Objectives and Program Advantages

Objectives
Students earning the MA in Global Development and Social Justice will be able to:

  • Understand and identify the phenomenon of underdevelopment, its elements and   its causes, from a global perspective.
  • Demonstrate the ability to articulate a normative vision of human development that is deeply rooted in Catholic Social Thought, and to situate that perspective in relation to other paradigms of development.
  • Identify appropriate resources and assess best practices toward authentic human development.
  • Construct effective strategies to address emerging forms of poverty, marginalization, and exclusion.

Competitive Advantages and Strengths of Our Program
 

  • An innovative multidisciplinary curriculum with a clearly articulated value system that combines classroom instruction with on-line methodology supported by the remarkable information technology resources of St. John’s University (ranked by Intel as one of the top ten unwired colleges).
     
  • A committed faculty of high individual performance engaged in personal and communal formation class sessions. Lecturers from various countries include renowned experts in the international arena recruited from embassies, government offices, NGOs, peer educational institutions, and multinational corporations.
     
  • A diverse student population living around the world in developing countries that make up 85% of the students in the program. Global interaction is provided with students networking from many different cultures and countries addressing social/cultural issues, diverse community needs, and a wide variety of business and management activities.
     
  • An international sponsorship and leadership that allow us to educate future leaders of developing countries with generous financial support.
     
  • An optional internship program with government agencies, NGOs, nonprofits, research institutes,  as well as in the private sector. Students benefit from St. John’s strong affiliations with the global community and choose to work at a site related to their capstone project.
     
  • The On-Site Classes in Rome  give students the opportunity to meet and interact with one another and the faculty as well as capitalize on the European exposure it affords through field trips to the FAO, governmental and non-governmental organizations specializing in Global Development issues and NGOs related to issues of social justice, such as Caritas of Rome and the St. Egidio Community.