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The University of New South Wales

Undergraduate Program

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Science Majoring in Development Studies

The program in Development Studies is an inter-disciplinary program that introduces students to the issues that concern the developing world such as poverty and inequality and the theories, policies and practical measures introduced to address these issues. Central issues and themes that are examined include the history, sociology and political economy of development; the causes of poverty and global inequality; the relationship between the environment and development; the debates about globalization and the relationships of international institutions to developing countries. A range of electives grouped by their focus on development practice, historical development, political economy, regional and cultural studies including human rights is offered.

Click on the following topics:
The major sequence | The core courses | The electives | Doing Honours

The Development Studies Major in the BA and BSocSc

Development Studies may be taken as a major sequence together alone or with any other approved Faculty major sequence in the BA or as a major sequence in the Bachelor of Social Science. Students are advised that the Development Studies program is designed to complement, most particularly, related majors in Politics and International Relations, Sociology and Anthropology, Economics, Economic History, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Science, Policy Studies, Political Economy, Politics and Spanish and Modern Language Studies. Bachelor of Social Science students majoring in Development Studies as part of the Bachelor of Social Science will complete the normal core courses for Development Studies.


The Major Sequence

To complete a major sequence you must take at least two compulsory courses (COMD 1001 or, COMD 1002 or, SOCA 1006 or, GEOS 1601 and COMD 2000) and two from the list of core elective COMD courses listed below, totalling 24 units of credit, and a further 18 units of credit from the other approved elective courses listed below. The Upper Level core and elective courses selected must include at least 12 units of credit at the 3000 level. With the approval of the Coordinator of the COMD program, courses from other schools may be substituted for up to 12 of the optional units of credit. Please check school entries for availability of courses, any course pre-requisites or exclusions and consult with the Coordinator of the Development Studies program about the best combinations of courses in your major sequence.

Core Courses
Compulsory Level 1 Course

From 6 to a maximum of 12 units of credit in the core program selected from:

COMD1001 Development Studies: The Emergence of Underdevelopment Session 1
or  
COMD1002 Development Studies: Poor World, Rich World Session 2
or  
SOCA1006 Introduction to Globalisation (except if majoring in INST) Session 1
or  
GEOS1601 Australian and Global Geographies: Integration and Divergence Session 2

Upper Level Compulsory Courses

At least two courses (12 units of credit) including the compulsory course (COMD 2000) selected from the Upper Level Core courses and three elective courses (18 units of credit) if only one six credit point course completed at level 1.

Compulsory courses

COMD2000 The Theory and Practice of Development Session 1
And at least one of the following,
COMD2010 Making/Unmaking the Third World B: History and Global Development 1(or HIST 2060, or INST 3000, but only one of these) Session 2
or  

COMD2020 Making/Unmaking the Third World A
COMD2050 Sustainable Development, Globalisation and the Third World

Session 1
or  
ECON3110 Development Economics Session 2
or  
POLS2023 Globalisation and Uneven Development
COMD3001 Colonialism in Question: The West and the Rest since 1850
SOCA3211 Development in Practice
Session 2
Electives

Students majoring in Development Studies must select a minimum of an additional 18 units of credit made up of additional courses taken from the core electives list or selected from the following electives listed by focus of study. The additional requirement of 6 units of credit for students intending to enroll in Combined Honours is detailed below. Students should carefully check any prerequisite requirements are met. Note: All electives are not offered every year and students should consult the relevant schools for details.

Development Practice
Political Economy
Globalisation
Historical Development
Regional, Cultural Studies and Human Rights

* check availability and any pre-requisites for admission to course with Schools or the On-Line Handbook.

Other Courses

A wide range of additional courses is available in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and in other Faculties relevant to Development Studies. Students may select up to 12 units of credit of these with the permission of the Coordinator of the Development Studies Program and count them towards their major in Development Studies.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

The School Handbooks contain the details about the rules and procedures for the Development Studies courses offered by each School. Students must make themselves aware of these and conform to them. The Handbooks contain specific details of the rules for special consideration, plagiarism and grievance procedures that are applied and these supplement the UNSW rules relating to academic misconduct etc.

See individual Schools at: http://www2.arts.unsw.edu.au