When Gordon Brown, Senior Program Officer for Africa at Relief International, enrolled at the Fletcher School in September 2004, he knew what he wanted. "I chose Fletcher because I saw it as an opportunity to think, read, and write about the issues affecting humanitarian relief and development. Fletcher has given me much more." As a humanitarian aid worker specializing in refugee affairs, he had been working for Africare for about five years in Tanzania and Namibia. During this time, Gordon questioned the impact of his work and whether the policy decisions he made positively benefited the refugees under his care. The answer lay in a graduate degree, specifically from the Fletcher School. "Fletcher was a combination of all worlds. In emergency relief, the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University combines field-based research and publications in complex humanitarian environments," says Gordon. In his opinion, "in the field of humanitarian assistance, the Fletcher School was ahead of its competitors at the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University (SAIS), University of Denver, and Harvard University."

[Picture] Gordon Brown
Senior Program Officer for Africa, Relief International

The Fletcher School is one of the oldest and well-renowned graduate schools of International Affairs in the United States. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, the school is part of Tufts University and every year many students at the School enroll in its International Development Program. This program combines theoretical coursework with practical hands-on field experience. Ranging from the flexible curriculum and teaching methodology, to the experience of professors involved in policy formulation and implementation of field projects, the program has continued to attract practitioners who have had many years of experience in development, as well as those who are looking to transition into a development-oriented career. To ensure quality, the admissions office at the school requires at least two-years of work experience and foreign language proficiency as minimum entry requirements into the program. Invariably, each student in the program will speak two or three international languages; that is English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.

The Fletcher School's unique and flexible curriculum allows students to concentrate on two fields of study that incorporate their interests in international development. The pathways of development specialists at Fletcher are as varied as the different interests reflected in the world. From agriculture to development consulting; economics to education; and human security to trade and investment, all are found at the Fletcher School. With the choice of 18 fields of study – in addition to the option to self-design a concentration-the coursework lends depth of functionality and breadth of regional interests. Ashley Brady, an alumnus of the School, recounts that through the institution's flexible curriculum, she was able to combine diverse courses in a self-designed field of study on Latin America, Law and Development, and a Certificate in International Development. This eased her into a career with the United States State Department.

The International Development program combines coursework in the fields of Law and Development, Development Economics, and Comparative and Developmental Political Analysis-with workshops, seminars and visits by experts in an integrated program of development studies and research. Professor Steven Block, director of the program, explains that the program's goal is to provide a framework for analyzing contemporary aspects of development, including problems of social and political change; theories of economic development and growth; the role of law in development; trade and balance of payments problems of developing countries; international development organizations; the role of financial and technical assistance in aiding developing countries; food and agricultural policy; and, the economics of consumption and nutrition. The program is closely linked to the School's curriculum through the Certificate in International Development.

Another reason that makes Fletcher's development program very attractive is the ability to cross-register with other graduate schools at Tufts University, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Particularly, those who are unable to find a specialized course at Fletcher, institutions such as the Kennedy School and Harvard Business School provide a wide range of coursework in economics, management and policy; all geared towards international developmental studies.

Outside the classroom, students are encouraged to take part in two career trips annually, organized by the Office of Career Services-to Washington, DC and New York City. Featuring panelists and practitioners from organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, Save the Children, Chemonics International and United States government agencies, among many others, students receive practical advice about finding jobs and field work in development. Real policy issues that compound or address development challenges-ranging from the Tsunami recovery process to the microfinance success of the Grameen Bank in rural Bangladesh-are discussed, and development organizations explain their role in multiple development projects worldwide. With assistance from the Office of Alumni Relations, these trips provide an excellent networking opportunity for students to meet with alumni and other development professionals both from within and outside the United States.

To concretize their learning experience, students have the opportunity to undertake internships between the first and second years, with development organizations all over the world. In July 2005, while working in Malawi as a project evaluator for CARE Malawi, Xanthe Scharff did not realize the impact she would have. As a Masters student-and now a PhD candidate-at the Fletcher School, she reflected on how to educate poor girls in Malawi. "Through the various courses at Fletcher, I learned about the intersection between international development, human rights, human security and humanitarian aid. I gained an understanding of the various aspects of development; including the underlying economic principles, aid flows, implementation approaches and strategies, and program design and monitoring and evaluation," she says. "This well-rounded Fletcher perspective has helped me to think critically about how my organization can have the greatest sustainable positive impact for girls and their communities in Malawi." Through collective efforts with her classmates, professors and mentors, Ms. Scharff founded the Advancement of Girls' Education (AGE) Scholarship Fund that helps pay school fees for girls in Malawi to attend secondary school.

From the field to the classroom, the challenge, however, is focus and clarity. Owing to the flexibility of the program, without any core coursework, students must have a clear idea about their area of focus when enrolling at the school. Focus on a particular region, topic and technical expertise can be a daunting task. Guidance should be sought from professors and even alumni to help students carefully combine their courses and fulfill the required fields of study.

The Fletcher International Development program requires two years of study; unless one is a mid-career professional with more than 8 years of work experience. The latter may apply for the one year Masters program instead. Upon completion of the program, alumni have secured positions in government development agencies such as USAID and DFID, as well as international organizations. Tomoko Hayashi, a former investment banker with the Mitsubishi Trust Bank in Tokyo, was fortunate to work with the Ministry of Health in Malawi, upon graduating from Fletcher's development program. She commented that "a Fletcher degree is highly respected in the international development field. It got me my job, for sure."
[Picture] Tomoko Hayashi, Fletcher Graduate 2004

Perhaps what makes the program a success is its diversity. From as far out as Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and South Africa, the Fletcher School's reputation in the field of international development has continued to flourish. Alumni from the school occupy positions of policy and decision making as government ministers, humanitarian aid workers, ambassadors, economists, professors, and researchers. It is no wonder that many employees of the World Bank and United Nations have graduated from the school's development program.