Programme Code: See May be Combined With

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Have you got a passion for addressing the major issues and challenges facing today’s global community? The BA Development Studies Combined Honours Degree is a 3-year full time degree (or 4 years when combined with a Language) draws upon the significant expertise of our academic staff. This exciting programme examines key topics in international development, while analysing the roles and impact of a wide variety of regional and international actors. By the time you graduate, you will have cultivated a deep knowledge of the causes of - and responses to - poverty, marginalisation and vulnerability in developing countries and the process of dramatic social, economic and political change. Additionally, the nature of the Combined Honours degree enables you to develop a specialist niche for yourself by studying a second subject.

What subjects can you combine it with?

Other disciplines -  Economics, Geography, History, International Relations, Law, Linguistics,  Middle Eastern Studies, Music, Politics, Social Anthropology, South Asian Studies, South East Asian Studies, Study of Religions

Languages – African Studies, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Japanese Studies, Korean, Persian, Swahili, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Vietnamese

Why study Development Studies Combined Honours at SOAS?

• we are specialists within the humanities including in key topics such as international development, gender development, violence and conflict, environmental sustainability, the role of aid and trade in promoting development, as well as refugees and forced migration
• our staff have unrivalled practical knowledge across the discipline and regularly inform organisations such as the UN, NGOs and international governments
• as well as the curriculum knowledge you will also obtain a rich historical and cultural knowledge about the countries and regions in which you may work in
• you will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our Open Options modules to take advantage of the expertise of our other departments, including the opportunity to learn a language
• allows you to develop a specialist niche alongside your history degree by utilising the global expertise of one of our other departments

Apply now via UCAS or visit our upcoming Open Day.

Find out more about how to apply.

Find out more about our Development Studies department page.

Click through to view:

• What is Development Studies?
• Taster Lecture: Should we give to charity?

May be combined with:

• African Studies, (TL59 BA/DVSAF)
• Arabic+, (LT96 BA/DVSA)
• Chinese+ , (LT91 BA/DVSCH)
• Economics, (LL91 BA/ECDVS)
• History, (LV91 BA/HDVS)
• International Relations, (LL28 BA/IRDS)
• Japanese (TT22)
• Japanese Studies (TT23)
• Korean+, (TL49 BA/KODVS)
• Law, (LM91 BA/LWDVS)
• Linguistics, (LQ93 BA/DVSLG)
• Middle Eastern Studies, (TL6X BA/MESDVS)
• Music, (LW93 BA/MSDVS)
• Persian, (LTY6 BA/PDVS) ( + Compulsory Year Abroad which is split between 2 countries)
• Politics, (LL92 BA/POLDVS)
• Social Anthropology, (LL96 BA/SADVS)
• South Asian Studies++, (3 Years) (TLH9 BA/SASDVS)
• South Asian Studies+, (4 Years) (TL38 BA/SASDSYA)
• South East Asian Studies, (TLJ9 BA/DVSSEA)
• Study of Religions, (LV96 BA/DevStSR)
• Turkish+, (LTX6 BA/TUDVS)

+ 4-year degree with (compulsory) one year abroad
++ 3 or 4-year degree with option of one year abroad

Key Information Set data

Click on a combined programme to load KIS data

Students take 120 credits per year composed of Core, Compulsory and Optional modules.

Core modules: A core module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken and passed before you move on to the next year of your programme.

Compulsory modules: A compulsory module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken, and if necessary can be passed by re-taking it alongside the next year of your programme.

Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

YEAR 1

Core Modules

• Students also take 60 credits from second subject

YEAR 2

Core Modules

• PLUS choose additional compulsory module(s) from Year 2 Development Studies Options list below to the value of 30 credits

• Students also take 60 credits from second subject

YEAR 3

Guided Option

• Choose module(s) from Year 3 Development Studies/Economics or Politics options list below to the value of 30 credits

Students must also either: 

• Choose module(s) from Year 3 Development Studies/Economics or Politics options list below to the value of 30 credits

or

• Choose Language or Non-Language Open Option Modules to the value of 30 credits

Second Subject

Students then also take 60 credits from their second subject

**Please note that final year students may not take any introductory level modules, including languages.

LIST OF MODULES (subject to availability)

Year 2 Development Studies Options

Year 2 Economics Options

Year 2 Politics Options

Level 5 Langauge Module

Choose a level 5 language module

Year 3 Development Studies Options

Year 3 Economics Options

Year 3 Politics Options

Programme Specification

• BA Development Studies and... Programme Specification 2018/19 (pdf; 245kb)

Important notice

Tuition Fees

Full details of undergraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Undergraduate Tuition Fees page.

Fees for 2019/20 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

The degree structure allows students to develop their 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 include:

• specialist knowledge of human rights, international development and politics
• choosing to study a combined degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills
• the ability to think laterally and employ critical reasoning
• analytical skills
• problem-solving skills
• the ability to formulate sound arguments
• ability to interpret and explain complex information clearly
• communication and presentation skills

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.

Find out more about Development Studies Graduate Destinations.

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

• BBC World Service
• Bloomberg
• British Red Cross
• British Counci
• Department for International Development (DfID)
• Palestine Red Crescent Association
• Save the Children
• UNICEF Ethiopia

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Coordinator of Education
• Development Policy Officer
• Freelance Broadcast Journalist
• Human Rights Officer
• Manager of Fundraising, Communications and Administration
• Project Support Officer
• Marketing Analyst
• Resourcing Executive

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts