International Development

Deepening global inequalities are undoubtedly one of the central challenges of the 21st century. Not only are the glaring inequities between today’s ‘bottom billion’ and the upper billions normatively unacceptable, but they also have the potential to destabilize what ‘development’ we have managed to achieve. The major in International Development therefore focuses on these inequalities, or the gap in development, between countries and peoples across the globe. It seeks to introduce students to debates around the meanings of development and challenge them to identify ways in which they can positively contribute to the complex processes of development.

To this end, the International Development major connects arguments and methods from traditional social science disciplines such as economics, politics, and anthropology, to the insights provided by history and international law. Students can focus on several broad themes, including the meanings of development, models of development, and intervention in the development process. Additionally, students are trained in the importance of research based on reasonable assumptions and appropriate methods, and the value of critically engaging with the insights of a wide range of academic disciplines around a single theme.

With these areas of focus and its interdisciplinary approach the major in International development prepares students for competitive graduate programs in the social sciences, as well as careers in development, diplomacy, international organizations, NGOs and other related sectors.

Methodology courses:
Qualitative Research Methods,
Quantitative Research Methods