Academics / Graduate Programs

Master of International Development

Promoting human dignity, well-being, and rights worldwide.

Our Master of International Development (MID) teaches students to achieve social, economic, and political progress in countries worldwide through means that fundamentally promote human dignity, well-being, empowerment, and rights. 

One of the longest-running programs of its kind in the country, the MID combines multidisciplinary coursework, hands-on experience, and a global perspective to prepare graduates for careers of influence in international organizations, government, nonprofits, and the private sector.  

As of the Fall of 2026, students can earn their MID in as few as three full-time terms with our 36-credit plan of study. This streamlined and cost-effective program is tailored to individuals motivated to launch their career more quickly by gaining all the foundational and internship experience needed through a focused experience. Students may also choose a four-term full-time or six-term part-time pathway that offers additional flexibility and opportunities to earn additional credentials or pursue a master’s thesis. No matter which path you choose, you’ll graduate equipped with the skills, experience, and network to make a meaningful impact in communities around the world.

*Please note: Current MID Students who enrolled prior to the Fall of 2026 can find download the plan of study for the 48-credit Energy & Environment, Governance and International Public Management, Human Security, Nongovernmental Organizations & Civil Society, Social Policy, and Urban Affairs & Planning concentrations here.  

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A forward-thinking curriculum

We offer a flexible curriculum including six major concentrations, valuable capstone and internship experiences, and joint degree and regional certificate options. This program empowers students to follow their passions and graduate ready to participate in meaningful processes of social change in diverse local contexts and at global levels.

Our curriculum prepares students with essential skills including development planning and administration, economic and social development, policy analysis, program evaluation, and research methods, as well as a range of diverse course options in six areas of concentration:

  • Our NGOs and civil society concentration seeks to make development participatory and empowering, focusing especially on vulnerable and excluded groups, and provides the management and organizational skills needed for careers in nongovernmental social change organizations.
  • The cutting-edge human security concentration addresses links between development, human rights, and security issues in order to maximize impact and address neglected topics. It emphasizes influential collaborative approaches to development issues.
  • Our innovative energy & environment concentration integrates expertise in development sustainability with the study of global energy industries and alternatives.
  • The comparative concentration in governance & international public management explores governance models alongside wide-ranging collaboration and management issues, which are critical to pursuing development in politically, economically, and socially diverse countries worldwide.
  • Our social policy and urban affairs & planning concentrations offer comparative and regional expertise on urgent topics for development policies and services, such as health, identity, discrimination, employment, transportation, and urbanization.

Our flexible curriculum design gives students essential and cutting-edge skills which prepare them as future researchers, analysts, and practitioners able to solve diverse development challenges. Students also complete a Capstone course or project on a topic of importance to them, and an approved internship locally or abroad. 
 

Concentrations & Degree Requirements

Energy & Environment

Nongovernmental Organizations and Civil Society

Governance & International Public Management

Social Policy

Human Security

Urban Affairs & Planning


International Development Careers  

Whether you seek to live abroad or remain in the United States, a degree in International Development will prepare you to make an impact on people’s lives and the development of nations around the world. Graduates go on to pursue careers in prominent nongovernmental organizations, research groups, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector.

Our alumni are a testament to the value and manifold uses of the International Development degree, and additionally provide powerful professional networking opportunities through their careers in such organizations as:    

  • The United Nations Development Program
  • The World Bank
  • International Nongovernmental Organizations
  • The Organization of American States
  • The Firelight Foundation (grants-making for community-based African initiatives on HIV/AIDS)
  • Church World Service (overseas relief and development agency of the US National Council of Churches)
  • The US Government Accountability Office
  • Amnesty International, International Secretariat, London
  • World Wildlife Fund
  • Citizens for Global Solutions (devoted to issues of global interdependence)
  • Global Links (brings surplus medical materials from U.S. hospitals to developing countries)
  • Brother's Brother Foundation (provides relief and development work in 121 countries).
     

Master of International Development Internships

In pursuit of a better understanding of the political environments and social change processes that influence development, we encourage our students to gain international experience through internships and specialized expertise in such areas as policy analysis, advocacy, service delivery, or project monitoring.

Pittsburgh offers a wealth of internationally-minded NGOs that provide jobs and internships outside the traditional East Coast corridor. MID students can gain hands-on experience with an internship here in the greater Pittsburgh region, or benefit from SPIA's Washington Center with formal access to D.C.'s plethora of national and international organizations. MID students can also coordinate internships abroad while accessing SPIA’s international programs in Colombia, Japan, Korea, China, Spain, and France, in addition to numerous Pitt-wide study abroad opportunities.

We offer dedicated support for student placement in meaningful internships locally and globally. For example, MID students have interned with local refugee organizations in Pittsburgh, federal environmental agencies, national and international development and rights organizations in D.C., and a wide range of international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations in developing countries in all regions of the world.

Area Studies Certificates

If you’re looking for an international career in a specific region of the world, you can enhance your master’s degree with a graduate certificate from the University Center for International Studies.

Specializations

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Western Europe
  • Eastern Europe
  • European Union
  • Global Studies 
  • Latin America
  • Russia

Signature Student Experiences

Experiential learning creates a strong foundation for valuable public-service skills through opportunities like collaborative research, learning abroad, and other transformative student initiatives. 

city view
Student studying abroad
Centers & Initiatives
Ford Institute for Human Security
Ridgway Center for Intl. Security Studies
University Center for International Studies

Joint Degrees

Joint degree programs allow students to enhance their MID degree with additional studies in disciplines such as information sciences, public health, social work, and law. Through joint specializations, students might for example participate in an AIDS research project or study the impact of American consumption patterns on the economy of developing countries. When you graduate, you will have distinguished yourself to employers in an increasingly competitive job market.

Employment Data – Class of 2024

Employment outcomes are reported based on data collected up to one year post-graduation. Current data reflects the Class of 2024.

7%
Federal Government
7%
Local/State Government
57%
Nonprofit/NGO
29%
Private