Master of International Development Policy Program

Do Development Differently; Do Development Better

Shape the Future of International Development Policy

The Master of International Development Policy program from the McCourt School at Georgetown University is not your typical international development studies program. Instead, its curriculum focuses on economics and the rigorous analytical and technical skills needed to tackle complex challenges in developing and emerging economies. Outside the classroom, you’ll gain valuable professional experiences collaborating with passionate development practitioners who share your passions and recognize and value your new skills. With funding for summer placements, travel opportunities and engaging client-capstone projects, you’ll graduate as a different kind of development professional, one with an easily recognized set of advanced technical skills and real-world experience.

December 1
Early Action Deadline
If you apply by this deadline, increased scholarship opportunities and early notification are available.
January 15
Priority Deadline
If you apply by this deadline, increased scholarship opportunities are available.
March 1
Final Deadline
This is the final date to apply for Fall 2024 start.

Equipped for Success in Development Policy

Our STEM-eligible Master of International Development Policy program is ranked #4 in International Global Policy and Administration by U.S. News & World Report. It provides the necessary technical and analytical skills to make a real impact in developing countries. We incorporate courses and professional work experiences to enhance your understanding of politics, management and ethics.

This comprehensive approach prepares you to navigate the challenges commonly faced in the public sector and international institutions. With a highly structured curriculum, including core and elective courses, a summer experience and a client-capstone project, you’ll gain the professional experience and technical skills that employers value, spanning economics, quantitative research, management and leadership. You’ll also develop vital skills in collaboration, critical thinking, economic analysis, ethical leadership, policy analysis and more through McCourt’s Foundational Skills.

Learn About the Curriculum >

Designated STEM-Eligible Program
Full-Time Program with Two Years to Complete
Program-Funded Summer Experience
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Bridge the Gap Between Theory & Practice: A Program-Funded Summer Experience

Hands-on learning is essential to preparing you for the policy world, especially in development policy. You’ll spend the summer after your first year in a program-relevant professional placement and put what you’ve learned in the classroom into practice. We provide funding for living and travel expenses, enabling you to identify and secure placements that best fit your interests. In 2023, our students worked in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Washington, DC.

Faculty Who Practice What They Teach

Jishnu Das, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor

Professor Das focuses on health and education in low and middle-income countries. He has co-developed one of the largest and longest-running cohort studies on learning outcomes in low-income countries and led an agenda on quality of healthcare in low-income countries. His research led to the widespread adoption of a training program for informal providers, health facility inspections, networks for private sector providers, the scale-up of quality measurement tools in health and the development of financial products for private schools.

Nada Eissa, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Professor Eissa’s research examines how tax and transfer policy affects work and family formation decisions, and what these behavioral responses imply for how programs should be designed. Her current research has expanded into education, including evaluating the Washington, DC, Scholarship Program, the first federally-funded school voucher program in the U.S. and the impact of school choice on academic performance in public schools.

Andrew Zeitlin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Professor Zeitlin’s research uses field and lab experimental methods to study how individual decision-making shapes state effectiveness, through the design of transfer programs, incentives in public service provision and tax policy and administration. He examines the recruitment effects of pay-for-performance in the public sector, the impacts of cash versus in-kind transfer programs and the design of audit policies to reduce retail tax evasion in Rwanda.

Putting Your Knowledge into Practice

You’ll gain the skills and expertise needed to work in a variety of fields, including international development organizations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and more. No matter where you apply your skills, we’re confident our program will give you the tools and expertise you need to make a meaningful difference. Within six months of completing their degrees, 95% of 2022 graduates were employed or had secured job offers.

Discover Career Outcomes >

5th Ranked in International Global Policy & Administration
10th Ranked in Public Policy Analysis
10th Ranked in Best Public Affairs Schools

U.S. News & World Report

Woman reading a book in front of a window. Text overlay reads Meet Christina, Mater of International Development Policy

Meet Our Changemakers

As a diverse group of problem solvers, we’re dedicated to turning bold ideas into action. At the McCourt School at Georgetown, you will not only learn from your professors, but also from your classmates. Our students come from all walks of life and backgrounds, offering a rich community of experiences and perspectives. Together, we engage in policy-relevant research and strive to make the world a better place

A Testimonial

Frances Chen smiling sitting on a bench at Georgetown

“I wanted a graduate program that would equip me with the knowledge and analytical skills to help me become a more conscientious and effective practitioner in order to design more sustainable and effective programs and policies. Ultimately, I chose McCourt because of its evidence-based approach to development, the strength of its rigorous quantitative sequence, and its proximity and many connections in the International Development hub within DC.”