UC Berkeley - Master of Development Engineering

About this program

The Master of Development program at UC Berkeley aims to merge technology and development for careers in social impact, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability, in the US and around the world. Our curriculum is cross-cutting, encompassing the design and management of technology, application of emerging technologies, evidence-based assessment techniques, economic development, social problem solving, cross-cultural collaboration, and community engagement. Our curriculum includes prototyping, digital transformation, and critical systems of development, which address the complexity of the problems that society faces and help contextualize engineering and design within these frameworks.

All students in the Master of Development Engineering program are required to do an internship, so we have systems and staff in place to assist with their internship search and completion. We also encourage students to leverage the UC Berkeley career engagement ecosystem and explore startup/entrepreneurship opportunities. Additionally, we invite them to participate in our Big Ideas Innovation Contest and other UC Berkeley resources dedicated to entrepreneurship.

Concentration Areas:

AI/Data Analytics for Social Impact

Students take courses on how artificial intelligence, machine learning, data tools, and analytics give social, civic, and international development sectors actionable insights.

Community-Based Ecosystem Stewardship

Students take courses in Indigenous studies, environmental studies, regenerative ecology, health and food systems, community-based research, and equity-centered design thinking to ethically address complex issues related to climate change, natural resource governance, and community self-determination.

Energy, Water, and the Environment

Students take courses on core natural resource challenges, including water and energy systems and their impact on the environment, as well as life cycle assessment, water resource management, agricultural impacts, and energy technologies and policies.

Sustainable Design Innovations

Students take courses on sustainable design and social entrepreneurship, including principles of green design, the science of sustainability, resilient communities, sustainable economic models, green chemistry, product design, spatial modeling, affordable housing, public transportation, and equitable development.

Healthcare Transformations

Students take courses on the rapidly evolving landscape of global healthcare technologies and practices, including biomedical device design, health policy, health impact assessment, and the digital transformation of healthcare.

Self-Designed Concentration*

If a student has interests outside of these areas, it is possible to devise a Self-Designed Concentration in, for example, “gender equity, global education”, or “technology, development, and policy”. Students will work with faculty and staff to craft their specific concentration area.

• Year partnership began: 2025
• Fellowships awarded per year (average): 2

Application requirements

Applicants to the MDevEng program are required to follow the universal guidelines of the UC Berkeley Graduate Division, as well as the specific program requirements. It encourages students to submit three letters of recommendation, a research statement, a personal statement, and a portfolio.

The MDevEng program also encourages applicants to upload a resume and writing sample if they wish. Students should indicate in their application for a fee waiver that they are RPCVs and wish to be considered for the program. To obtain a fee waiver, please email [email protected] with your RPCV COS information.

Please check our application pages for details on up-to-date admissions processes:

· https://developmentengineering.berkeley.edu/apply/

· https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/

Admissions process

Degrees awarded

Master of Development Engineering

Benefits and opportunities

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $None

Cost savings details

Internship

Recent MDevEng Internship Titles:

• Research Assistant Intern
• WASH Research Intern
• Fellow (Private Jets) Aviation
• E4C Senior Fellow
• Chief Product Officer
• Computer Science and AI Engineer Intern
• Education Data Intern
• Business Analyst
• Summer Analyst, Investment Banking Department, CICC
• Investment strategy Intern
• Data Collection and Analytics Intern
• Sustainability Intern
• Research Intern
• Nuclear Fusion Research
• Education Intern
• Environmental Educator Intern
• Graduate Student Researcher
• Smart City Initiatives Intern
• Sustainable development and resilience intern
• Analytics Intern
• Research & Development
• Digital Consultant
• Investment Management Intern
• GIS Data Analyst
• AI/Tech Curriculum Developer
• Associate Product Manager
• AI Product Management Intern
• Digital Peacebuilding Intern

Other opportunities

Other benefits will be considered depending on financial need or specific fellow situations, and the current state of the departmental budget

Jobs for alumni

Recent MDevEng Internship Titles

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Just Cities Institute
• California Air Resources Board
• Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
• Accenture
• MIT Institute for Data
• Activate Global
• NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Amazon
• Natural Resource Consulting Engineers
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Nissan Sustainability
• American Water Works Association
• Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR)
• Aquaya
• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP)
• Clinton Health Global Initiative
• Regrow Ag
• California Public Utilities Commission
• Restore the Delta
• California State Water Resources Control Board
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• CalSTRS
• San Pablo Economic Development Corporation
• Center for Effective Global Action CEGA
• Search for Common Ground
• Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment at Berkeley Law
• ShelterTech
• Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc.
• Siemens Health
• CPower Energy
• Target
• Earth Island Institute
• Terraphase Engineering Inc.
• Engineering for Change
• The Greenlining Institute
• Envision Sequoia Carbon-Neutral Fund
• The International Council on Clean Transportation
• European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)
• Toyota
• HOK Architecture
• Vayu Global Health Innovations
• Institute for Research on Labor & Employment (UCB)
• Walmart
• Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
• Winrock International
• International Council on Clean Transportation
• Isle Utilities

Nontraditional options

This program is primarily in person with the option to take a few online classes when available.