Program Overview

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Introduction to International Development Studies

The International Development Studies program at the University of Guelph is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address the complex challenges facing the global community. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will explore issues such as poverty, food insecurity, humanitarian crises, and climate change, and develop the tools to contribute to a positive, sustainable future.

Career-Ready Skills

The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on courses in anthropology, environmental sciences, geography, history, sociology, political science, and philosophy, in addition to international development core courses. This comprehensive approach enables students to tackle complex issues from multiple perspectives, preparing them for a wide range of career possibilities.

Specializations

The program offers five areas of emphasis, allowing students to customize their degree and develop specialized skills:

• Agriculture and Food Security
• Inequalities and Social Justice in the Canadian Context
• Politics and Conflict in Development
• Environment and Sustainable Development
• Gender and Inclusive Development

Hands-On Learning

Students will have the opportunity to engage in career-oriented experiences, including:

• Study abroad programs in over 30 countries
• Course-based experiential learning
• Field schools, providing 2-6 weeks of hands-on learning
• Co-op work experience, offering 16 months of paid work experience during the degree

Join a Generation of Changemakers

The International Development Studies program is designed to prepare students for meaningful careers, where they can make a positive impact on the world. By choosing one of the five areas of emphasis, students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to address the big issues facing the global community.

Turn Your Passion into Skills

Fueled by their passion, students will choose an area of emphasis that aligns with their interests and goals, developing the skills necessary to impact the issues they care about most.

Turn Your Skills into Action

Through hands-on experiences, including exchange programs, field schools, co-op, volunteering, and course-based experiential learning, students will test theory in the real world, applying their skills to create positive change.

Turn Your Action into Change

After graduation, students will launch impactful careers, locally or abroad, joining a community of alumni working to effect equitable change around the world.

Five Areas of Emphasis

The five areas of emphasis offer a variety of elective courses, allowing students to design a program that aligns with their aspirations and goals:

• Agriculture and Food Security: Discover the critical role of agriculture in combating hunger and improving nutrition and health.
• Inequalities and Social Justice in the Canadian Context: Explore development challenges in Canada, focusing on issues such as poverty, global migration, inequality, and food insecurity.
• Politics and Conflict in Development: Study development in fragile areas, examining challenges such as government failure, rebuilding after conflict, and social insecurity.
• Environment and Sustainable Development: Investigate the issues caused by environmental change and the use of natural resources, exploring topics such as urban growth, consumerism, and climate change.
• Gender and Inclusive Development: Emphasize the importance of viewing development through an inclusive lens, particularly in relation to gender, examining how development often excludes or negatively impacts women and other marginalized groups.

Sample Courses

Each area of emphasis offers a range of sample courses, including:

• Agriculture and Food Security:
  • Eating Sustainably in Ontario
  • Food Security, Nutrition and International Development
  • Poverty, Food and Hunger
• Inequalities and Social Justice in the Canadian Context:
  • Gender and Change in Rural Canada
  • Migration, Inequality and Social Change
  • Governments and Indigenous Spaces
• Politics and Conflict in Development:
  • Culture, Rights and Development
  • Revolution in the Modern World
  • Migration, Inequality and Social Change
• Environment and Sustainable Development:
  • Environment, Justice and Society
  • Global Environmental Change
  • Media, Digital Technology and Environment
• Gender and Inclusive Development:
  • Global Gender Justice
  • Women and Cultural Change
  • Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Indigeneity

Get Meaningful Work Experience with Co-op

The International Development Studies co-op program provides students with the opportunity to apply to the co-op program, gaining real-world work experience and developing essential interpersonal skills. The co-op program includes four work terms, in addition to eight academic semesters, for a total of four and a half years of study.

Career Possibilities

The foundation built as an International Development student will prepare graduates for a wide range of career possibilities, including:

• Economic Development Officer
• Teacher
• International Aid Worker
• Lawyer
• Policy Analyst
• Immigration Officer
• Global Affairs Executive
• Community Development Worker

Where Will Your Degree Take You?

The IDS program is designed to prepare students for meaningful careers, where they can make a positive impact on the world. By joining a network of changemakers working around the world, graduates will be equipped to address pressing issues such as food insecurity, climate change, and inequality.