SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Combinations

May be combined with

May be combined with:

• African Studies, (TL59 BA/DVSAF)
• Arabic+, (LT96 BA/DVSA)
• Bengali+, (T430 BA/BeDS)
• Burmese++, (LT9H BA/DVSBU)
• Chinese+ , (LT91 BA/DVSCH)
• Economics, (LL91 BA/ECDVS)
• Geography**, (LL97 BA/GEDVS)
• Georgian, (LT99 BA/GNDVS)
• Hausa+ , (LTX5 BA/HADVS)
• Hindi+, (TLHX BA/HNDVS)
• History, (LV91 BA/HDVS)
• Indonesian++, (LT93 BA/IDVS)
• Korean+, (TL49 BA/KODVS)
• Law, (LM91 BA/LWDVS)
• Linguistics, (LQ93 BA/DVSLG)
• Music, (LW93 BA/MSDVS)
• Nepali+ , (LTYJ BA/NEDVS)
• Persian, (LTY6 BA/PDVS)
• Politics, (LL92 BA/POLDVS)
• Social Anthropology, (LL96 BA/SADVS)
• South Asian Studies, (TLH9 BA/SASDVS)
• South East Asian Studies, (TLJ9 BA/DVSSEA)
• Study of Religions, (LV96 BA/DevStSR)
• Swahili+ , (LTY5 BA/SWDVS)
• Thai++ , (LTXJ BA/THDVS)
• Tibetan+ , (LTXH BA/DVSTI)
• Turkish+, (LTX6 BA/TUDVS)
• Vietnamese++, (LT9J BA/VDVS)

+ 4-year degree with (compulsory) one year abroad
++ 3 or 4-year degree with option of one year abroad
** Taught at King’s College London

Structure

Overview

To be eligible for an Honours degree in BA Development Studies and... degree, 3-year students need to pass at least 11 units with a minimum of 5 units in Development Studies, and 4-year students at least 14 units with a minimum of 8 units in Development Studies. Normally, 1 open option (i.e. a course in a subject or language other than those named in the student’s chosen degree title) may be taken per year, though there are exceptions to allow some flexibility.

Please note, that the above information refers to those wishing to have Development Studies as the first-named subject of the two-subject degree. The minimum course requirements will differ for those wishing to have Development Studies as the second-named subject. Guidelines can be found in the Undergraduate Regulations Handbook.

Year One

All first year students must attend the one off Research and Writing Methodology lecture in the first week of teaching. The class is compulsory but not assessed. Students take two units in Development Studies. All take Development Conditions and Experience, then choose either Comparative Economic Growth in Asia and Africa or Introduction to Economic Analysis. The remaining two units may be completed through their other subject and/or open options.

• Development conditions and experience - 151010001 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Choose one of the following two courses:

N.B. Comparative Economic Growth in Asia and Africa is the recommended compulsory course. Students wishing to take Introduction to Economic Analysis instead should see the BA Convenor or the BA Year 1 tutor. Students taking BA Development Studies & Economics will take Introduction to Economic Analysis as part of their Economics syllabus (for which it is 'core'). They may also take Comparative Economic Growth in Asia and Africa or an agreed open option.

• Comparative growth in Asia and Africa - 153400102 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Introduction to economic analysis - 153400003 (1 Unit) - Full Year

The two remaining units can be taken from the other degree subject

Year Two

Students take the core course Theory & Evidence in Contemporary Development. The remaining course units may be taken from: One unit or two half units from the Year Two Development Studies options; two units from the other subject of the degree; any Year Two undergraduate Economics or Politics option available to Development Studies; a language of Africa or Asia; any Year Two Geography course run by King's College London.

• Theory and evidence in contemporary development - 151010022 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Year Two Development Studies Options

• Development and conflict - 151010041 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Development Communication - 151010044 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Governance and development - 151010040 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Introduction to global forced migration studies - 151010020 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Land, natural resources, development and environmental change - 151010039 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Non-governmental organisations, development and change - 151010034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Political economy of finance, debt and development - 151010038 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013

Year Two Geography Courses (KCL)

• Climate Variability, Change and Society - 5SSG2051 (0.5 Unit)
• x Development Geographies: Livelihood and Policy Contexts - 104202044 (0.5 Unit)
• Ecological and Cultural Biogeography - 5SSG2024 (0.5 units Unit)
• x Environmental Remote Sensing - 5SSG2043 (0.5 Unit)
• Human Geography: Space Place and Society - 105SSG2025 (0.5 Unit)
• Natural Hazards - 5SSG2042 (0.5 units Unit)
• Society, Environment and Geography: Nature and Culture - 105SSG2052 (0.5 Unit)
• Water and Development - 5SSG2054 (0.5 Unit)

Year Two Economics Options

N.B. 153400003 Introduction to Economic Analysis is a prerequisite for all of the options below.

• Banking and finance in economic development - 153400100 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Economics of developing countries (I) - 153400032 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Foreign trade and development - 153400106 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Year Two Politics Options

• Comparative and international politics - 153400063 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Comparative political sociology of Asia and Africa - 153400067 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Government and politics of China - 153400071 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Government and politics of South Asia - 153400020 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Government and politics of the Middle East - 153400060 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• International politics - 153400014 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Political theory - 153400054 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Politics of development - 153400042 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Southeast Asian government and politics - 153400022 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Taiwan's political and economic development - 153400072 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• The state and politics in Africa - 153400064 (1 Unit) - Full Year

Year Three

Students may choose further specialist options, an Independent Study Project, or an open option. Students returning from a Year Abroad having taken three language units in the first year must do the first and second year compulsory units in Development Studies in their third year. Please note that final year students may not take any introductory level courses, including languages.

Year Three Development Studies Options

• Development and conflict - 151010041 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Development Communication - 151010044 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Food Security and Livelihoods - 151010042 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Governance and development - 151010040 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Independent study project in Development Studies - 151010006 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Introduction to global forced migration studies - 151010020 (1 Unit) - Full Year
• Issues in Borders and Development - 151010028 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Issues in development practice - 151010029 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Issues in gender and development - 151010021 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Issues in industrial globalisation and development - 151010032 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Issues of the working poor and development - 151010037 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Land, natural resources, development and environmental change - 151010039 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Non-governmental organisations, development and change - 151010034 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
• Political economy of finance, debt and development - 151010038 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
• Security (BA) - 151010035 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Themes in contemporary development: civil society & social movements - 151010024 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
• Tigers' and 'dragons': issues in East Asian development revisited - 151010033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Year Three Geography Courses (KCL)

These courses count as Development Studies Options for all students except those taking BA Development Studies and Geography. For courses available please see the 'Year Two Geography Courses (KCL)'.

Year Four

Students who have combined Development Studies with a language follow the Year 3 syllabus.

Programme Specification

• Programme Specification 2012/2013 (pdf; 60kb)

Teaching & Learning

Year abroad

Materials

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Teaching & Learning

Destinations

The Department of Development Studies at SOAS provides innovative and challenging teaching, fosters high-quality research and offers unrivalled regional specialisation and language combinations not found anywhere else in Europe.

An undergraduate Development Studies degree from SOAS will develop your understanding of the world, other peoples’ ways of life and how society is organised, with specific focus on violence and conflict, the role of aid, refugees and forced migration. Skills gained during your degree will transfer well to areas such as human rights, international development and politics. This is in addition to your detailed subject knowledge, which will vary according to the regional and theoretical focus of your degree. Your degree will equip you with a set of specific skills, including: analytical and critical skills; the ability to think laterally and employ critical reasoning; a high level of cultural awareness; and the ability to solve problems. 

Choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills with which to further your studies. Development studies may be combined with a huge range of other disciplines. For more information on the extra skills you will gain from your second subject, please see the relevant departmental page. Some graduates go on to work in development planning and in government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Other career paths include journalism, the civil service, banking and the social and educational services. Others are interested in specialising further through postgraduate studies, not only in Development Studies, but also in Economics, Politics, Social Anthropology, Law, Geography, History and languages.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts

Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section