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Leadership and Development MSc

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Within our Leadership and Development MSc, we focus on the issues that highlight the significance of leadership processes and outcomes in the dynamics of development. Through this programme, you will gain a deep understanding of the increasingly key role that leadership plays in the context of development and transformation, with a particular focus on global south contexts. In today's world, next generation leaders must be able to thrive across different socio-cultural contexts while achieving success in organisations. Within the dynamic global landscape, which involves a wide array of diverse actors and stakeholders, leaders need a unique skill set and must be uniquely prepared. The Leadership and Development programme is designed to achieve the following objectives: • Deepen students' understanding of the diverse patterns of leadership that have underlined social, political, and economic processes and outcomes in societies across the world. • Advance critical knowledge of development in relation to leadership and problem-solving. • Develop students' profound analytical skills to address the challenges presented by the global landscape in the 21st century. Students will learn to understand the complexity of leadership operating across different levels and their interconnections. This programme uniquely blends the study of theoretical concepts with real world application, allowing you to comprehend leadership's central role in the dynamics of development across the globe.

Key benefits

  • Our programme offers a unique and innovative approach to interdisciplinary leadership studies, focusing on its intersection with development and societal transformation. It is the only MSc programme in the UK examining leadership in the context of development and societal change.
  • It empowers students to critically analyse complex leadership concepts and challenge conventional assumptions about what leadership entails, how influence is asserted, why leaders emerge (whether effective or ineffective), and the intricate relationships between leadership and institutions. This fosters personal growth, enabling students to make independent judgments, contributing to change and innovation within their chosen field, and transforming their ideas into impactful actions within their unique contexts.
  • You will have ample opportunities to connect with the global network of the African Leadership Centre, uniting esteemed academics, practitioners, activists, and institutional partners, including universities, international organisations, research institutions, and policy institutions from around the world. Learn from leading intellectuals and experts in global leadership, peace, and security from both the Global North and South.
  • Build upon and expand knowledge gained from your undergraduate or professional experiences, with a deliberate and clear overlap with development studies, politics, economics, and business and management (as well as other disciplines and sectors).
  • Our programme delivers a dynamic and engaging learning experience that combines a rich array of theoretical concepts with practical, real-world applications. You will not only comprehend the intricacies of leadership and development but also gain the skills to apply this knowledge to your career and personal life, customising it to your specific interests.
  • You will enhance your studies by attending a weekend workshop dedicated to leadership studies. You will join students from similar courses for training and problem-solving exercises, and get the opportunity to expand your personal network.
  • Additionally, you can tailor your studies by selecting from a wide range of optional modules from across King's, with a particular emphasis on the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. Explore topics such as leadership and society, research methods in global leadership, state and development dynamics in Africa and Asia, and emerging powers in global leadership. Customise your dissertation according to your interests, delving into areas such as applied global leadership, themes of gender and leadership, the examination of youth and society in the developing world, or the exploration of regional topics like African issues in global affairs.
Yuqing

My tutors always try their best to support us and often invite high profile guests in the field of politics and economics to interact with us in the workshop, which is really helpful in deepening our understanding of leadership

Yuqing, Leadership & Development

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Employability

As a graduate of this MSc in Leadership and Development, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to analyse leadership and development around the world. This can be applied to careers in various fields, from academic research and teaching, to roles in the public and private sectors, transnational corporations, international organisations such as the UN, EU, AU, ASEAN, and other regional bodies, as well as non-governmental organisations.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

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Employability

As a graduate of this MSc in Leadership and Development, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to analyse leadership and development around the world. This can be applied to careers in various fields, from academic research and teaching, to roles in the public and private sectors, transnational corporations, international organisations such as the UN, EU, AU, ASEAN, and other regional bodies, as well as non-governmental organisations.

Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.

Application closing date guidance

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.

King's College London is committed to the recruitment of students with the greatest academic ability and to maintain a diverse student population. In order to ensure a balanced international student population for our most competitive programmes, we have implemented the following deadlines:

For applicants who are currently residing in mainland China, the first application deadline is 10 January 2025 (23:59 UK time).

  • We highly encourage you to apply by this deadline due to high demand, but applications will continue to be reviewed thereafter until the final application deadline on 9 March 2025 (23:59 UK time).
  • If you reside in mainland China and apply for this programme after the above final deadline, your application may be automatically withdrawn and you will not be eligible for an application fee refund.

For all other applicants, our first application deadline is on 9 March 2025 (23:59 UK time). The final application deadlines for this programme are:

  • Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
  • Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)

After the first application deadline in March:

  • if the programme is not yet full, we will continue to accept applications until all available places are filled up to the final application deadlines above
  • if the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications

Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if you apply after the first application deadline, and we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.

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