International Development with a Language BA (Hons)

Program Overview

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The International Development with a Language BA (Hons) at the University of Sussex explores global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. The program combines academic rigor with practical experience, preparing students for careers in development, humanitarian aid, and social justice organizations. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of global issues and develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and intercultural communication skills. The program is highly rated for its high-quality student experience and offers optional study abroad programs and career development support.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

This 3-year full-time program explores global challenges such as climate change, conflicts, migration patterns, and inequalities. Students will examine the institutional legacies and power structures that shape these issues and learn from specialists in areas like climate justice, finance, gender, social justice, health, and technology.

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Objectives:

• Develop critical knowledge and practical tools to contribute to positive change in the world.
• Gain an interdisciplinary understanding of global challenges from perspectives like Anthropology, Geography, International Relations, Education, and Economics.
• Learn about the root causes of poverty and inequality from a global social justice perspective.
• Challenge simplistic understandings of development and its beneficiaries.
• Understand how development practitioners, policymakers, social movements, and affected communities respond to new challenges.
• Collaborate with fellow students to design innovative solutions for alternative futures.

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Outline:

The program combines International Development with a language, offering choices like Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, or English Language Teaching.

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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
• Options:
• Arabic Beginners A/B
• British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 1A/B
• Chinese Beginners A/B
• French Beginners A/B, French for Professional Purposes 1A/B, French Intermediate A/B Year 1
• German Beginners A/B, German Intermediate A/B
• Italian Beginners A/B, Italian Intermediate A/B
• Japanese Beginners A/B, Japanese Intermediate A/B
• Spanish Beginners A/B, Spanish for Professional Purposes 1A/B, Spanish Intermediate A/B Year 1

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Year 2:

• Core Modules:
• Economic Perspectives on Development
• Research Skills for Development
• Social Change, Culture and Development
• Options:
• Arabic Advanced A/B, Arabic Intermediate A/B
• British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 2A/B
• Chinese Advanced A/B, Chinese Intermediate A/B
• Development and the State
• Environmental Perspectives on Development
• French Advanced A/B, French for Professional Purposes 2A/B, French Intermediate A/B
• Gender and Development: Theory, Concepts and Issues
• German Advanced A/B, German Intermediate A/B
• Health, Poverty and Inequality
• International Education and Development
• Italian Advanced A/B, Italian Intermediate A/B
• Japanese Advanced A/B, Japanese Intermediate A/B
• Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism
• Spanish Advanced A/B, Spanish for Professional Purposes 2A/B, Spanish Intermediate A/B

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Year 3:

• Options:
• Advanced Sustainable Development: Sustainability in Policy and Practice
• Arabic Advanced A/B, Arabic in Context A/B
• British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 3A/B
• Building Peace After War
• Chinese Advanced A/B, Chinese in Context A/B
• 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
• French Advanced A/B (B), French For Professional Purposes 3A/B, French in Context A/B
• Geographies of Money, Finance, and Debt
• Geographies of Rising and Declining Powers
• German Advanced A/B, German in Context A/B
• Global Work Experience
• Hope for health: Disease, development and society
• Human Rights
• Italian Advanced A/B, Italian in Context A/B
• Japanese Advanced A/B, Japanese in Context A/B
• Mobilities and Global Inequalities
• Palestine and the International
• Policing Racial Capitalism
• Refugees, Migrants and Religion
• Religions in Global Politics
• Slavery, Emancipation and Legacies
• Spanish Advanced A/B (B), Spanish for Professional Purposes 3A/B, Spanish in Context A/B
• The Anthropology of Geopolitics
• International Development Thesis (Autumn and Spring)
• Critical Perspectives on Conflict and Violence
• Decolonial Movements
• Designing Alternatives for Development
• Development Tools and Skills
• Education, Justice & Liberation
• Political Ecology and Environmental Justice

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Assessment:

The program uses a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Essays
• Exams
• Presentations
• Group projects
• Research papers
• Dissertations

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Teaching:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Guest talks by development practitioners and activists
• Visits from alumni
• Access to the Department of Language Studies' language suite, multimedia workstation, and Language Café.

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Careers:

Graduates are equipped for careers in:

• Environment and international development
• Charity, voluntary, social, and welfare sectors
• Civil Service, politics, and social research

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Recent graduate destinations include:

• Advocacy and communications assistant, War Child UK
• Consultant, UN Industrial Development Organisation
• Programme monitoring, UNHCR Earthquake Response Programme, Nepal

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Other:

• The program is highly rated by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, receiving a Silver rating for its high-quality student experience and outcomes.
• Students have the opportunity to participate in optional study abroad programs and placements to gain practical experience and enhance their employability.
• The program is taught by a team of experienced and passionate faculty members who are experts in their fields.

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Note:

The program is scheduled to start in September 2025.