BA International Development with Politics

The first year provides an introduction to key themes in politics and international development. In the second year, you will learn about research methods used in the politics of development, and begin to critically analyse development practice. In addition to the core modules, you will be able to choose from a range of optional courses that focus on various aspects of international development and politics.

You will have the opportunity to take up a work placement for a period of two to five months at the end of your second year.

In the third year, you will learn more about the links between politics and policy-making in international development and be able to select further optional modules.

In the first year you will be expected to take three core modules that introduce you to major theories in the politics of development, key themes in development studies, and the use of evidence in development:

• Introduction to the Politics of Development
• Introduction to Development Studies
• Evidence in Development and Geography

In addition to these core modules, you will select two further modules from a range of optional courses offered by the School. These include:

• Social Anthropology and International Development 1
• Media and Development 1: Humanitarian Communication
• Introduction to Economics of Development
• Introduction to Natural Resources and Development
• Introduction to Human Geography

You will be expected to take two core modules in your second year:

• Research Methods and Tools in the Politics of Development
• The Political Sociology and Political Economy of Development Practice

In addition to these core modules, you will be asked to select four further modules from a range of optional courses offered by the School of International Development and the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies. These optional courses include:

• Gender and Development
• Education and International Development
• Social Anthropology and International Development 2
• Media and Development 2: Communication for Development
• Latin American Development
• Sub-Saharan African Development
• South Asian Development
• Geography of Development
• People and Place
• Economics of Development
• Natural Resources and Development
• Power and Society
• Global Political Economy
• Democracy
• Gender and Power

In the third and final year you will study the core module “Politics and Policy-Making in International Development” and write your BA dissertation. The dissertation is a substantial research project based on a topic of your choice relating to the politics of international development, supervised by an academic with expertise in the area of your research. In addition you will be able to select three further modules from a range of optional modules offered by the School of International Development and the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies. These include;

• Wars and Humanitarian Crises
• Capitalism and its Critics
• Distributive Justice
• Development Work Experience
• Development in Practice