Program Overview

Introduction to the BA Honours in Development Studies

The BA Honours in Development Studies is a comprehensive program designed to explore the multiple factors influencing the development of nations. This program is offered in three variations: BA Honours in Development Studies, BA Joint Honours in Development Studies and International Relations, and BA Joint Honours in Development Studies and Political Studies.

Program Structure

The Development Studies Honours program is comprised of coursework only, with three compulsory courses and three electives. The program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Full-time vs. Part-time

• The full-time Honours program is one year, with all six courses completed within that year.
• The part-time Honours program is two years, with the six courses split between the period of two years.
• Please note that all classes are during the day on weekdays, and part-time applicants must make provision for time away from the office and travel time.

Curriculum

Core Courses

• SOSS 4034A: Research Essay (Semester 1) - This course examines the foundations of social research, its underlying assumptions, and methodologies, and will combine theoretical discussions with the practical application of research tools. The final product will be a complete research proposal, with some empirical components, that could be used to conduct research in other courses or for degree purposes.
• POLS 4012A: Development Theories, Issues, Problems and Strategies (Semester 1) - The aim of this course is to introduce students to the major social, economic, and political assumptions underpinning development studies, and, most importantly, to the strategies that might best be adopted to promote or manage development.
• CON 4038A: History of Economic Thought (Semester 2) - In this course, we trace economic thought from the time of Aristotle to the present, discovering progression but also significant breaks and ruptures, especially in the methodology of economics.
• SOCL 4009A: Development as Ideology and Practice (Semester 2) - In the first half of the course, critiques of mainstream development are scrutinized. In the second half, we engage with different theories and critiques that have emerged about development as ideology and discourse. We do so by focusing on theories and practices of industrialization and development in several regions of the world, namely Western Europe, Southern Africa, East Asia, China & Russia, and Latin America.
  • Students must choose between POLS 4012A and SOCL 4009A as a third core course.

Electives

Students must select three electives from the list provided.