Do you have a concern for society and interest for addressing social issues? Then, how about a career in the development sector?
Thanks to good job opportunities for trained professionals in non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs), cooperatives, corporate foundations, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) cells, international donor agencies and the third sector department in the universities, a career in the development sector looks promising and rewarding.
Mysore-based Vivekananda Institute for Leadership Development (V-LEAD), a unit of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a well-known NGO working in the fields of health, education and community development, is running a master’s course in Development Management (earlier the course was called Non-profit Management) since 2005. Importantly, many students, who successfully completed the two-year four-semester Master in Development Management (MDM) course, have got jobs. This academic programme prepares students for top leadership and management roles in development organisations.
The MDM course is recognised by the University of Mysore and it awards degrees to the successful candidates. Students get a good exposure to grassroot-level activities.
Says Sudarshan S., Director (Academic and Programmes), V-LEAD: “The job opportunities in the development sector are many. Most of our students who passed out since the course was introduced are well placed. Some of them have launched their own development organisations. There is a bright future in this sector.”
V-LEAD has a strong network of reputed international and national-level development organisations and therefore it facilitates placement of qualified candidates. With the integration of soft skills training in the course with priority for employability, there is an advantage in placements to every student, according to V-LEAD.
The University of Mysore has evolved this course as a unique “Inter-disciplinary Academic Programme” and has constituted a separate Board of Studies for the academic governance of the course.
Field-based course
MDM is primarily a field-based course. There is compulsory apprenticeship in the second and third semesters, and during the fourth semester a candidate has to do a project work.
Experiential learning, facilitated by the subject experts with vast knowledge and experience of working in the development sector, is the highlight of the course, according to V-LEAD.
Eligibility
Candidates with a minimum of 45 per cent aggregate marks in a degree course of the University of Mysore or any other recognised university are eligible to apply for the course. The total intake is 40 students as per the university guidelines.
Admission is made in accordance with the basic qualifying degree and the entrance examination. “The entrance examination will be conducted in Mysore, Dharwad and Bijapur,” said Mr. Sudarshan.
Interestingly, students can earn while pursuing the course. “As SVYM runs several projects in the areas of health, education and community development, students can work there, earning a stipend. Students can also work in SVYM as part of an internship programme for six months to one year to get more exposure to the development sector. This (internship) is optional,” he said.
The course provides for optional exits to the candidates. After successful completion of the first two semesters, they will be eligible for award of Post-Graduate Diploma in Development Management; and after completing the first three semesters, they qualify for Advanced Diploma in Development Management.
After the course title was changed from Non-profit management to Development Management, seven electives such as tribal management, community-based health management, and microfinance have been introduced to help students understand the working of the development sector.
According to the institute, value-based education, leadership orientation, expert faculty, state-of-the art infrastructure, guest lectures by industry experts, placement assistance, soft skills training, internship programme, affordable fee structure, education loan and scholarship are the highlights of V-LEAD. Facilities such as hostel, canteen and library with Internet facility are available.
Students can get educational loan from any bank since the course is recognised as a professional post-graduate degree.
Placements
Mr. Sudarshan said the students have been placed in Deshpande Foundation; Green Foundation; CHF International, Bangalore; READS, Bellary; River Valley for Rural Development; Karnataka Slum Clearance Board, Bangalore; Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement; and the Association for Physical Disability, Bangalore.
The prospectus and application for the course can be obtained by paying Rs. 100 in cash by hand or DD drawn in favour of VILD, payable at Mysore.
Those who want it by post may send Rs. 125 by money order. The application can also be downloaded from the V-LEAD website www.vild.edu.in
The downloaded application should accompany a DD of Rs. 100.
The last date for submission of applications is June 30.
The entrance examination will be conducted on July 15.
Details about the entrance examination will be notified later.
For further details, interested students can contact V-LEAD, CA-2, KIADB Industrial Housing Area, Hebbal, Mysore-570016. Ph: 0821-2415412, 2304986 or Bhagyalakshmi (98869 75820), Sunil (99004 08284) or Narasimha Raichur (96866 66326).
