Our Head of Department says:
Teaching in the Department is led by the research of our academics whose work is distinguished by the critical and engaged approach to international development. Our programmes promote understanding of social and economic change, and the impact of such change on affected communities, development actors, humanitarian workers and governments. Our academics are world-leading specialists on the major drivers of international development and provide an expert critique of international development processes and their intended and unintended consequences. But we go beyond a critique of international development as it is, offering innovative and engaged ideas for how to move towards more just and equitable approaches to development. As well as globally-recognised expertise in international development practice and theory, all Department staff have expertise in how international development operates in specific regional contexts.
Our programmes are designed to provide students at all levels with a solid grounding in development studies, which is characterised by its interdisciplinary nature, combined with research-led teaching on different aspects of international development. Our teaching draws on the extensive research activities of the department into how development interacts with violence, migration, humanitarianism, the environment and labour. Our range of programmes at BA, MSc and PhD level allow students to gain access to our unique research community, and to the insights that academic staff offer on the history, current state and future of international development. Our online MSc programmes in Humanitarian Action and International Development build on the established reputation of the department and enable an even more diverse academic discussion, particularly between professionals
working in these fields.
A strength of the Department is the warm and supportive environment it provides students, allowing for a dynamic learning and teaching environment in which all students can achieve their potential. As well as the academic team, we have an excellent student support team who provide a dedicated level of service to our students. The whole Department, academic and administrative, is there to ensure all our students can get the advice and assistance they need to achieve the goals they set for themselves in their study and their wider enjoyment of their time in the Department and at SOAS.