Second cycle degree in

Local development

Class: LM-81 - Development co-operation

Class LM-81 - Development co-operation
Duration 2 years
Branch Padova
Language English
Tuition fees and scholarships
Programme coordinator CHIARA RABBIOSI
Access Open access with admission requirements
Reference structures Department of historical and geographic sciences and the ancient world, School of human and social sciences and cultural heritage

Call for Applications (international students) - A.Y. 2024/25

  • 1st Call: 2 November 2023 - 2 February 2024 
  • 2nd Call: 2 February 2024 - 2 May 2024 (Only for EU applicants and EU-equated)   APPLICATION PLATFORM

A course held entirely in English that offers students a multicultural and multilinguistic dimension due to its numerous international experiences while providing an advanced level of training in promoting local development. Students follow the economic, sociological, political, statistical, historical-geographical, socio-pedagogical, and anthropological areas while acquiring an in-depth knowledge of the social, organizational, economic, territorial, as well as the institutional and dynamic forms of the local development processes. Students will learn to analyse the territorial framework and promote conditions that are favourable to local development allowing graduates to hold managerial roles in the project development, monitoring, and evaluation phases as well as working as professionals in development cooperation or in governmental and non-governmental organizations.

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Characteristics and objectives

The course, conducted entirely in English, provides an advanced training level in the promotion of local development. In particular, it provides in-depth knowledge of the specific social, organizational, economic, territorial and institutional forms and dynamics that characterize local development processes in different contexts and at different levels of development. The course is multidisciplinary and the curricular contents will cover integrated knowledge in the fields of economic, sociological, statistical, historical-geographical, socio-pedagogical and anthropological areas.
The course intrinsically includes a multicultural and multilingual dimension, reinforced by partnerships and mobility agreements signed with foreign universities (Erasmus agreements).

The course includes a kick-off seminar, an incoming orientation activity that involves all the operational resources of the course, social partners and alumni. The goal is to create solid foundations for the teaching activities by sharing the course content and organization, with a look at the possible career opportunities.

The course includes an internship, also abroad, in connection with Local Development Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, Public Administrations at different scales, trade and citizenship associations, enterprises. The case study conducted during the internship will provide the starting point for the degree thesis.

Occupational opportunities

Graduates have the ability to analyse the territorial context, recognize and promote the conditions favourable to local development, apply, in full autonomy, with managerial functions and in complex and problematic contexts, the various methodologies for the elaboration, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects for local development.

Graduates can be employed as professionals in local development and development cooperation, in different social and territorial contexts, in trade and citizenship associations, enterprises, governmental and non-governmental organizations at the local, national and international level.