The TERI SAS’s master’s programme in Sustainable Development Practice (MA SDP) seeks to address a critical gap in sustainable development education in South Asia. It aims to develop an international cadre of development professionals, well-equipped to tackle interwoven challenges of poverty, diseases, climate change and ecosystem vulnerability specific to the region.
The course comprises of innovative pedagogy and a multi-disciplinary team of faculty members. It provides field trainings, which are rigorous and structured to help students have a real world experience of dealing with development issues. The MA SDP programme is part of the Global Association of MDP programmes, which consists of 26 MDP programmes, offered in 19 universities across countries. The TERI SAS was one of the few universities selected worldwide by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to receive seed funding to create the new master's degree programme in development practice. The programme provides an interface between the students of 26 MDP programmes and is reviewed by a team of experts from academia, national and international development organizations. For more details please refer to http://mdpglobal.org/
The students get myriad opportunities to work with national and international development organizations, research institutes, CSR division of corporate groups, just to name a few. Out of the total sixty-eight alumni, nearly half found research opportunities across government/ autonomous academic/research institutes.
The package of remuneration varies with an average of INR 40,000 per month for fresh post-graduates, without prior work experience.
Many students with strong inclination towards policy and research have found opportunities to pursue other courses/higher studies in India and abroad and are also placed in research institutes. Some, with tremendous passion for development have gone to create their own social-entrepreneurial ventures, testing a hard career option to bring-in real changes.
MA-SDP course at the TERI SAS has indeed been an experience of discovering a diverse range of approaches to development through a new set of eyes. Sustainable Development as a new gizmo has been conceptualised by scholars, policy makers and development organisations as capable of addressing the growing developmental and environmental challenges. The MA-SDP course has taken this gizmo of ‘Sustainable Development’ and transformed it into a more practical and on-field experience through its multi-dimensional coursework and diverse domain knowledge of its faculty. This course has encouraged students to critically and analytically evaluate and appreciate the theoretical formulations of the concept through a pragmatic and applied approach to development and environmental challenges. The course has thus been a discovery of merging new practical techniques with theoretical knowledge through strong research grounding; the discovery and moulding of new ideas to address emerging challenges and lastly a discovery of a spirit of collaborative team work with peers and faculty alike.
Indeed just like trees, ideas too take time to sprout and grow, and TERI School of Advanced Studies is one such place where not only ideas originate, but they are also nurtured and cared for until they bear fruits
The TERI SAS is one of the foremost universities selected for starting the MA SDP programme. Students of MA SDP get unique opportunity to learn about the latest practices promoting sustainable development from national and international experts (academicians and practitioners), from partner universities, research institutes and development agencies. The programme hones the skills of students in project design and management, development communication, social research, cross-cultural and intercultural adaptation, entrepreneurial and innovative business development.
In the context of complex global challenges like extreme poverty, chronic hunger, stagnating crop yield, abysmal nutritional, educational and health standards, the MA SDP curriculum tries to address the gap of effective cross-disciplinary problem solving. It has a strong practice focus with cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral orientation. Training for integrated solutions that cuts across disciplines is the highlight of MA SDP curriculum.
The pedagogy strongly focuses on problem-based learning, case studies, seminars, and field visits. The group practicums integrate knowledge and skills taught in the course. Field visits allow students to learn and use practical skills to analyze and solve development problems holistically.
The pedagogy strongly focuses on problem-based learning, case studies, seminars, and field visits. The group practicums integrate knowledge and skills taught in the course. Field visits allow students to learn and use practical skills to analyze and solve development problems holistically.
