Master of International Development Administration
Why Choose the Masters in International Development Administration?
Students in the MIDA program at Western Michigan University planning to pursue careers in the public and nonprofit sectors in developing countries and in international development organizations can build a foundation of professional competence in the following areas:
- Development theories such as those oriented to government strategies and administration, economic markets, political development, rural development and environmental sustainability.
- History of the field, where most core classes use case studies so students gain a broad familiarity with practical issues specific to many professional areas and political environments.
- Methods such as statistical analysis, project planning, cost-benefit analysis, monitoring and evaluation, the logical framework, stakeholder analysis, participatory appraisal, and political and institutional analysis.
- Skills such as budgeting, research and writing, human resource management and public speaking.
Recent classes have discussed development strategies in areas such as industrialization in Taiwan, Brazil and China, social security in India, health in Chile, Argentina and Niger, and textiles and apparel in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Tuinisia, and development projects such as on hydroelectricity in China, agriculture in Afghanistan and Pakistan, education in Burkina Faso, social cohesion in Liberia, and child survival in Mozambique. Students developed the Climate Action Plan for the City of Kalamazoo. Other topics include legacies of colonialism, international financial institutions, the Millennium Development Goals, corruption, climate change, technology, political representation, decentralization, and economic topics such as inflation, exchange rates, value chains and international financial and trade agreements.
- View a list of the current MIDA students
Admission Requirements
- Must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have achieved a 3.25 GPA in the last two years of their bachelor’s degree.
- Students must have completed at least 24 hours of work in the social sciences or other relevant fields and have achieved a 3.0 grade point average.
- International applicants may have additional university required items. WMU International Admissions and Services counselors can assist international students in questions regarding these items. Many answers can also be found at https://wmich.edu/internationaladmissions including contact information.
Program Requirements
A complete list of requirements can be found in WMU's Graduate Catalog.
Apply
Department Funding
The department offers graduate assistantships for a limited number of students on a competitive basis. Assistantship stipends include tuition remission and start in the fall semester only. Indicate that you are applying for an assistantship while completing your application.
Return the completed application by the February 1 deadline to apply.
Forms
Common departmental forms.
Advising
See specific advising information pertaining to graduate students in the Department of Political Science at Western Michigan University.
Internships
The following links offer internship possibilities:
- Amnesty International
- CARE
- Global Crossroad
- Global Service Corps
- GoAbroad
- IDB Winter Intern Program – Internship opportunities with the Inter-American Development Bank (applicants must be a citizen of one of the Bank’s member countries)
- Idealist
- Institute of International Education
- Intern Abroad
- International Cooperative Education
- Meridian International Center
- RedR
- The World Bank
- Transitions Abroad
- United Nations Internship Programme
- USDA Student Opportunities (available to U.S. citizens only)
Careers
Students in the Master of International Development Administration program may want to consider these career options.
Research
Placements
See a listing of placements for Master of International Development Administration students.