ATLAS | MS-ICTD Curriculum

The MS-ICTD degree program consists of ten graduate courses in the areas enumerated below. Working with the MS-ICTD program advisor, each student will develop a course and practicum plan that matches their particular interests and experience.

	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
Year 1	- ICTD Case Studies - Global Development - Technology Elective 1*	- Fieldwork Methods for ICTD Practitioners - Global Development II - Technology Elective II*
Year 2	- ICTD Laboratory - Social Entrepreneurship - Technology Elective III* - Domain-specific elective **	- Practicum

Year One
Year one provides students with an understanding of the interrelated nature of development studies and the role that ICTD can play in advancing single-sector and cross-sector development initiatives. In the Global Development courses, students learn the fundamentals of development history and theory, development economics, the policies and institutions that shape development practice, and current trends and movements in development work.

These courses look at development through a series of modules in major topics including:
globalization and migration, development economics and microfinance, health, education, agriculture, gender, GIS for development and technology policy among other leading development issues.

Students take two core courses:
1. A case studies course that critically evaluates ICTD initiatives in order to develop an understanding of why only a small number of ICTD projects succeed.
2. A course specific to methods and frameworks useful in ICTD interventions.

Students also take two of the three core ICTD technical courses, based upon each student's academic and professional experience and interests.

Year Two
Year two introduces students to ICTD practice. As a cohort, students participate in an additional core ICTD course--a project-based laboratory in which small teams of students will develop an end-toend ICTD intervention for a specific development need, including design, implementation and evaluation.

Students complete their third course in the technical series, as well as a social entrepreneurship course. This course helps create an understanding of the business perspective of ICTD, as well as skills and market-building opportunities for communities engaged in ICTD projects and outcomes. Students also take an elective of their choosing in order to gain additional depth or breadth in a development topic of interest.

Practicum
The fourth semester is dedicated to the Practicum. Under faculty supervision, the six-hour practicum consists of an internship or service project with a company engaged in ICTD efforts, an international development agency, foundation, non-governmental organization, or other organization in the public or private sector. If approved by the Program Director, students who already have a relationship with an existing development project or organization may be able to fulfill their practicum requirements within that context.

Click here for elective technology courses.
*Technology electives include courses in applications, systems and networks. Electives can be taken across Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and the interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program.

** Domain specific electives may include courses across a variety of disciplines, including Sociology, Geography, Journalism, Mass Communication, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Political Science, Engineering, Law, Business or Foreign Languages. Students may choose to take their free elective
during any semester.

Apply now.

For further information, download the program description or email Dr. Revi Sterling,
program director, at revi.sterling@colorado.edu, or Ruscha Cohen, graduate program
adviser, at ruscha.cohen@colorado.edu.

Master's Degree: Curriculum

Master of Science in Information and Communication Technology for Development (MS-ICTD)