Most of the third world's population lives in rural areas, and poverty, inequality, unemployment, and dependency are the major issues of these areas. A large number of the urban poor are migrants from rural areas that make a big challenge to rural as well as urban sectors in developed as well as underdeveloped countries. In this context, this course aims to produce high-level human resources competent enough to deal with the issues alarming the developing world today. It is concerned with the factors such as socio-cultural, economic, and environmental contributions to change in rural areas. At the same time, different contexts and constructs of development, and practical policy measures to bring about the overriding objectives of rural development have also been incorporated. As the world becomes a global village through information and communication technology, there is also increasing diversity within regions and socio-political settings. Thus a multi-disciplinary subject such as rural development, can fulfill the needs of grassroots people to policy making and implementation level. Master of Arts (MA) in Rural Development is a two year Master Degree Program in Arts. There are 10 papers to be covered in this two year program. Apart from other core subjects, students have an option to choose from thesis or project report/co-operative and Gender Development or Natural Resource Management for Rural Development in their final year. The MA in Rural Development aims to produce development cadres capable to meet the demand for higher-level rural developers in government and non-government sectors.