Address complex questions of poverty and development

The Evans School’s International Development Certificate (formally the International Development Policy and Management Certificate program (IDCP)) offers students a foundation for addressing complex questions of poverty and development. The IDCP “transcriptable” certificate has been earned by UW graduate students from 14 departments and schools, and allows students to study current topics in international policy, management and economics in a disciplinarily diverse classroom.

Requirements

The certificate requires that students complete 9 credits of core course material and two electives (6-8 credits) that cover areas or methods focused on international development.

1. Three core courses (9 credits total).

  • PUBPOL 531: Development Management and Governance (Autumn Quarter; 4 credits) examines the characteristics of development policy and aid institutions and explores the ethical and practical considerations of managing development projects at the national and local levels.
  • PUBPOL 533: Economics of International Development (Winter Quarter; 4 credits) critically examines the most common economic development indicators of poverty, growth, and inequality, and provides an overview of, and basic economic literacy around, international macroeconomic topics including debt, aid, trade, and financial markets.
  • PUBPOL 598: International Development Certificate Portfolio (Spring Quarter; 1 credit) A portfolio and short analytic paper developed by each student, reflecting upon the key learning experiences of the program. The portfolio will consist of a set of papers completed through the ICDP courses, while the analytic paper will act as a reflective analytic summary of the portfolio, coursework, and student learning in the IDCP program.

2. Two elective courses (6-8 credits total) that cover areas or methods focused on international development, chosen from a list of approved electives.

Completion of the International Development Certificate will be acknowledged on the student’s official UW transcript.

Students are encouraged to review the UW Graduate School policies on certificate programs.

Eligibility and Admissions

Only current UW graduate students are eligible to apply for this certificate. All students currently enrolled in graduate programs at any University of Washington campus with a minimum 3.0 GPA are welcome to apply. For most master’s degree students, the certificate coursework is taken across one academic year alongside coursework in their degree granting department; coursework may also be completed over multiple years. Ph.D. and other graduate students are welcome to complete the program over multiple years.

To apply for the IDCP program, please email the following materials (ideally as a single PDF) to devcert@uw.edu.

  1. A short letter of application introducing yourself, your academic program at UW, your background, areas of interest, professional and academic experience, future professional goals, and interest in the certificate program.
  2. A current resume listing both educational and professional experience.
  3. University of Washington transcript (unofficial is fine; minimum GPA 3.0).

For more information, contact devcert@uw.edu.

*Please note, the International Development Certificate Program is primarily designed for UW graduate students outside of the Evans School. Evans School MPA students may apply for the International Development Certificate Program, however, completion of both the MPA and certificate program will require 84 or more total credits (as no more than 6 credits can be shared between one’s degree program and certificate program). Evans School students are encouraged to consult with Student Services staff with any questions.