Program Overview

The M.A. in Global Development and Social Justice, aims at best practices and leadership in global development. Our mission of social justice and human rights advocacy, grounded on Catholic Social Teaching, is reflected through our innovative online methodology. We seek to provide education, especially to those lacking economic, and/or social means. Furthermore, through its committed faculty and support staff, the M.A. seeks to teach students how to search out the causes of poverty and social injustice and encourages them to explore and identify solutions which are adaptable, effective and concrete.

This innovative multidisciplinary program is coordinated by a Steering Committee chaired by the Director of the Center for Global Development. The program is co-sponsored by the Rielo Institute for Integral Development who provides a number of full scholarships annually to applicants around the world. It combines classroom instruction with online methodology to offer students the flexibility to pursue in-depth research in a broad variety of critical areas related to development and social justice.

The M.A. includes 11 three-credit courses for a total of 33 credits and is completed over the duration of two years.  When students begin the program they are given a free lap top that they will keep after graduation.  This program is unique in that the curriculum is primarily delivered via on-line distance learning that can be accessed worldwide.  Four courses in total are taught in a classroom setting.  Three courses, Introductory Seminar, International Organizations and Development, and Information Resources for Development Professionals are taken at the RIID headquarters in Rome in the beginning of the program.  Integrating Seminar, the final course, is also completed in a classroom setting in Rome at the RIID headquarters.