The program aims to provide robust training in the theoretical legacies that inform the discipline while locating it in the most urgent and emergent development problems of the contemporary era. Drawing upon a pool of interdisciplinary faculty with diverse and ongoing research projects, the program hopes to attract students seeking training for application and policy-oriented jobs as also those in search of a rigorous education towards specialized academic and research-oriented careers.

The MA program is designed keeping in mind the diverse body of aspirants seeking to enter the field of Development Studies. The first year of the program is dedicated to developing a common vocabulary in the broad social sciences specific to the field, while grounding it in the context of India and the Indian sub-continent. The second year will focus on assisting students in developing their own interests and career possibilities in the discipline through electives across key research and policy avenues broadly encompassing sociology, anthropology, history, and science and technology studies. Students will also have the freedom to enroll in up to two electives offered in any of the departments at IIT Madras to pursue their unique research and career interests as also ground their work in technology-based applications.

The program aims to provide training and support towards two broad career trajectories; higher education and academia, and policy and governance.