International Development BA (Hons)

Program Overview

The International Development BA (Hons) at the University of Sussex is a three-year program that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of global challenges and the tools to address them. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the program equips students with critical thinking, practical skills, and a global perspective to work towards social justice and equitable change. Graduates can pursue careers in development policy, practice, advocacy, and related fields, with opportunities for study abroad, placements, and specialist career support.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The International Development BA (Hons) at the University of Sussex is a three-year full-time program designed to equip students with the critical knowledge and practical tools to address global challenges such as climate change, conflict, migration patterns, and deepening inequalities. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on perspectives from Anthropology, Geography, International Relations, Education, and Economics.

Objectives:

• To provide a comprehensive understanding of the root causes of poverty and inequality from a global perspective of social justice.
• To challenge simplistic understandings of development, including who it is for and who it is done by.
• To analyze how development practitioners, policymakers, social movements, and affected communities around the world are responding to new challenges.
• To foster collaboration among students to design creative and innovative responses to work towards alternative futures.
• To equip students with the knowledge and critical hope needed to participate in creating just and equitable change.
• To develop the skills and confidence necessary for a rewarding global career in areas such as development policy, practice, or advocacy.

Outline:

Year 1:

• Core Modules:
• Colonialism and After
• Global Development Paradigms, Policy and Politics
• Sussex Perspectives on International Development
• Aid and Development Cooperation
• Global Development Challenges and Innovation
• Key Thinkers in Development
• Electives: Students can choose four electives across Years 1 and 2 from other subjects, such as philosophy, law, and modern languages.

Year 2:

• Core Modules:
• Economic Perspectives on Development
• Research Skills for Development
• Social Change, Culture and Development
• Options: Students can choose options to broaden their horizons and tailor their course to their interests.
Examples include:
• Development and the State
• Environmental Perspectives on Development
• Gender and Development: Theory, Concepts and Issues
• Health, Poverty and Inequality
• International Education and Development
• Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism
• Electives: Students can choose four electives across Years 1 and 2 from other subjects, such as philosophy, law, and modern languages.

Year 3:

• Core Modules:
• International Development Thesis
• Options: Students can choose options to further specialize their studies.
Examples include:
• Advanced Sustainable Development: Sustainability in Policy and Practice
• Anthropology of the Body
• Building Peace After War
• Cultures of Colonialism
• Development, Business and Corporate Social Responsibility
• Disasters, Environment and Development
• Disease, Diplomacy and Development
• East Asia Rising: Beyond the American Century?
• Environment and Development in World Politics
• Environmental Protest: Past & Present
• Geographies of Money, Finance, and Debt
• Geographies of Rising and Declining Powers
• Global Work Experience
• Hope for health: Disease, development and society
• Human Rights
• Mobilities and Global Inequalities
• Palestine and the International
• Policing Racial Capitalism
• Refugees, Migrants and Religion
• Religions in Global Politics
• Slavery, Emancipation and Legacies
• The Anthropology of Geopolitics
• Class, Community, Nation
• Critical Perspectives on Conflict and Violence
• Decolonial Movements
• Designing Alternatives for Development
• Development Tools and Skills
• Education, Justice & Liberation
• Environmental Anthropology
• Global Food Security
• Global Politics of Food
• Humanitarianism in Theory and Practice
• Political Ecology and Environmental Justice
• Race, Gender and Global Capitalism
• Whose Histories Matter?
Doing Decolonial Heritage and National Identities

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Essays: Students will write essays to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and theories.
• Presentations: Students will present their research findings and engage in critical discussions.
• Group Projects: Students will work collaboratively on projects to develop practical skills and apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
• Dissertation: Students will complete a dissertation in their final year, which will involve in-depth research on a chosen topic.

Teaching:

• Lectures: Lectures provide a foundation in key concepts and theories.
• Seminars: Seminars offer opportunities for interactive discussions and critical analysis.
• Workshops: Workshops provide practical skills development and opportunities for creative application of learning.
• Guest Speakers: The program features guest talks by development practitioners and activists, as well as visits from alumni to share their experiences.

Careers:

The International Development BA (Hons) prepares students for a wide range of careers in:

• Environment and International Development: This includes roles in organizations focused on sustainable development, climate change mitigation, and environmental conservation.
• Charity, Voluntary, Social, and Welfare Sectors: Graduates can work in NGOs, charities, and social enterprises addressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and social justice.
• Civil Service, Politics, and Social Research: Graduates can pursue careers in government agencies, political organizations, and research institutions.

Other:

• The program offers optional study abroad opportunities and placements to enhance students' international perspectives and employability.
• The University of Sussex provides ongoing support and career advice to graduates, including specialist careers events and networking opportunities.
• The program is highly regarded, with the University of Sussex ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).