This 2ndcycle Degree Programme:
- helps students to develop anin-depth and sophisticated ability to process original and technically foundedideas in research contexts, used to design international and local cooperationand development programmes based on logic and relational skills;
- provides practical knowledgeand abilities used to acquire the competences required to analyse and solveeconomic, social and institutional development problems on a global and localscale, also with reference to different geographical spheres to those coveredin the programme;
- provides the skills required todesign, implement and assess development projects covered by multidisciplinaryand complex programming documents, particularly in political-institutional andquantitative economic-institutional contexts;
- provides advanced training insocial sciences and the distinction between fact-based judgements and valuejudgements, used to define rigorous and innovative development programmes;
- provides solid foundations forautonomously analysing and assessing the impact of social policy interventions.
The second cycle degree programmeaims to train professional figures able to produce development policies -independently or in groups - for local, national and international bodies andfor private and non-profit organisations.
The aim of the programme is alsoto train professional figures able to blend the local dimension into theregional and global dimension, as well as the transnational dimension ofpolitical, economic and social phenomena, aware that the local-global link iscentral to the complex analysis of the problems of today's international space.
For this purpose, the programmeoffers a solid methodological basis focusing on the advanced use ofquantitative methods. The programme includes core course units in economics,statistics and methodology, political science and sociology, to provide thetheoretical bases of the various forms of development, and course units inhistory and geography to identify the problems and priorities of political andeconomic development, and the links between these two aspects. These solidmethodological bases are not limited to course units inspired by the typicalpost-positivist paradigm of the quantitative approach, but also cover theacquisition of practical notions and skills required to develop qualitative research(typical of the interpretivist paradigm) using techniques including: interviews(structured, semi-structured and free), focus groups, ethnographic research.
The programme also aims toprovide students with knowledge of the relationship between the public andprivate sector, as well as communication and networking strategies fordevelopment. All these course units are specifically designed to meet the aimsof the second cycle degree programme.
As explained in the programmedescription, the elective course units are designed to offer the studentscomplete preparation. The course units provide practical lessons on the designof projects and programmes and their management, implementation and assessment,stimulating the students to draft documents in the right format for the type ofuse- reports, memoranda, concept papers - getting them used to using the formalcommunication tools in the development sector, also in the English language.
The learning activities offeredby the various forms of internationalisation included in the programme furtherenhance the quality of the teaching in the various fields. More specifically, aconsistent number of course units aim to integrate the conventional teachingwith qualifying topics for entry into the world of work. This opportunity forchoice, along with the free credits, allows the programme to be customised,recognising the results achieved by the students, also with a view to enteringthe world of work. Furthermore, the internship at private and public institutionsor abroad, as underlined by the social partners, and laboratories and seminars,also enhance the students' vocational experience. In addition to this, thestudents have the opportunity to take part in at least two vocationallaboratories aiming to learn the use of the main qualitative and quantitativedata analysis programmes to develop further professional skills and becomecompetitive for entering the job market at the end of the programme.
The learning outcomes arecompleted by the final examination which consists in the production and publicdiscussion of an original written work on a topic consistent with the degreeprogramme objectives, produced under the supervision of a supervisor. Thedissertation shall demonstrate a command of the subject, critical skills, theability to work autonomously and strong communication skills.
