Programme description for Bachelor's Programme in Development Studies (2019–2022)

All the UT-courses constitute the major component of the bachelor programme.

What do you learn?

Learning outcome

Knowledge
On successful completion of the programme, the student should:

• have basic knowledge of global development issues, focusing on poverty and inequality; global political and economic processes connected with development; social, cultural, political and environmental processes of change

• have a critical understanding of the ways in which power relations shape global, national and local development trajectories and how to critically engage with and analyse power relations, both within systems and between actors

• have a broad knowledge of global social and economic inequalities and be able to analyze the factors that create and maintain such differences in development across scales, from the local via to the national and back again

• have knowledge of the various regional development contexts in the Global South and the North-South axis, also with particuarly emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals

• have knowledge of different migration and mobillity patterns, and how this can be understood and analysed within a larger development framework

• have knowledge of different theoretical approaches and practical strategies for development and change and be able to critically analyze the various strategies, complex patterns and practices in relation to development cooperation

• have knowledge of ethical, methodological and epistemological social sciences issues in a cross-cultural context

Skills
On successful completion of the programme, the student should:

• be able to find, produce and evaluate critical knowledge based on a problem statement related to a specific context

• have acquired skills to analyze similarities and differences between countries and regions

• be able to present information and produce knowledge through field studies of foreign or domestic contexts

• have the skills to work with development issues in the public sector, private companies or organizations

• be able to analyze and assess the impact of economic, political, social and cultural conditions for development and change

• be able to recognise and analyze the effects of internal and external factors on development processes in different countries, such as different economies and governance systems, cultural diversities, environmental conditions and resource challenges

• be able to communicate across cultural context and recognise how culture influences communication and knowledge production

• have developed a level of reflexivity regarding his/her situatedness and ethical challenges when doing research and development work

General competence
On successful completion of the programme, the student should:

• have gained insight into ethical, methodological, and epistemological issues central to the development field

• be able to critically analyse and communicate emerging debates based on different theoretical perspectives

• be able to apply multi-disciplinary approaches and perspectives

• have developed skills in cross cultural communication and team work

• be able to carry out field work and understand links between practice and theoretical knowledge

• be able to write academic texts in general and more speficially produce a research report

• be familiar with current debates and innovation in international development

Structure and content

Admission requirements

For national applicants, the application process runs through Samordna opptak, and the entrance requirements are ‘generell studiekompetanse’.

For international applicants, entrance requirements are Higher Education Entrance Qualification for international applicants and certified language requirements in English.

The general basis for admission to universities and university colleges in Norway is called Higher Education Entrance Qualification. You may find what is considered university entrance qualifications from your country in the 'GSU' list. This list states the basic requirements for admission to higher education in Norway. Please download the latest version of the 'GSU' list from this website.

General description and profile

The study programme aims to create a solid understanding of conditions that lead to differences in social and economic development in various countries and regions, particularly between and within the so-called Global South. Its goal is to provide knowledge of global relations and development processes from an interdisciplinary perspective, mainly across the social sciences.

The study programme focuses on globalisation, cultural complexity, migration, political ecology and the politics and economics of international relations. In addition to the compulsory courses in the multi-disciplinary program, there is a 40 ECTS elective component in the study programme, and an opportunity to go for international exchange (see the course structure diagramme). The elective component and opportunities for exchange provide the students with a broader academic competence and possibilities to study at highly recognized universities in other parts of the world. This study programme provides the students with a theoretical social science background and field experiences related to questions of development, culture, international relations, development cooperation, and change processes in a global context.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars and group work are central in most courses in the programme. Excursions, field visits and dialogue meetings are teaching methods used in some of the courses. Films and current media debates are frequently applied in the teaching linking theoretical dimensions to ongoing discourses. Guest lecturers from the public sector and various non-governmental actors ensures an ongoing debate with the practice field. Field work exercises and thesis writing will be supervised. A focus on academic reading and writing will be emphasised at the start of the programme.

Assessment methods

The examination requirements and forms are varied and adjusted to the content of each course. The first year students are expected to learn academic writing and reasoning and how to participate in an academic conversation with fellow students. The assessment methods the first year is mainly written individual exams and compulsory group work with written or oral presentations. The second and third year students are expected to advance in their critical thinking and academic argumentation. Some courses make use of group discussions and group presentations and individual written exams. The third year the assessment methods will contribute to the process resulting in the bachelor thesis. Portofolio assessment and oral exam, individual/group supervision, compulsory participation in seminars, and writing a field report and bachelor thesis will secure a variation of assessment methods. See each course for details.

Internationalization

The study programme in development studies recruit international students and the language of instruction is English.

The bachelor's degree in development studies is based on a long history of international collaboration with relevant partner universities and research communities in the global south. Development studies are an interdisciplinary, international field, which is reflected in the courses provided in the programme. Some of the strengths of the bachelor’s degree are the field courses (1st year) and fieldwork (last semester, 3rd year) in the global south. These opportunities provide practice-close knowledge, and the students acquire the ability to conduct empirical studies and participate in intercultural communication, international and intercultural teamwork.

The one-month field course, UT-109, is offered in the second semester. In recent years, the fielcourses have been taking place in Bolivia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Uganda.

Our collaborative universities in Sri Lanka (University of Ruhuna), Indonesia (Gadjah Mada University) and Uganda (Makerere University) are key partners and resources for 3rd-year students’ fieldwork (UT-200). The students conduct their fieldwork over a period of 3 months to collect data for their bachelor’s thesis (UT-201).

Exchange opportunities:

We recommend all students to go on exchange.

The fourth semester is primarily an exchange semester. The students will have the opportunity to apply for Erasmus+ exchange scholarships to a number of European universities. We also offer other types of exchange opportunities to universities outside Europe.

An exchange semester provides students with the opportunity to either specialize in the field of development studies, or other subject areas for example international relations, languages, history, communication, sociology or religion. The overview of our partner universities in this programme can be found here (in Norwegian): https://www.uia.no/exchangestudies/search?soid=1878
Students who are not able to go on exchange can apply to take the fourth semester at UiA, although the number of electives in English is limited.

Occupational profiles / further studies

The study programme provides students with a background suitable for working with development issues and international cooperation, as well as work requiring cross cultural competence and communication skills. Organizations and agencies working with development cooperation and humanitarian work are relevant work places, both in Norway and internationally. The study programme also provides qualifications for working in media and communication, in relation to immigration issues and foreign affairs, as well as work in private companies and/or in the public sector. A bachelor's degree in Development Studies qualifies for further studies as e.g. the master programme in Global Development and Planning at the University of Agder. In a Norwegian context, many students continue studying on master’s level to strenghten their employment opportunities.

Qualification awarded

Successful completion of the programme awards the graduate the degree of Bachelor in Development Studies on the condition that the university's requirements for a Bachelor's degree are fulfilled.

Evaluation

Study programme evaluation is conducted annually in the programme committee in accordance with the Quality System, section 4.2. Before the meeting of the study programme committee, the student representative may obtain suggestions and ideas from fellow students.

Fee

Students participating in the four-week field course, UT-109, can apply for financial travel support from Lånekassen. Students must cover the food expenses themselves, this amount will be approximately 5000 NOK.

Contact person

Programme coordinator Arnhild Leer-Helgesen and academic adviser Siv Iren Kolstad.

Other information

Students at UiA are expected to have laptops for use in learning and at examinations, cp. the Examination Regulations for the University of Agder section 12d...