Overview

The Department of International Development promotes interdisciplinary graduate teaching and research on processes of social, political and economic development and change. The Department is dedicated to understanding problems of poverty and late development within local communities, as well as national and international political and economic systems.

The Department conducts research and teaching across seven broad themes: complex emergencies, security, and humanitarianism in war-torn societies; comparative politics of development; governance, civil society, and informal politics; development management; development economics; the demography of developing countries and the politics of global health. Faculty have considerable experience of living and working in the developing world, and most have engaged in policy-relevant research and consultancy work with international development agencies or non-governmental organisations.

The vibrant International Development programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science is employing a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary methods from across the social sciences to research questions of development around the globe.

Careers

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search.

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

Health and Social Care
Education, Teaching and Research
Consultancy
International Organisations
Government, Public Sector and Policy

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Development History, Theory and Policy for Research Students

Research Design and Proposal in International Development

Research Design in International Development

Mathematics and Statistics

Global Environmental Governance
Managing Humanitarianism

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-29 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-18 00:00:00

Language

English

Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

London, United Kingdom

Disciplines

International Development View 25 other PhDs in International Development in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Required

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Other requirements

General requirements

Taught master’s degree with 65 or above overall and in the dissertation element, or the equivalent.

GRE/GMAT scores are highly recommended but not compulsory.
Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

23500 GBP / year

≈ 23500 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

5006 GBP / year

≈ 5006 GBP / year

Living costs

London

United Kingdom

1137 - 2157 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

The School recognizes that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

Find out more about financial support.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for International Development.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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