thesis on international development

• How it works

Useful Links

How much will your dissertation cost?

Have an expert academic write your dissertation paper!

Dissertation Services

Get unlimited topic ideas and a dissertation plan for just £45.00

Order topics and plan

Get 1 free topic in your area of study with aim and justification

Yes I want the free topic

International Development Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 4th, 2023 , Revised On August 15, 2023

Undergraduate, Master and PhD students are awarded the degree only after they successfully complete their dissertations according to university guidelines. If you are required to complete a dissertation project on an international development topic that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise in the chosen study area but have no idea where to begin, then you are not alone.

Many students become victims of time constraints during this process. Others are just unsure of the topic that would best work for them. This article provides a list of well-researched international development dissertation topics for students to choose from.

A significant development has occurred in international development in the modern world. A precise set of standards must be mastered in order to produce flawless dissertations in this field. Most dissertation topics on the subject of an international development deal with potential commercial development within individual countries. The issue of conducting business overseas can also be addressed as part of the international development dissertation.

So without further ado, let’s now look at some interesting international development dissertation topics and ideas developed by our business writers.

Related Links:

• Cooperate Governance Dissertation Topics
• Business Intelligence Dissertation Topics
• International Business Dissertation Topics
• Business Management Dissertation Topics
• Business Psychology Dissertation Topics
• Business Law Dissertation Topics
• Business Dissertation Topics
• HRM Dissertation Topics
• Management Dissertation Topics
• Operations Management Dissertation Topics

Below are some amazing international development dissertation topics for you:

• How may MNCs help reduce the rate of poverty in developing and undeveloped nations?
• Investigate how technology shapes labour markets in different countries.
• Service innovation and its effects on relationships between multicultural businesses
• The connection between FDIs and employment
• What will happen if several MNCs in South America and the UK work together with national governmental organizations?
• Has globalization impacted the demand for and supply of skilled workers?
• How does product development work in developing countries?
• The conflict between the UK pays inequality and international trade laws.
• Projects involving international business collaboration
• The effects of foreign investment on developing nations.
• Fostering the development of concepts in nations will give people a good existence.
• To examine how the lifestyle of people has changed.
• What effect does advancing human rights have, and what opportunities does it give people?
• What are emerging tactics for healthy meal consumption?
• How can we encourage relationships between diverse businesses?
• To assess the chances for international companies to grow their enterprises.
• To research how international marketing stress affected the expansion of enterprises on the global market.
• What consequences do HIV and Aids have in poor nations?
• How would you describe the economic strategy in developing nations?
• How does the global market offer fresh business tactics?
• Here are the top development studies. Does foreign direct investment effect develop nations?
• The rhetoric and practice of Nepal’s policy regarding medicinal plants are contrasted.
• A comparison of two types of bananas: Dollar and Fair Trade bananas
• An explanation for groundwater (non)government based on groundwater apathy: a case study of Pakistan’s Indus Basin
• Integrating conservation and sustainable development within designated natural areas in Mexico
• Sharing of information on preventing child labour and using kid migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, Thailand
• Networks, malandros, and social control: investigating the links between violence and inequality in Venezuela
• Perspectives and realities of poverty, livelihood, and risk for Nigeria’s poor people.
• Queering Cuba: What roles have non-conforming sexual and gender identities played in the country’s political, social, and economic life?
• Community-based rehabilitation: a successful strategy for people with disabilities in underdeveloped nations?

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Consider any one of the above topics for your next dissertation. Our dissertation writers have addressed many international development themes in depth over the years, providing customised solutions to students. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with the topic selection, proposal writing or the full dissertation paper.

Free Dissertation Topic

Phone Number

Academic Level Select Academic Level Undergraduate Graduate PHD

Academic Subject

Area of Research

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find international development dissertation topics.

For international development dissertation topics:

• Research global issues and challenges.
• Examine UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Analyze policies and their impacts.
• Study case studies from different regions.
• Explore cultural and economic factors.
• Choose a topic resonating with your passion and career objectives.

You May Also Like

Here is a list of Research Topics on film and theatre studies and you can choose the one that suits your requirements.

Are you passionate about helping others, especially those facing mental health challenges? If this is the case for you, then mental health nursing is a career choice you may not want to pursue.

Need interesting and manageable Islamic Finance dissertation topics? Here are the trending Islamic Finance dissertation titles so you can choose the most suitable one.

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

• How It Works

• Browse by author
• Browse by year
• Departments
• History of Thought
• Advanced search
• International Development (87)

Torre, Costanza (2023) Throwing therapy at the problem mental health and humanitarian intervention in Palabek refugee settlement, northern Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Angeli, Marietta (2022) Rules of origin in North-South preferential trade agreements. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ziaba, Isaac Haruna (2022) One step forward, one step backwards: African regimes' changing relations with artisanal miners. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dieterle, Carolin (2022) Governing land investments: global norms, local land tenure regimes, and domestic contingencies in Uganda and Sierra Leone. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bridel, Anna (2022) Stormy weather: democratizing expertise in a changing climate: essays on environmental knowledge and social vulnerability in Mexico and India. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fergus, Cristin Alexis (2022) Complexity methods for understanding global health governance, financing and delivery arrangements - from system-wide dynamics to neglected tropical disease control in Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Muhumuza, Kananura Rornald (2021) Child health and mortality in resource-poor settings: a life-course and systemic approach. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Myrodias, Konstantinos (2020) The Eurozone crisis and the ‘intermediate’ economies: the political economies of Greece and Portugal. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Storer, Elizabeth (2020) Lugbara religion revisited: a study of social repair in West Nile, North-West Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Blackmore, Kara (2020) Symbols of suffering and silence memorialisation in Uganda and beyond. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gallien, Max (2020) Smugglers and states: illegal trade in the political settlements of North Africa. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mbate, Michael (2019) Essays in governance and public finance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nicolai Schulz, Daniel (2019) Power of the masses: group size, attribution, and the politics of export bans in Africa. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Benson-Hernandez, Allison (2019) Sources of political, financial and social capital in rural Colombia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Vincent, Sam (2019) Innovation, technology and security: the emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles before and after 9/11. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dubochet, Lucy (2019) Worth the while? Time and politics in Delhi. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pellerin, Camille Louise (2018) The politics of public silence: civil society – state relations under the EPRDF regime. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Priyadarshi, Praveen Kumar (2018) Political determinants of municipal capacity: a study of urban reforms in Ahmedabad and Kanpur, India. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Höhne-Sparborth, Thomas (2018) The socio-economic spill-over effects of armed conflict on neighbouring countries. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kirk, Thomas (2017) Power, politics and programming for social accountability in Pakistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ruiz Guarın, Nelson Alejandro (2017) Essays on violence, money in politics, and electoral system in Colombia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Radicati, Alessandra (2017) Hub city: aspiration and dispossession in 21st century Colombo. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mello, Eduardo (2017) Explaining success and failure of rules-based distributive policies. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pendle, Naomi Ruth (2017) Laws, landscapes and prophecy: the art of remaking regimes of lethal violence amongst the western Nuer and Dinka (South Sudan). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Paek, Christopher (2017) This is how we bury our dead: an institutional analysis of microinsurance and financial inclusion in South Africa. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Weigand, Florian (2017) Waiting for dignity: legitimacy and authority in Afghanistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Schoemaker, Emrys (2016) Digital faith: social media and the enactment of religious identity in Pakistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Enjuto Martinez, Regina (2016) Within and against the law: the politics of labour law in China's adaptive authoritarianism. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Chemouni, Benjamin (2016) The politics of state effectiveness in Burundi and Rwanda: ruling elite legitimacy and the imperative of state performance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ferrari, Giulia (2016) Economic evaluation of gender empowerment programmes with a violence prevention focus: objective empowerment and subjective wellbeing. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Marchais, Gauthier (2016) He who touches the weapon becomes other: a study of participation in armed groups in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Roelofs, Portia (2016) The Lagos Model and the politics of competing conceptions of good governance in Oyo State, Nigeria 2011-2015. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wanjiru Kamunyori, Sheila (2016) The politics of space: negotiating tenure security in a Nairobi Slum. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pearson, Georgina (2015) Global health, local realities: neglected diseases in northwestern Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Muth, Karl (2015) Three frameworks for commodity-producer decision-making under uncertainty. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Tartir, Alaa (2015) Criminalising resistance, entrenching neoliberalism: the Fayyadist Paradigm in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Vale, Petterson (2015) Land use intensification in the Amazon: revisiting theories of cattle, deforestation and development in frontier settlements. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fan, Yi (2015) Essays on inequality and intergenerational mobility in China. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Channa, Anila (2015) Four essays on eduction, caste and collective action in rural Pakistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Munro, Laura (2015) Risk sharing, networks and investment choices in rural India. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Parikh, Anokhi (2015) The private city: planning, property, and protest in the making of Lavasa New Town, India. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Jones, Ivor (2015) Open or Closed? The politics of software licensing in Argentina and Brazil. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pöschl, Caroline (2015) Local government taxation and accountability in Mexico. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Kienzler, Vincent (2015) Performance-based management and accountability systems: the case of the community-based monitoring and evaluation system in Iganga District, Uganda. MPhil thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Waldinger, Maria (2014) Historical events and their effects on long-term economic and social development. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bauchowitz, Stefan (2014) A race to the middle: governance in the extractive industries and the rise of China. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Smith, Alyson (2014) Post-conflict reconstruction in Rwanda: uncovering hidden factors in the gender policy context. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Rigterink, Anouk (2014) Essays on violent conflict in developing countries: causes and consequences. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fraser, Arabella (2014) Rethinking urban risk and adaptation: the politics of vulnerability in informal urban settlements. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hassan, Fadi (2013) Essays in international and development macroeconomics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fox, Sean (2013) The political economy of urbanisation and development in sub-Saharan Africa. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ramos, Charmaine (2013) The power and the peril: producers associations seeking rents in the Philippines and Colombia in the Twentieth Century. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Postigo, Antonio (2013) Production networks and regionalism in East Asia: firms and states in the bilateral free trade agreements of Thailand and Malaysia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Das, Ritanjan (2013) History, ideology and negotiation: the politics of policy transition in West Bengal, India. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Porter, Holly (2013) After rape: justice and social harmony in Northern Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Giovagnoli, Paula Ines (2013) From preschool provision to college performances: empirical evidences from a developing country. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Workman, Anna (2013) Success versus failure in local public goods provision: council and chiefly governance in post-war Makeni, Sierra Leone. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

El Shinnawy, Azza (2012) Understanding the impact of protection on manufacturing efficiency levels and relative pharmaceutical prices evidence from Egypt’s generics pharmaceutical industry (1993-2008). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Humphrey, Chris (2012) The business of development: borrowers, shareholders, and the reshaping of multilateral development lending. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Díaz-Cassou, Javier (2012) The causes and consequences of IMF interventions in the Southern Cone. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sharma, Prashant (2012) The right to information act in India: the turbid world of transparency reforms. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Schomerus, Mareike (2012) Even eating you can bite your tongue: dynamics and challenges of the Juba peace talks with the Lord’s Resistance Army. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Balthasar, Dominik (2012) State-making in Somalia and Somaliland: understanding war, nationalism and state trajectories as processes of institutional and socio-cognitive standardization. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Polzer Ngwato, Tara (2012) Negotiating belonging: the integration of Mozambican refugees in South Africa. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Priyam, Manisha (2012) Aligning opportunities and interests: the politics of educational reform in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Goodfellow, Tom (2012) State effectiveness and the politics of urban development in East Africa: a puzzle of two cities, 2000-2010. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Sulaiman, Munshi (2012) Social protection and human capital accumulation in developing countries. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Pragasam, Nirad (2012) Tigers on the mind: an interrogation of conflict diasporas and long distance nationalism. A study of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in London. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mukim, Megha (2011) Essays in trade and economic geography. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Di Gregorio, Monica (2011) Social movement networks, policy processes, and forest tenure activism in Indonesia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Elgert, Laureen (2011) The politics of evidence: towards critical deliberative governance in sustainable development. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nilotpal, Kumar (2011) Egoism, anomie and masculinity: suicide in rural South India (Andhra Pradesh). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wigell, Mikael (2010) Governing the poor: the transformation of social governance in Argentina and Chile. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Shami, Mahvish (2010) The road to development: market access and varieties of clientelism in rural Punjab, Pakistan. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ayers, Jessica (2010) Understanding the adaptation paradox: can global climate change adaptation policy be locally inclusive? PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Vargas, Gonzalo (2010) Explaining violence against civilians: insurgency, counterinsurgency and crime in the Middle Magdalena Valley, Colombia (1996-2004). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lindemann, Stefan (2010) Elite bargains and the politics of war and peace in Uganda and Zambia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Wietzke, Frank-Borge (2010) Groups, location and wellbeing: Social and spatial determinants of inequality in Madagascar. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Staschen, Stefan (2010) Regulatory impact assessment in microfinance: a theoretical framework and its application to Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Leiteritz, Ralf J. (2010) Sustaining open capital accounts: international norms and domestic institutions: a comparison between Peru and Colombia. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ellis, Jas (2008) Culture, fertility, and son preference. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bhatty, Kiran (2008) Social equality and development: Himachal Pradesh And its wider significance. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Desmond, Chris (2008) The value of other people's health: individual models and motives for helping. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ngo, Thi Minh-Phuong (2005) How to grow quickly: land distribution, agricultural growth and poverty reduction in Vietnam (1992-1998). PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Jones, Benjamin (2005) Local-level politics in Uganda: institutional landscapes at the margins of the state. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dolan, Christopher Gerald (2005) Understanding war and its continuation: the case of Northern Uganda. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Faguet , Jean-Paul (2002) Decentralizing the provision of public services in Bolivia: institutions, political competition and the effectiveness of local government. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Master's Dissertations and PhD Theses

Research themes

Our research is grouped into four broad themes that encompass key issues in development

Economics of Development

Research on the economics of development has been a long-standing strength of the department. Characterised by an emphasis on the testing of analytical models on primary empirical data, research on this theme engages with the full spectrum of development economics.

Political & International Dimensions of Development

Development, as managed change, is an inherently political process. The exercise of power and resistance to it are at the heart of that process. Research on development, therefore, requires a critical approach to the state and dominant institutions – local, national and international – and an analysis of how power is created and contested at multiple levels.

Human Development, Poverty and Youth

Poverty and human development have long been core areas of research for the department. Going beyond a narrow conception of per capita income, our approach incorporates health, education, living standards and quality of work – all of which enable productive, creative and autonomous lives.

Migration & Refugees in a Global Context

Migration in its various forms has become a central feature of international development in its economic, political, legal, social and cultural dimensions. Oxford now leads the world in research on this vital subject.

Select language

International Development Studies

Master's thesis.

Writing a Master’s thesis is a compulsory part of the programme. You must complete all the pre-required courses before starting on your final research project. The Master’s thesis and the research internship are closely interlinked. Together they form the final part of the programme, earning you a total of 30 EC.

Your research

You write your Master’s thesis based on the research you conduct during your research-oriented internship, under guidance of your supervisor after your return to Utrecht. The research is frequently related to the knowledge needs of the partner organization. It is then your task to conduct an in-depth analysis, guided by your IDS supervisor. Your research can relate for example to the impact of a project, the analysis of a process and the role of the stakeholders involved, or the impact of a policy.

More information

To find out about the learning objectives and assessment of your thesis, please see the Study Guide. For examples of theses take a look in  Master’s Theses Online . To assist you with your thesis, the programme organises a Return Day and various workshops on thesis writing and analysis. 

Uploading thesis

After your thesis has been approved, it must be uploaded into the thesis archive. Within one month after registration of your grade in OSIRIS, the student will receive a request by email to upload the reviewed thesis (in PDF format) through OSIRIS Case.

When you log in to OSIRIS Student , the Case "Archive/publication of thesis" is displayed on the homepage. Make sure the pop-up blocker of your browser is off. The thesis archive is only accessible to employees.

In the same OSIRIS Case, you can decide to get your thesis published on the Google/Worldcat platform of the Utrecht University Library. It is possible to upload a specific version of your thesis that meets the requirements for public publication. Other students and staff can thereby benefit from your research work.

Follow Utrecht University

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

• USF Research
• USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies > Theses and Dissertations

Government and International Affairs Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Standing Her Ground: Legal Constraints on Women Who have been Victims of Violence , Janae E. Thomas

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Struggling Against the Odds: Social Movements in Pakistan During Authoritarian Regimes , Sajjad Hussain

The Domestic Reality of Foreign Policy: The 1994 Clinton Administration Response to the Crises in Rwanda and Haiti , Camara Kemanini Silver

American Military Service and Identity: From the Militia to the All-Volunteer Force , Andrew C. Sparks

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Decolonizing Human Trafficking: A Case Study of Human Trafficking in Edo State Nigeria , Oyinkansola Adepitan

Borges, el Escritor Italiano: Precursores Italianos en/desde Borges , Sara Boscagli

A Dangerous New Era: Analyzing the Impact of Cyber Technology on International Conflict , Kenneth Brown

Networks in the Norm Life Cycle and the Diffusion of Environmental Norms , James E. Fry

Power, Property Rights, and Political Development: A property rights theory of political development and its application to the study of development in Honduras and Costa Rica , Ricardo R. Noé

Bodily Harm: An Analysis of the Phenomenological and Linguistic Aspects of Harm and Trauma , Grant Samuel Peeler

Mystic Medicine: Afro-Jamaican Religio-Cultural Epistemology and the Decolonization of Health , Jake Wumkes

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Humanitarian Gaze and the Spectatorial Nature of Sympathy , Michelle Assaad

The Progressive Transformation of Medellín- Colombia: A Successful Case of Women's Political Agency , María Auxiliadora González-Malabet

Restoring International Justice: Exposing the Limitations of Retributive Justice and Proposing a Restorative Dimension , Nazek Jawad

Human Rights, Emotion, and Critical Realism: Proposing an Emotional Ontology of International Human Rights , Ben Luongo

When Faced with a Democracy: political socialization of first-generation ethnic Russian immigrants in Central and South Florida , Marina Seraphine Mendez

Structure of Turkey-USA Bilateral Relations and Analysis of Factors Affecting Bilateral Relations , Hanifi Ozkarakaya

Soviet Nationality Policy: Impact on Ethnic Conflict in Abkhazia and South Ossetia , Nevzat Torun

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Influence of The Armenian Diaspora on The American Foreign Policy , Fatih Aydogan

Discourse, Affinity and Attraction: A Case Study of Iran's Soft Power Strategy in Afghanistan , Hiva Feizi

Becoming Legitimate: How PMSCs are Seeking Legitimacy in the International System , Sommer Mitchell

De Mestizas a Indígenas: Reindigenization as a Political Strategy in Ecuador , Pamela X. Pareja

Star Power, Pandemics, and Politics: The Role of Cultural Elites in Global Health Security , Holly Lynne Swayne

Strategic Negligence: Why the United States Failed to Provide Military Support to the Syrian Resistance in 2011-2014 , Konrad J. Trautman

The Viability of Democratic Governance in De Facto States: A Comparative Case Study of Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria Rojava , Chelsea Vogel

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Cyber Deterrence against Cyberwar between the United States and China: A Power Transition Theory Perspective , Yavuz Akdag

The Role of Elites in the Formation of National Identities: The Case of Montenegro , Muhammed F. Erdem

Measuring Trust in Post-Communist States: Making the Case for Particularized Trust. , Nicole M. Ford

Hidden: A Case Study on Human Trafficking in Costa Rica , Timothy Adam Golob

Latino Subgroups Political Participation in American Politics: The Other Latinos’ Electoral Behavior , Angelica Maria Leon Velez

Re-ethnicization of Second Generation Non-Muslim Asian Indians in the U.S. , Radha Moorthy

Structural Racism: Racists without Racism in Liberal Institutions within Colorblind States , Alexis Nicole Mootoo

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Venezuela, from Charisma to Mimicry: The Rise and Fall of a Televised Political Drama , Rebecca Blackwell

Containment: A Failed American Foreign Policy and How the Truman Doctrine Led to the Rise in Islamic Extremism in the Muslim World , Christopher Jonathan Gerber

The Role of Religion in Mitigating Cancer Disparities Among Black Americans , Samar Hennawi

Where is the Survivor’s Voice? An Examination of the Individual and Structural Challenges to the Reintegration of Immigrant Human Trafficking Survivors , Michelle Cristina Angelo Dantas Rocha

Changes and Challenges in Diplomacy: An Evaluation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican Republic , Yudelka Santana

How Presidents Can Become "Hip" by Using High Definition Metaphors Strategic Communication of Leadership in a Digital Age , Mirela Camelia Stimus

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

At the Intersection of Human Agency and Technology: Genetically Modified Organisms , James Libengood

The Triumvirate of Intersectionality: a Case Study on the Mobilization of Domésticas in Brazil , Kristen Lei Nash

Strategic Missile Defense: Russian and U.S. Policies and Their Effects on Future Weapons Proliferation , Diana Marie Nesbitt

Staring Down the Mukhabarat: Rhizomatic Social Movements and the Egyptian and Syrian Arab Spring , Stephen Michael Strenges

The Effect of Neoliberalism on Capabilities: Evaluating the Case of Mexico , James Paul Walker

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Human Trafficking from Southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala: Why These Victims are Trafficked into Modern Day Florida , Timothy Adam Golob

The Effects of U.S. Middle East Foreign Policy on American Muslims: A Case Study of Muslims in Tampa Bay , Mark G. Grzegorzewski

Does Revolution Breed Radicalism? An Analysis of the Stalled Revolution in Syria and the Radical Forces Since Unleashed , Ryan King Little

The United States Prison System: A Comparative Analysis , Rachel O'connor

Fair Trade in Transition: Evolution, Popular Discourse, and the Case of the CADO Cooperative in Cotopaxi, Ecuador , Robyn Michelle Odegard

Challenging the Democratic Peace Theory - The Role of US-China Relationship , Toni Ann Pazienza

Continuation in US Foreign Policy: An Offensive Realist Perspective , Bledar Prifti

The Syrian Civil War: Four Concentric Forces of Tensions , Majid Rafizadeh

Key Ingredients in the Rule of Law Recipe: The Role of Judicial Independence in the Effective Establishment of the Rule of Law , Lauren A. Shumate

Leges, Plebiscita, et Rogationes: Democratization and Legislative Action, 494 - 88 BC , Eric Wolters

An Analysis of State Building: The Relationship between Pashtun 'Para-State' Institutions and Political Instability in Afghanistan , Rebecca Young Greven

Accessibility's Influence on Population Location near Light Rail in the Denver Region , Christophe Michael Zuppa

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

A Comparative Study: How Educational and Healthcare Preparedness Affected Marketization of the Chinese and Indian Economies , Cindy Arjoon

Accidental Detention: A Threat to the Legitimacy of Venezuelan Democracy , Mabel Gabriela Durán-Sánchez

European Union Institutions, Democratic Discourse, and the Color Revolutions , Lizette G. Howard

The End of Anarchy: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the States System , Gregory Edward Johnson

Trends in the Contracting out of Local Government Services , Cristiane Carvalho Keetch

Framing Colombian Women's Beliefs, Values and Attitude Towards Sex and Sexual High-Risk Behaviors , Rosa Ore

Impacts of U.S. Foreign Policy and Intervention on Guatemala: Mid-20th Century , Patricia M. Plantamura

Maximizing Citizenship with Minimal Representation: An Analysis of Afro-Argentine Civil Society Organizing Strategies , Prisca Suarez

From Zaire to the DRC: A Case Study of State Failure , Adam Zachariah Trautman

Guanxi, Networks and Economic Development: The Impact of Cultural Connections , Patricia Anne Weeks

Comparative Political Corruption in the United States: The Florida Perspective , Andrew Jonathon Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Modernization From Above: Social Mobilization, Political Institutionalization and Instability: A Case Study of Iran (1953-1979) , Jeffrey Robert Cobb

The Relationship between the Social Construction of Race and the Black/White Test Score Gap in , Toriano M. Dempsey

The Causes and Effects of Get Tough: A Look at How Tough-on-Crime Policies Rose to the Agenda and an Examination of Their Effects on Prison Populations and Crime , Cheyenne Morales Harty

Hegemonic Rivalry in the Maghreb: Algeria and Morocco in the Western Sahara Conflict , Michael D. Jacobs

The Politics of Pentecostalism; Does it Help or Hinder Democratic Consolidation in Brazil? , Amber S. Johansen

Women's Political Representation in Europe: An Analysis of Structural and Attitudinal Factors , Jenna Elaine Mcculloch

Examining the Relationship between Participatory Democracy and Nonwhite Domestic Workers in Porto Alegre, Brazil: Issues of Race, Class and Privilege , Alexis Nicole Mootoo

The Indigenous Movement and the Struggle for Political Representation in Bolivia , Angelica T. Nieves

MAS and the Indigenous People of Bolivia , Maral Shoaei

Cyberwar and International Law: An English School Perspective , Anthony F. Sinopoli

The Homegrown Jihad: A Comparative Study of Youth Radicalization in the United States and Europe , William Wolfberg

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The State and the Legalization of Dual Citizenship/Dual Nationality: A Case Study of Mexico and the Philippines , Pamela Kim Anderson

The Integration of African Muslim Minority: A Critique of French Philosophy and Policy , Amber Nichole Dillender

Elections and Tensions and Constitutions! Oh, My! A Process-Oriented Analysis of Bolivian Democratization from 1993 to 2009 , Laurel Kristin Dwyer

Cuban Medical Internationalism: A Case for International Solidarity in Foreign Policy Decision Making , Eric James Fiske

The Threat to Democracy in Brazil's Public Sphere , Daniel Nettuno

Prospects for Political Reform in China , Jody Lee Tomlin

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Positive- and Negative-Right Conceptions of Freedom of Speech and the Specter of Reimposing the Broadcast Fairness Doctrine ... or Something Like It , Adam Fowler

The Christian Zionist Lobby and U.S.-Israel Policy , Mark G. Grzegorzewski

An Analysis of U.S. Policies Targeting the Iranian Nuclear Program , Bryan T. Hamilton

Religion and Resistance: The Role of Islamic Doctrine in Hamas and Hezbollah , Matthew Lawson

Prospects for Nuclear Non-Proliferation: An Actor-Oriented Case Study of Iran’s Future , James Martin Lockwood

Impact of Globalization on Socio-Economic and Political Development of the Central Asian Countries , Karina Orozalieva

Mubarak’s Machine: The Durability of the Authoritarian Regime in Egypt , Andrea M. Perkins

International Society Cosmopolitan Politics and World Society , Kimberly Weaver

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

From China to Cuba: Guerilla Warfare as a Mechanism for Mobilizing Resources , Jorge Barrera

Neoliberalism and Dependence: A Case Study of The Orphan Care Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa , Christine Concetta Gibson

City Level Development New Key to Successful Development , Gina Herron

The neoconservative war on modernity: The Bush Doctrine and its resistance to legitimation , Ben Luongo

The Security and Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran: An Offensive Realism Perspective , Bledar Prifti

Transdiscursive cosmopolitanism: Foucauldian freedom, subjectivity, and the power of resistance , Joanna Rozpedowski

Making and Keeping the Peace: An Analysis of African Union Efficacy , Nicholas Temple

Social Implications of Fair Trade Coffee in Chiapas, Mexico: Toward Alternative Economic Integration , Joseph J. Torok

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Role of Culture in Economic Development: China Study of China and Latin America , Amira Fellner

Advanced Search

• Email Notifications and RSS
• All Collections
• USF Faculty Publications
• Open Access Journals
• Conferences and Events
• Theses and Dissertations
• Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

• USF School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies
• Rights Information
• SelectedWorks
• Submit Research

Home | About | Help | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Language and Diversity Statements

Privacy Copyright

School of Social and Political Science

Phd international development, introduction.

The deadline to apply for September 2024 entry is Monday 1 July 2024.

We warmly invite candidates to apply for a PhD degree in International Development

The University of Edinburgh is host to a thriving and cosmopolitan community of researchers working on global development challenges. We are home to internationally renowned academics working at the intersection of international development policy and health, science and technology, religion, migration, energy, urbanisation, mining and human rights, as well as centres of regional expertise in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.

We strongly encourage and support interdisciplinary research, and welcome students who are keen to develop doctoral research projects in collaboration with third parties (NGOs, multilateral/bilateral agencies, campaign groups, or media organisations).

Usually undertaken full-time over three years, or part-time over six years, the PhD in International Development is a research degree in which students make an original contribution to knowledge by pursuing an extended and focused piece of research on a topic of interest to them.

You will also be invited to join research workshops and regular open research seminars held by subject areas across the School of Social and Political Science, where you will enjoy special opportunities to meet development policy makers, practitioners, diplomats, and internationally recognised academics.

Interdisciplinary research is strongly encouraged. While based in the School of Social and Political Science, in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, International Development doctoral students will have opportunities to draw from expertise across the University's different Schools and Colleges for the purposes of supervision and research collaboration.

Research training

A wide range of training facilities are available to PhD students. The Graduate School provides a range of ESRC-recognised research training courses for social science students across the University. You are encouraged to participate in taught Masters level courses to assist your intellectual development and support your research. 

The University’s Institute for Academic Development provides a range of courses and events to assist with methodological training and career development.

• Institute for Academic Development

Finally, you will participate with your peers in the bespoke course, International Development Exchanges and Advanced Skills, to improve your research abilities. These combine to enable you to acquire a broad set of academic and transferable skills during your time with us.

Besides the training activities and academic opportunities discussed in the programme overview, you will receive regular one-to-one thesis supervision from two supervisors with expertise in your research areas.

The supervisors will offer expert advice through the entire research process, including the choice of research training courses, refining the research design, conducting field research, data analysis, writing up the thesis, publishing the findings and moving on to the next stage in the student's career. You will meet with your supervisors on a regular basis to discuss the progress of your thesis, but will also find support from the wider academic community and peers, who you will engage with at regular seminars.

Focused supervision in International Development is generally drawn from academic staff associated to:

• the Centre of African Studies
• social anthropology
• social policy
• politics and international relations

However, in line with the emphasis on interdisciplinary research, supervision teams may comprise faculty from across the University.

You are strongly advised to contact potential supervisors before submitting your application. If the University lacks staff who are able to supervise your project, your application may be declined.

You should examine the research interests of staff in the School of Social and Political Science carefully as the first stage in the application process. Once you have completed your draft research proposal you are strongly advised to get in touch with the postgraduate advisor, Dr Aaron Kappeler, to discuss your thoughts on potential supervisors from among the faculty. His contact details are on the right-hand side.

We strongly advise that you only submit the application once you have secured the agreement of at least one prospective supervisor. You must indicate the name of any proposed supervisor who has agreed to the role in the appropriate section of your application. A well-developed research proposal is likely to help your initial engagement with a prospective supervisor. They might also ask you to provide them with written work from your Master's degree (for example, your MSc dissertation, or two long essays, in order to get a sense of your research potential).

You will become part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary research community. Within the School of Social and Political Science there will be a wide range of seminars and events for you to attend and integrate yourself into the research life of the University.

Within the International Development doctoral programme there are additional opportunities to mix with the postgraduate cohort, including the International Development Exchanges and Advanced Skills course taken by first year doctoral students, and a series of organised monthly training and social activities.

Applying for this PhD

• Identify potential supervisors suited to your research interests
• Write a draft research proposal
• Contact the Postgraduate Advisor with your research proposal and list of potential supervisors
• Once discussed with the Postgraduate Advisor, formally submit your application on EUCLID

Postgraduate Advisor

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site. And we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

• Schools and departments

International Development

• Postgraduate study

PhD research

• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate prospectus
• Why International Development at Sussex?
• People and contacts

As a doctoral researcher at Sussex, you will be a valued part of our academic community and encouraged to participate in seminars, research activities and teaching. You will be supported by two supervisors with expertise on your topic and we encourage you to reach out to faculty members to discuss your research ideas before applying. Explore some of the projects our doctoral researchers are leading below.

Current and recent research topics in international development, include:

• A development challenge in a crisis state. HIV/AIDS prevention programmes and behavioural change in Zimbabwe. A case of Harare residents
• Biodiversity conservation in South India: understanding the environmental practices and politics of indigenous communities in Nilgiri biosphere
• Conservation, participation, and development: the rhetoric and reality of medicinal plant policies in Nepal
• Dollar Bananas vs. Fair Trade Bananas: A study of a neo-colonial relationship
• Groundwater Apathy: An Optic to Explain Groundwater (Non)Governance: A Case Study of the Indus Basin of Pakistan
• Integrated conservation in Mexico: reconciling conservation and sustainable development within protected nature areas
• Knowledge sharing on child labour and its prevention: the involvement of child migrant workers in Samut Sakhon, Thailand
• Networks, malandros and social control: exploring the connections between inequality and violence in Venezuela
• Perceptions and realities of the poor in Nigeria: poverty, livehihoods and risks
• Queering Cuba: How have women engaging in non-normative sexualities and gender identities participated in political, economic and social life?
• When disaster strikes: why people in Bangladesh make certain decisions on their livelihoods when faced with environmental stress and climate change impacts.

Information for PhD students

• PhD degrees
• Find out how to apply for a PhD
• Explore our scholarships

International Development

You are here: american university school of international service master of arts in international development.

• Request Info

Explore More

[email protected]

School of International Service on a map

Back to top

Addressing Poverty, Inequality, and Social Inequity

For nearly 50 years, the MA in International Development (MAID) program has trained graduates to work toward addressing the world’s most pressing economic, environmental, health and humanitarian challenges. MAID is one of the best-established development programs in the world . It prepares students to participate effectively in driving socio-economic, political, and environmental change around the world – from within governmental agencies like USAID, international organizations like the World Bank, United Nations agencies, local civil society organizations, and even private companies and consulting firms. MAID is unique in its focus on essential job skills, rigorous research methods, and critical histories and theories of development. The program emphasizes links between global and local action, acknowledges the interrelatedness of environmental, political, economic and global health challenges, and equips graduates to become effective and ethical agents of change. 

The MA in International Development (MAID) degree requires  39–42 credit hours  of graduate coursework, including your choice of capstone: substantial research paper, applied substantial research paper, practicum, or master’s thesis. Students can complete the MAID in  two years (full-time) or up to six years (part-time) .

MAID’s core curriculum includes courses on alternative theories and definitions of international development , key social categories that affect development politics , micro and macro levels of economic development , economic theory , and various international affairs research methods . Students will build on their core curriculum by pursuing a professional track tailored to their career and development interests.

Explore degree flexibility options

Full degree and admission requirements

The International Development program boasts one of the largest concentrations of faculty both teaching and researching international development. Members of the development faculty are distinguished by their scholarly reputation, their combination of theory and field experience, their commitment to teaching, and the lasting relationships they build with students in the program. Students will benefit from the faculty’s robust research and practical experience.  

Meet the MAID faculty

There is no better place to study international affairs and development than in Washington, DC. Situated near Embassy Row, the International Development program offers students access to governmental, non-profit, and private institutions that work with and in developing countries. The city is a learning laboratory that enables students to participate in internships and practica that combine research with an integrated, problem-solving approach to the world's development challenges.

Students in MAID, together with students pursuing the MS in Development Management , make up the larger International Development program. The ID program is a diverse community consisting of international students, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and more experienced development professionals. ID and DM students collaborate and work closely with one another in classes and in the International Development Program Student Association (IDPSA) .

We Know Success

Forging a career in international development.

Micaela Vivero, SIS/MA '94

Vice President of Communications, GoodWeave International

Gaining a strong foundation in international development opened doors for me.

My experience working in global development and my understanding of the issues made my work in marketing and communications stronger—I was able to put complex issues into context and communicate them better to audiences.  Learn more about Vivero's career and work at GoodWeave International .

Frequently Asked Questions

When should i apply and when are the application deadlines.

When you should apply to the program depends on what semester you want to start taking classes and whether you are a domestic or international student.

Application deadlines for an MA in International Development are as follows:

• Fall semester: January 15
• Spring semester: October 1

View required application materials

Missed a deadline but still interested in applying? Email the SIS Graduate Admissions office .

Where will a degree in International Development take me?

Our graduates go into careers that make a positive impact on the world. With a customizable professional track, students develop the hard and soft skills needed to pursue their individual interests in the international development field.

Our alumni have gone on to build education programs in sub-Saharan Africa, create new ways of making monitoring, evaluation, and learning useful for grassroot organizations, feed and assist refugees, and enter the Foreign Service.

Employers that hire MAID graduates include: the World Bank, Save the Children, Chemonics, OXFAM, US Agency for International Development, Global Fund for Women, World Vision, and more.

Looking for more information or help? SIS has a dedicated career development center to assist current students and alumni.

Is there financial assistance available?

The School of International Service offers merit-based aid in the form of scholarships and fellowships at the time of admission.

Financial aid information for prospective students

Current students pursuing their MA in International Development have several fellowships and awards available  to them to help offset the cost of their education and take advantage of additional academic and professional opportunities.

Need-based aid is available through AU Central Office and generally takes the form of a federal low-interest loan package.

Federal loan and work study information for graduate students

What is the difference between MAID and MSDM?

The difference between the MA in International Development (MAID) and the MS in Development Management (MSDM) is each degree’s focus on facilitating and managing change versus its focus on theories and definitions of international development. The MAID provides professional preparation in development politics, research, economics, and theories, while the MSDM—the only MS at SIS—provides applied and innovative management skills and requires a minimum of two years professional experience to apply. 

Both MAID and MSDM require the completion of a capstone project. MAID students may choose to pursue a Practicum in International Affairs, Thesis, or Substantial Research Project (SRP). MSDM students complete a 6-credit self-designed Management Practicum that gives students hands-on management experience in a real-world setting.

Still have questions? Send us an email with program-specific questions at [email protected]

Please send me information about Master of Arts in International Development

Upon submission of the form, you'll have the opportunity to download a copy of our graduate brochure.

It looks like you already used that name and address to request information for one or more AU graduate program(s).

If you have not previously requested AU graduate program information, create a new request

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Masters Thesis International Cooperation in Urban Development_Krylova_Maria.pdf

Thesis "Potentials for the development of "airport city" concept in Russia"

Related Papers

Architecture and Engineering

Ksenia Veretennikova

Ayaz Zamanov

Cities grow and prosper in relation with their transportation hubs. In the past, coastal towns with adequate harbors grew and expanded quickly. In modern times, similar prospects apply to cities with airports which provide competitive advantages for regional and urban development. In addition to being a complex system of facilities, airports are significant stimulators for economic activities in its catchment area. In the last thirty years or so, airports have become clusters of not only transportation-related operational services but also commercial and business activities. Accordingly, airports have grown into complex and multi-faced mega structures, offering space for longer runways and larger terminals, and accommodating a growing number of functions that have nothing related with aviation. Hence, Aerotropolis defined by Prof. Dr. Kasarda is regarded as an urban cluster with similar features to the traditional metropolitan structure. In its core, Airport City is located which functions as the traditional city center of Aerotropolis. This thesis focuses on the principles and relationships for land use planning and design of airports and their environs under the umbrella of Airport City concept. It is aimed to underline current design framework of Airport Cities which is found missing in terms of academic studies. In this context, the Airport City model clarified, and selected cases have been evaluated under certain design principles in order to have an output about design criteria of the Airport City development. The research concludes with inferences regarding existing design guidelines of certain Airport City cases.

Michal Stangel

Airports are of particular significance for contemporary cities. They are not just places where airplanes take off and land, but also hubs where locality combines with globality. The transport hubs have always played an important role in city development. Harbors, railway stations or major crossroads were the locations of intense contacts, it was here that settlement structures developed. As privileged locations, they attracted investments and became economic growth centres. A similar phenomenon can be observed for airports. As the number of the transported passengers and goods grows, the terminals develop additional functions. Airport-proximate zones are prestigious sites with good traffic connections. Investment accumulation based on the snow-ball effect results in creating new building complexes, called Airport City. Those are sites where the flow of people, goods and capital takes place and which are the focal points of the urbanization processes in the global economy. But can the Airport City be compared to a city as a shopping gallery to a gallery or an industrial park to a park? Can urban space be created there and if so, what type of city is it?

This book is a compilation of research and practise questioning the relationship between airports, regional developments and urban planning. It is structured in two parts, research and case studies, as well as practise and policy approaches. It answers questions like: how can airports be perceived as part of the urban structure? Which economic effects foster spatial development at airports? Which policy approaches exist to tackle the various conflicts in the airport-region relationship?

Shannon Sanders McDonald

Journal of Planning Literature

Douglas Baker

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Rosário Macário

Recent trends in airport-centered real estate development are addressed, with emphasis on the concept of the airport city. Airport cities are major economic hubs that have exhibited substantial growth and profits. However, evolution toward an airport city is difficult; several airports worldwide have failed in the attempt. The emergence of this type of development is related to major trends in the aviation sector during the past decades. Globalization and liberalization processes have led to a strong reliance of airport operators on nonaeronautical revenues. Real estate development centered on airports arises as a strategy to maximize nonaeronautical revenues and as a response to a need for revenue diversification. The purpose of this research was to identify the critical, underlying factors in the emergence of an airport city. A framework was designed to illustrate the agents that shape airport city development and the relationships between them. A key informant survey was then con...

The notion of placemaking and sustainable urbanism praise dense, urban grids with unique public spaces. Airports, on the other hand, have been often criticized as model “non-places”– strange, anonymous spaces of transience that do not hold enough spatial significance. From this perspective at airport-related areas one may ask, in fact, how urban may they become, and weather the "Airport City" has more in common with the city than a "shopping gallery" to an art gallery, or than a "business park" to a park? While the spatial configuration of the commercial functions surrounding the airport terminal have resembled those of a large shopping malls, or suburban commercial zones, with freestanding objects separated by parking lots, the airport cities currently designed are envisioned as dense, multifunctional urban districts. Recent projects, such as the Airport Cities in Warsaw, Stockholm, Manchester etc. elaborate on qualities such as carefully designed open spaces, iconic architecture and public art. In this perspective, sustainable airport districts shall be development with rational use of resources and maximizing social, economic and environmental benefits. Within the paradigm of sustainable urbanism, this would mean a holistic approach in three scales: developing specific districts in polycentric metropolises, shaping their urban structure, and designing specific places within the scale of urban blocks.

Robyn Keast

RELATED PAPERS

수원출장안마【 예약톡KN 39 】수원출장샵《MED 33, N E T》수원출장마사지 レ 수원콜걸샵 レ 수원출장가격 レ 수원콜걸업소 レ 수원유흥업소

NfvkCR ktuh

BMJ Case Reports

Pratik Gautam

EXISTE ACELERAÇÃO DA HISTÓRIA- Recensão Crítica

Isabel Gala

João Paulo Braga Cavalcante

Ryan Prayogi

Piplu Bhuiyan

Victor Covaliov

Medieval Feminist Forum

Louise Sylvester

Annals of Plastic Surgery

Armando Boccieri

Franciscanum

Cristian Camilo Quiroga Alvarez

Ibrahima Barry

Revista Historia de la Educación Latinoamericana

LUIS ALFONSO ALARCON MENESES

Revista Bioethikos

José André da Costa

Archéologie de la France-informations

nicolas N R roudie

Frontiers in plant science

Journée d’études internationale "Les Prophéties de Merlin et le roman européen" – EPM. ÉQUIPE PROPHECIES DE MERLIN

Rita Porqueddu

DergiPark (Istanbul University)

Tacettin Şimşek

Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften

Fritz Osterwalder

BYUNG CHEOL LEE

Journal of Metamorphic Geology

Konstantin Podlesskii

Propriedades em Transformação: Abordagens Multidisciplinares sobre a Propriedade no Brasil

Diogo Coutinho

Nature communications

Measurement Techniques

Manus Henry

Pediatric Research

LARRY STONESIFER

Shimelis Admassu

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Quantitative MRI and Network Science Applications in Manganese Neurotoxicity

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element for humans that functions primarily as a coenzyme in several biological processes such as nerve and brain development, energy metabolism, bone growth and development, as well as cognitive functioning. However, overexposure to environmental Mn via occupational settings or contaminated drinking water can lead to toxic effects on the central nervous systems and cause a Parkinsonian disorder that features symptoms such as fine motor control deficits, dystonia rigidity, speech and mood disturbances, and cognitive deficits summarized under the term “manganism”. Over time, Mn exposure has shifted from acute, high-level instances leading to manganism, to low-level chronic exposure. Considering that Mn exposure is significantly lower than in the past, it is unlikely to expect manganism from chronic Mn exposure under current working conditions. Therefore, there is a need to develop sensitive methods to aid in updating the clinical diagnostic standards for manganism and Mn neurotoxicity as chronic exposure to Mn leads to more subtle symptoms.

Historically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used as a non-invasive tool for detecting excess brain Mn accumulation. Specifically, T1-weighted images show bilateral hyperintensities of the globus pallidus (GP) due to the paramagnetic properties of Mn which increases the MR relaxation rate R1. Although the GP is considered the hallmark of excess brain Mn, this brain area is not necessarily associated with symptoms, exposure, or neuropsychological outcomes. Thus, the focus should not be on the GP only but on the entire brain. With recent advances in quantitative MRI (qMRI), whole brain mapping techniques allow for the direct measurement of relaxation rate changes due to Mn accumulation. The work in this dissertation uses such quantitative techniques and network science to establish novel computational in vivo imaging methods to a) visualize and quantify excess Mn deposition at the group and individual level, and b) characterize the toxicokinetics of excess brain Mn accumulation and the role of different brain regions in the development of neurotoxicity effects.

First, we developed a novel method for depicting excess Mn accumulation at the group level using high-resolution R1 relaxation maps to identify regional differences using voxel-based quantification (VBQ) and statistical parametric mapping. Second, we departed from a group analysis and developed subject-specific maps of excess brain Mn to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the spatial distribution of Mn and exposure settings. Third, we developed a novel method that combines network science with MRI relaxometry to characterize the storage and propagation of Mn and Fe in the human brain and the role of different brain regions in the development of neurotoxic effects. Lastly, we explore the application of ultra-short echo (UTE) imaging to map Fe content in the brain and compare it against R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM).

Overall, this dissertation is a successful step towards establishing sensitive neuroimaging screening methods to study the effects of occupational Mn exposure. The individual Mn maps offer great potential for evaluating personal risk assessment for Mn neurotoxicity and allow monitoring of temporal changes in an individual, offering valuable information about the toxicokinetics of Mn. The integration of network science provides a holistic analysis to identify subtle changes in the brain’s mediation mechanisms of excess metal depositions and their associations with health outcomes.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Neuroimaging for Early Diagnosis of Manganese Toxicity in Humans and Rodents

Neuroimaging of manganese toxicity, international manganese institute, degree type.

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Health Science

Campus location

• West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Additional committee member 2, additional committee member 3, additional committee member 4, usage metrics.

• Medical physics