Masters of Rural Development, abbreviated M.R.D. or MRD, is a multi-disciple graduate degree. The masters program integrates the disciples of geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

, sociology

Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

, political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

, economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

, business administration, and psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

. The program consists of both course work and thesis research. The M.R.D. program is awarded at universities in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Belgium

The M.R.D. program is awarded by Universiteit Gent . The program at Universiteit Gent is co-offered with partners at National Higher Agricultural Education Institute (Rennes, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

), and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

).

Canada

The M.R.D. program is awarded by Brandon University

Brandon University

Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....

, through the Faculty of Arts. Brandon University is one of only two graduate programs focused on rural development in Canada (second program at University of Guelph

University of Guelph

The University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...

).

Ireland

The M.R.D. program is awarded by National University of Ireland, Galway

National University of Ireland, Galway

The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...

, through the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

The J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics is located at NUI Galway. It is named after a former lecturer at the University, the economist John Elliott Cairnes...

 , and by University College Dublin

University College Dublin

University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...

 through the School of Biology & Environmental Science.

United Kingdom

The M.R.D. program is awarded by the University of East Anglia

University of East Anglia

The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...

, through the School of Development Studies.

The MSc in Managing Rural Development M.R.D. is awarded by the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

 through School of Oriental and African Studies

School of Oriental and African Studies

The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...

 SOAS as an online course delivered by the Centre for Development, Environment and Policy (CeDEP)- see the course web pages at http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/prospective_students/postgraduate/wye/rural_dev/index.shtml and http://www.soas.ac.uk/cedep/programmes/managing/

The MSc in Managing Sustainable Rural Development is awarded by the UHI

UHI

UHI may refer to:* University of the Highlands and Islands, formerly known as UHI Millennium Institute* Urban heat island...

 in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as an online course - see the course web pages at http://www.lews.uhi.ac.uk/courses/sections/humanities/contents/rural/postgradmsrd

United States

The M.R.D. program is awarded by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks through its Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development (DANRD). http://www.uaf.edu/danrd/ma-program/

Another M.R.D. degree granting institution is the American University

American University

American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. The program focuses on the international aspects of development. http://www.american.edu/sis/degrees/MA-INDV.cfm