon integrity and accountability.

GM680 – Leadership and Strategic Management (3 credits)

This course introduces selected models and practices of effective leadership, including understanding one’s own leadership style. Students examine both the theory and application of strategic management tasks including developing a mission/vision statement, setting objectives, developing and implementing a strategy, and evaluating performance.

Find out more about how the online M.A. in International Development from Saint Mary’s can benefit your career: call 877-308-9954 to speak with an enrollment counselor or request more information.