Master of Arts in Gender and Development
Format: Hybrid or Online
Programme Start Hybrid: 19 August 2025
Programme Start Online: 8 September 2025
Application Deadline Hybrid: 30 April 2025
Application Deadline Online: 20 August 2025
Programme Overview
The Master of Arts in Gender and Development offered by UPEACE, jointly with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), aims to equip students with critical knowledge about gender studies in its intersections with development studies. Gain the skills to advance gender equality with this graduate programme focused on the crucial role of women in diplomacy and development.
Offered both in a Hybrid Format (asynchronous classes online and face-to-face on the UPEACE campus in Costa Rica), and an Online Format, this programme will allow students to develop the skills required for a successful international career in a variety of fields – diplomacy, development, politics, social work, human resources, human rights, teaching, research, policy institutes/think tanks, and others.
Students will also attend skills development sessions and coaching sessions that are designed to support their professional careers and employability. Careers in this field can be very broad. Prospective employers include governments, International and regional organizations, think tanks, academia, human rights organizations, and civil society.
Students will have an opportunity to participate in an optional field visit to Geneva (Switzerland) and/or The Hague (Netherlands), immersing themselves in the heart of diplomacy and international law.
Click on the image below to see the full programme brochure.
Hybrid Programme Modules
Online Programme Modules
Field Visits
Admissions
Fees
Hybrid Programme Modules
Hybrid Programme Modules
The HYBRID Master of Arts in Gender and Development will be implemented both face-to-face in San José, Costa Rica on UPEACE’s campus, and online which will be hosted on UPEACE’s Virtual Learning Environment.
Course List:
- UPEACE Foundation Course (UPEACE)
- Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management (UNITAR)
- Gender, Human Security, and Peacebuilding (UPEACE)
- The UN System and UPMUNC Part 1 (UPEACE)
- Gender in Everyday Life (UPEACE)
- Research Methodology (UPEACE)
- Diplomacy in the 21st Century (UNITAR)
- Education for Sustainability (UPEACE)
- Introduction to Humanitarian Work (UPEACE)*
- Gender and People on the Move: Trafficking, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migration (UPEACE)
- Skills for a Successful International Career (UNITAR)
- Gender, Environment, and Development (UPEACE)
- The UN System an UPMUNC – Part 2 (Model UN Conference) (UPEACE)
- Graduation Project Internship / Thesis OR Capstone (UPEACE)
*Optional Course
Hybrid M.A. in Gender and Development Calendar (2025-2026): click here.
Online Programme Modules
Online Programme Modules
The ONLINE Master of Arts in Gender and Development will be implemented online on UPEACE’s Virtual Learning Environment.
Course List:
- Development Studies and International Cooperation (UPEACE)
- Peace and Conflict Studies; The Foundation Course (UPEACE)
- Sustainable Development Theory, Policies and Practice (UPEACE)
- Gender and Development (UPEACE)
- Research Methodology (UPEACE)
- Gender and Human Mobility: Transnational and Intersectional Perspectives (UPEACE)
- Workshop on Negotiation and Mediation Skills (UPEACE)*
- Introduction to the UN System (UNITAR)
- Gender, Environment, and Development (UPEACE)
- Creating Queer and Trans Affirming Spaces (UPEACE)
- Globalization and Human Rights (UPEACE)*
- Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management (UNITAR)
- Fundraising for Sustainable Development (UPEACE)*
- Independent Research Project (UPEACE)
*Optional Course
Online M.A. in Gender and Development Calendar (2025-2027): click here.
Field Visits
Field Visits
Students admitted to the programme are offered a unique opportunity to partake in an optional field visit to Geneva, Switzerland, and/or The Hague, Netherlands, immersing themselves in the heart of diplomacy and international law.
The five-day field trip(s) cost USD 1,500 each and include exclusive experiences such as visiting various international organizations, the ICRC museum in Geneva, the ICJ in The Hague, and engaging in networking sessions with diplomats, personnel from permanent missions accredited to the UN, civil servants working in international organizations, and representatives from civil society.
Scheduled for the summer, the confirmed dates for these optional field visits will be shared with interested students by UPEACE and UNITAR well in advance. Students have the flexibility to enrol in either the Geneva or The Hague visit individually, or they can choose to participate in both field trips to maximize their learning experience.
(*) Please note that the fellowship programme does not include travel, accommodation, food, or visa expenses. Please note that students should have a valid health insurance plan in place during their stay in Switzerland and/or The Netherlands.
Admissions
Fees
Costs
The cost for pursuing the Master of Arts in Gender and Development in Hybrid Format is USD 19,500*, while the Online Format is USD 8,700. This includes tuition, administrative fees, and other associated costs. It is important to note that additional expenses, such as textbooks, accommodation, field visits, and living expenses, may not be covered in this figure.
Hybrid:
(*) UN Staff and Costa Rican nationals will be eligible for a 50% waiver (9,750 USD). All other applicants may apply for a 20% waiver (15,600 USD) which may be granted in limited numbers by mutual decision of UPEACE and UNITAR to ensure equitable gender and regional representation.
Online:
This master’s degree programme is eligible for the Pura Vida Fellowship Programme. Find out more and apply now here!