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University of Manchester: Digital Development
| Institution | University of Manchester |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Environment, Education and Development |
| Web | https://www.manchester.ac.uk |
| Study type | Taught |
MSc
Summary
MSc Digital Development is a cutting-edge programme designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become a digital development champion. In an era of rapid digital expansion across the Global South, there is a growing demand for professionals who understand not only the technology itself, but also its role in delivering meaningful socio-economic change.
This course addresses that urgent need: training you to lead and deliver successful ICT4D (Information and Communications Technology for Development) projects that transform lives and communities.
Delivered by The University of Manchester’s world-leading Centre for Digital Development, the course blends theory and practice in a way that few others do. You’ll explore key conceptual frameworks that unpack how digital tools such as mobile health (m-health), e-government platforms, ICT-enabled enterprises, MOOCs and more can be harnessed in pursuit of development goals. At the same time, you’ll gain the technical, managerial, and strategic skills needed to turn ideas into sustainable, impactful digital initiatives.
What makes this course stand out is its clear alignment with real-world needs. Despite the boom in digital development programmes globally, project failure rates remain high, often due to a shortage of people with the right blend of technical understanding and contextual insight. This MSc is specifically designed to bridge that gap. You’ll graduate with a solid grasp of both development theory and systems thinking, ready to implement, manage, and evaluate digital development interventions in diverse and often complex environments.
You’ll have the flexibility to tailor the course to your professional goals through a wide range of optional units, enabling you to deepen your expertise in areas that matter most to your career. Additionally, field visits (normally offered at no extra cost) give you a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, connect with practitioners in the field, and apply your learning in real-world contexts.
The programme attracts a vibrant and diverse cohort, including early-career professionals already working on ICT4D projects who want to expand their impact; technical staff seeking to build up their strategic and managerial capabilities; and computing graduates who want to put their skills to use in ethically and socially meaningful ways. Whether you’re planning to take on design, implementation, managerial, or policy-related roles, this course offers a rare opportunity to develop into a leader who can shape the future of digital development with confidence, compassion, and insight.
By the end of the course, you’ll not only understand the global digital development landscape - you’ll be ready to transform it.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent. When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification. |
Summary
MSc Digital Development is a cutting-edge programme designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become a digital development champion. In an era of rapid digital expansion across the Global South, there is a growing demand for professionals who understand not only the technology itself, but also its role in delivering meaningful socio-economic change.
This course addresses that urgent need: training you to lead and deliver successful ICT4D (Information and Communications Technology for Development) projects that transform lives and communities.
Delivered by The University of Manchester’s world-leading Centre for Digital Development, the course blends theory and practice in a way that few others do. You’ll explore key conceptual frameworks that unpack how digital tools such as mobile health (m-health), e-government platforms, ICT-enabled enterprises, MOOCs and more can be harnessed in pursuit of development goals. At the same time, you’ll gain the technical, managerial, and strategic skills needed to turn ideas into sustainable, impactful digital initiatives.
What makes this course stand out is its clear alignment with real-world needs. Despite the boom in digital development programmes globally, project failure rates remain high, often due to a shortage of people with the right blend of technical understanding and contextual insight. This MSc is specifically designed to bridge that gap. You’ll graduate with a solid grasp of both development theory and systems thinking, ready to implement, manage, and evaluate digital development interventions in diverse and often complex environments.
You’ll have the flexibility to tailor the course to your professional goals through a wide range of optional units, enabling you to deepen your expertise in areas that matter most to your career. Additionally, field visits (normally offered at no extra cost) give you a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience, connect with practitioners in the field, and apply your learning in real-world contexts.
The programme attracts a vibrant and diverse cohort, including early-career professionals already working on ICT4D projects who want to expand their impact; technical staff seeking to build up their strategic and managerial capabilities; and computing graduates who want to put their skills to use in ethically and socially meaningful ways. Whether you’re planning to take on design, implementation, managerial, or policy-related roles, this course offers a rare opportunity to develop into a leader who can shape the future of digital development with confidence, compassion, and insight.
By the end of the course, you’ll not only understand the global digital development landscape - you’ll be ready to transform it.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent. When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification. |
| Location | Main Site University Recruitment And Adm Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL |
Summary
MSc Digital Development will train you to become a digital development champion who possesses the necessary technical and contextual skills to lead digital development and information-and-communications-technology-for-development (ICT4D) programmes and projects to completion, such as ICT-enabled enterprise, e-government, m-health, MOOCs, etc.
In recent years there has been - and continues to be - a massive expansion in the number of digital development projects in developing and transitional economies.
With a skills shortage resulting in a high project failure rate, this course satisfies the pressing need for digital development champions. By taking this course, you will benefit from The University of Manchester's world-leading Centre for Digital Development and gain:
- conceptual frameworks to understand the process of socio-economic development and the role of information and of
digital technologies in the development process; - new knowledge and skills to help in the effective planning, development, implementation and management of digital
development/ICT4D initiatives.
A range of optional course units provides an opportunity to satisfy specialist digital development champion knowledge and skill requirements, while the field visits that we normally offer will enable you to build up your real-world experience at no additional cost.
The course is designed for those applying, or seeking to apply, digital information and communication technologies in pursuit of socio-economic development goals.
It will include those who have, or plan to have direct design and implementation responsibilities, project managerial responsibilities, or broader strategic or policy-related responsibilities. Typical participants include:
- early-career professionals who have found themselves involved with digital development/ICT4D projects and want a
period to reflect, learn and broaden their impact and career horizons;
- technical staff involved with digital development/ICT4D projects who wish to add systems, managerial and development
skills to their portfolio;
- computing graduates who wish to make ethical use of their skills but lack the necessary understanding of systems and
development.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent. When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification. |
Summary
MSc Digital Development will train you to become a digital development champion who possesses the necessary technical and contextual skills to lead digital development and information-and-communications-technology-for-development (ICT4D) programmes and projects to completion, such as ICT-enabled enterprise, e-government, m-health, MOOCs, etc.
In recent years there has been - and continues to be - a massive expansion in the number of digital development projects in developing and transitional economies.
With a skills shortage resulting in a high project failure rate, this course satisfies the pressing need for digital development champions. By taking this course, you will benefit from The University of Manchester's world-leading Centre for Digital Development and gain:
- conceptual frameworks to understand the process of socio-economic development and the role of information and of
digital technologies in the development process; - new knowledge and skills to help in the effective planning, development, implementation and management of digital
development/ICT4D initiatives.
A range of optional course units provides an opportunity to satisfy specialist digital development champion knowledge and skill requirements, while the field visits that we normally offer will enable you to build up your real-world experience at no additional cost.
The course is designed for those applying, or seeking to apply, digital information and communication technologies in pursuit of socio-economic development goals.
It will include those who have, or plan to have direct design and implementation responsibilities, project managerial responsibilities, or broader strategic or policy-related responsibilities. Typical participants include:
- early-career professionals who have found themselves involved with digital development/ICT4D projects and want a
period to reflect, learn and broaden their impact and career horizons;
- technical staff involved with digital development/ICT4D projects who wish to add systems, managerial and development
skills to their portfolio;
- computing graduates who wish to make ethical use of their skills but lack the necessary understanding of systems and
development.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | We require a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent. When assessing your academic record we take into account the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification. |
| Location | Main Site University Recruitment And Adm Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL |
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