BA (Hons) Global Development with Politics with a Year Abroad

全球發展與政治（加入1年國外學習經歷）榮譽文學學士

KEY DETAILS

Award
Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS Course Code
_LL6A

Typical Offer
ABB

Contextual Offer
BBC

Course Length
4 years

Course Start Date
September 2025

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US

1st

UEA is ranked 1st overall for research quality in Development Studies

Times Higher Education REF 2021

11th

Worldwide for Development Studies

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023

95%

Of graduates go on to work and/or study within 15 months after the course

Graduate Outcome Survey 2020

COURSE OVERVIEW

Have you ever wondered why our world is so unequal? Why some people, some groups, some countries are worse off than others? Have you ever thought about where power really lies in our societies? And what role governments, international organisations, transnational corporations, NGOs, civil society or ordinary people can play in influencing social change?  Is democracy in crisis? How do we prevent war? How do we address human rights abuses? Learn to tackle these big questions – and many more – in our BA Global Development with Politics with a Year Abroad. 

Our innovative course combines a strong interdisciplinary foundation with a specialist political lens in the study of global development. You’ll take core modules that seek to understand critical contemporary issues from a political perspective – including poverty, inequality, democracy, conflict, and peace – focusing specifically on how development processes are shaped by key political organisations and the power relationships between them. You’ll also obtain practical skills in research and data analysis that will develop you into a well-rounded social researcher with a range of skills that are attractive to employers.  

In addition to this political focus, you’ll gain a broad grounding in the key issues, organisations and practices of development, fusing insights from politics with those from across the social sciences, including economics, environmental sciences, geography, media, and anthropology. You can develop your understanding of particular regions in the world, and you can pursue your interests as they emerge. In your third year, you’ll study abroad at one of our partner Universities, taking courses that complement your studies with us.  The result is an extremely flexible degree programme that you can tailor to suit your particular interests. 

By studying with us, you’ll join our close-knit academic community, made up of experts from across multiple disciplines, all housed within the School of Global Development. As such, you’ll not only learn from our world-renowned political experts within the School, but you can benefit from a truly vibrant academic environment.  

Here at UEA, we’re amongst the best in the world for researching, teaching, and practicing development, and our students go on to work in a variety of careers in development, and beyond. Come and study with us and help to create a fairer world. 

PLACEMENT YEAR AND STUDY ABROAD

You’ll spend your third year studying at one of our partner institutions around the world before returning to UEA for your final year. This option allows you to explore development from a completely different perspective and study modules and topics you would not otherwise have access to. We currently have a wide range of partner universities across Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand that you can choose from. Your time abroad will provide you with invaluable experience that can be extremely attractive to employers. 

For further details, visit our Study Abroad section of our website. 

https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/study-abroad-and-exchange

STRUCTURE

The core modules of your first year will provide you with a strong grounding in the study of development, before being introduced to key political lenses in the study of development and how we can use these to understand inequality and social change. You’ll also have the opportunity to extend your understanding of broader social, economic, geographical, and cultural perspectives. 

COMPULSORY MODULES

BIG QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET

Code:
DEV-4003A

Credits:
20

Students on this module will learn how to think critically about complex global problems such as poverty, inequality, climate change, food security and conflict. Students will also study crucial development issues such as environmental sustainability, gender equality and democracy. We will address four 'Big Questions '• Can industrial development be sustainable? • How do we ensure peace and security? • Why do global living standards vary so wildly? • What is cultural and social about inequality? This module adopts an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach, enabling students to learn about these issues from a diverse array of perspectives.

PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-4004A

Credits:
20

This module will introduce students to a range of key concepts and perspectives in the study of global development, such as human development, neo-liberalism and de-colonisation. Students will learn how these different ideas have contributed to – and critiqued - development policy and practice. Students will also be encouraged to compare these different perspectives, and to think critically about how well they explain global inequalities and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political processes which produce them.

SHARED FUTURES

Code:
DEV-4005A

Credits:
20

We will explore the many ways that people work together to imagine and shape billions of diverse futures on our one shared planet. The module critically analyses the different institutions involved in tackling, but also producing, poverty, environmental destruction, and injustice around the world. These include states, social movements, civil society organisations and the private sector. We will explore the interests and motivations of these different actors as well as their strategies and tactics. It will also show how these actors relate to each other, both at the level of policy and practice, in a range of case studies

PEOPLE AND CULTURES

Code:
DEV-4002B

Credits:
20

By taking the module People & Cultures, you will improve your knowledge of the ways in which people and culture inform social change. Human agency is often overlooked in development policy and practice, yet it is human action and the knowledge (or culture) that action is born out of, that actually informs the ways in which ‘development’ is understood, interpreted and integrated. In this module we introduce you to a range social concerns and consider them in relation to cultural practice: how, for example, does ritual and ceremonial activity ensure social solidarity and communal and individual wellbeing? What happens when ‘alien’ customs are enforced? What happens when cultural groups lose (through colonisation, development, modernisation etc.) their ritual traditions? How can ‘alternative’ forms of knowledge [such as Indigenous knowledge] help us better tackle global issues such as climate change, global inequality and poverty? How can an understanding of ‘alternative’ forms of exchange [non-market] help us understand human interactions and sociality? Why do development policies and practices fail when they ignore these ‘alternative’ types of sociality? We combine these social issues with a critical overview of ‘social development’ to provide you with the skills needed to ethically engage on a multi- and inter-cultural level, both within the university context and in your graduate career. The module is designed for students concerned with human agency and how that agency is informed by deep-seated cultural nuance.

INTRODUCTION TO THE POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-4009B

Credits:
20

This module provides an introduction to political concepts and frameworks that are central to the study of international development. Through studying theoretical approaches you will gain the foundations required to critically evaluate contemporary development debates and development policy and practice.

OPTIONAL A MODULES (Credits: 20)

GEOGRAPHIES OF AN UNEQUAL WORLD

Code:
DEV-4011B

Credits:
20

This module introduces geographical approaches to the key processes of change that shape our world and its societies. You will examine how people and places are connected and transformed as a result of processes such as colonialism, globalisation, industrialisation, migration, urbanisation and development, and explore how differences and inequalities emerge. A central theme will be why space matters, as people’s lives are influenced by the places that surround them - both near and far - and as they in turn change those places. You will explore these issues through a range of contemporary geographical topics, from sweatshops to climate change, through which you will be introduced to core geographical concepts, ideas and approaches, emphasising on critical thinking and practice. You will discover key methods for geographical research, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and will include field-based practical work in the local area.

GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-4013B

Credits:
20

This module will focus on the idea of planetary boundaries, and question what is a ‘safe’ and ‘just’ space for humans in our world. These issues will be explored by looking at how different resource systems function and how humans use and influence these systems. Alongside a focus on understanding the biological and physical basis for vital resources cycles (e.g. water, nitrogen, carbon) and systems (e.g. oceans, soil), we will examine what our resource use at global and local scales means for sustainability, equality and development.

HUMANITARIAN COMMUNICATION

Code:
DEV-4008B

Credits:
20

This module will critically explore changing trends in humanitarian communication by both the international news media and international development actors, such as Non-Governmental Organisations. This will include a critical review of media representations of development in the Global South and the role and responsibility of journalists reporting about humanitarian crises and poverty. We will also explore conventional strategies of humanitarian communication, such as ‘pornography of poverty’, as well as more contemporary issues such as the role of celebrities, social media and the rise of ‘post-humanitarian’ communication. With case studies ranging from Live Aid to Kony 2012, you will be introduced to key concepts and theoretical approaches cutting across a range of disciplines. This module also contains an integral practical skills component. Speakers from leading NGOs and experienced practitioners will share their insights about the everyday complexities of humanitarian communication and a number of workshops will focus on a relevant hands-on skills such blogging and the basics of development photography.

INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-4003B

Credits:
20

The module introduces you to key development economics theories and empirical evidence. Topics include the economics of poverty and inequality, economic growth, the balance between states and markets, agriculture and internal migration, population growth, health, human capital, the environment, international trade, and development aid. All of these are discussed within the context of development.

STRUCTURE

In your second year, you’ll advance your knowledge of the politics of development and develop your research skills for the study of global development, whilst broadening your understanding of the subject through optional regional, thematic, or disciplinary modules. 

COMPULSORY MODULES

MEDIA, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Code:
DEV-5007A

Credits:
20

What role does media and communication play in promoting positive social change? How can communication help to mobilise citizens, change policies, modify behaviours, promote human rights and support democracy? Equally, how can we prevent communication technologies from being used to promote hate speech and violence? This module will address these and other questions by providing a critical introduction to the fields of ‘Media Development’ and ‘Communication for Development’. Key topics covered are likely to include behaviour change communication, participatory communication, press freedom, digital development and media imperialism. This module is designed to be accessible to Global Development (DEV) students, who have not studied the media before, and to students on degrees relevant to media, with no previous experience of studying global development.

CULTURE AND POWER

Code:
DEV-5029A

Credits:
20

This module critically analyses structures and everyday experiences of culture and power. It provides a strong grounding for understanding the interplay between the social and the political in global development, highlighting how individual behaviour and structural context interact with each other. The module will draw on evidence from social anthropology and politics to highlight the complexities of social experiences, continuity and change. Using case studies, it will relate these complexities to global development.

OPTIONAL A MODULES (Credits: 20)

ECONOMICS FOR DEVELOPMENT 2: MICROECONOMICS

Code:
DEV-5016A

Credits:
20

You’ll be introduced to the basic concepts of microeconomics and its application to development problems. Microeconomic theories of consumption, production, externalities, public goods, common property resources, market structures, land and labour markets and households are covered with an emphasis on issues relevant to developing countries. In addition to conventional microeconomic principles, insights from behavioural and institutional economics on development problems are also covered.

SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5027A

Credits:
20

The module provides an overview to contemporary theory and practice of rural development, focussing on natural resource based rural livelihoods, their sustainable use, governance and enhancements, in the context of agrarian transformation. The module first introduces basic concepts and theories (livelihoods, resources, sustainable use, intensification), and then examines a comprehensive range of different practices (aspects of farming, fishery, agroforestry, fire management and so on)

GENDER AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5020A

Credits:
20

This interdisciplinary module will begin by exploring the various approaches to understanding gender and development, then introduces and explains a range of key concepts as the foundations of gender analyses. The module then applies these concepts in examining a selection of important relevant debates: gender analysis of economic growth, divisions of labour and incomes, land and property rights, environmental change, education and health policies, voice and empowerment, violence and religion.

BECOMING A SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHER

Code:
DEV-5005A

Credits:
20

This module will introduce students to the theory and practice of research methods in the social sciences. It will provide you with the skills you need to conduct research both within and beyond the university context, including your dissertation and future careers. The module will introduce students to a range of qualitative, quantitative and spatial methods that social scientists use in research including research design, data collection and data analysis skills. The module is taught using lecture-based classes and workshops. The module is organised based on three research methods that use different approaches to data collection, analysis and presentation. The qualitative method focuses on analysing and presenting qualitative data. The quantitative method focuses on building statistical skills to analyse secondary survey data as well as interpreting quantitative research findings. The GIS method focuses on data visualisation skills, mapping skills and basic GIS analysis.

EDUCATION AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5009A

Credits:
20

The module is about the distinctive challenges that face low and middle income countries in providing quality education for all. We also consider sources of inequalities in the education systems of the Global North, aiming for a worldwide awareness of the issues affecting equity in education.

OPTIONAL B MODULES (Credits: 60)

SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5007B

Credits:
20

This module begins with an overview of the region's history before analysing recent and contemporary social, political and economic development processes. Topics include economic growth, social difference, democracy, land and food security, the environment, health and education. The module draws heavily on India, but also considers Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in relation to the various topics.

ECONOMICS FOR DEVELOPMENT 3: MACROECONOMICS

Code:
DEV-5017B

Credits:
20

The module will introduce you to the main macroeconomic issues of development. You will cover long-run macroeconomics, with a particular focus on economic growth, and short-run macroeconomics, including fiscal, monetary and exchange rate policy. The module combines theory and evidence, relating theoretical arguments to recent macroeconomic phenomena. You will look at specific topics including the government budget and fiscal policy, inflation and monetary policy, trade and the balance of payments, exchange rates and capital flows, and the relationships between gender, institutions, and capital (physical, human and natural) and economic growth.

ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS

Code:
DEV-5002B

Credits:
20

In this module we provide students with the skills needed to engage with participants and collect first-hand qualitative data in very real social settings. In this practice-oriented module, students identify social issues and social phenomena in the Norwich area (e.g. homelessness, poverty, student mental health, sports teams), and collect data within these contexts to illuminate the social issues behind their existence. In so doing, students learn critical skills in: research design and implementation, the ethics of engagement (including participatory research and research co-design), and conducting participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and life histories. Importantly, students will practice, and thus understand, the link between data collection, data analysis and data presentation. These first-hand practical skills not only provide students with the critical tools to create their own empirically-informed research project in this module, but also in dissertations, DWE projects and graduate careers. The practical engagement also helps build skills (and confidence) in formal human interaction, whilst sharpening perceptions of cause and effect in human sociality and interaction, and providing a foundation for social scientific engagement on an ethical level by discussing the implications of researcher/participant relations. The module is designed for students who hope to collect first-hand data for their dissertation and/or DWE project, and for students who hope to work in the development or social science sector once completing their degree.

CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Code:
DEV-5027B

Credits:
20

The main focus for this module is the global biodiversity crisis. It explores the challenges and injustices arising from too little action to resolve the crisis, including the impacts on groups who are most vulnerable to degradation of nature. It also explores the challenges and injustices arising from the actions that are being taken, including the increasingly ambitious global targets for conservation and restoration such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. There is increasing acceptance that we need a ‘just transition to sustainability’ and the module enables students to investigate forms of governance that can enable more just approaches to bringing about the huge changes needed to effectively protect and restore nature. The focus is mainly on the global South, with particular attention to protected area conservation and on food systems. This includes consideration of how to balance and integrate these two land uses, taking in debates about ‘sharing or sparing’ and exploring recent trends in rewilding and regenerative farming. Students will be encouraged to explore and analyse contested policies and practices using a range of analytical frameworks relating to nature's contributions to people, human wellbeing and environmental justice. Teaching will involve lectures, seminars, field visits and problem-based project work.

LATIN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5005B

Credits:
20

This is a regional studies module which covers economic, social and political aspects of development in Latin America. It situates the region in its historical and international context, and gives an overview of major development debates in the region. The module also includes country case studies of contrasting development strategies.

POWER, WEALTH AND NATIONS: GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

Code:
PPLI5161B

Credits:
20

This course provides students with an introduction to the global political economy. The world is made up of flows: goods, services, capital, people, cultures, and ideas which continuously cross borders and move across oceans. And so it has been for hundreds of years, An array of international regimes, national authorities, nongovernmental organisations, companies, and social movements exist to promote, prohibit, or regulate these exchanges and flows. There are, just as importantly, the processes of the ‘everyday’, the social reproduction of society, that reveal how gendered the global political economy actually is. And one of the biggest challenges is thinking how to manage the fragile environmental equilibrium and economics’ obsession with growth on a finite planet. All this is taking place in a world moving East, to Asia, and in the process of decolonising from the long shadow of Western extractive imperialism in the global South.

GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code:
DEV-5026B

Credits:
20

What is uneven development and why should we care about it? How did uneven development emerge and what can we do about it? This module focuses on the ways in which geographers have engaged with such questions from different perspectives, focusing on political-economic, environmental, and social concerns. We explore how economic geographers (and geographical economists) have sought to explain the spatiality and unevenness of economic activity, examining the evidence for “natural advantage” and contrasting arguments. We engage with geographical work on urban restructuring and environmental governance – which posit uneven development as a product of capitalism – and consider the influence of Marxist theory on geographical thought. We also explore how both ordinary people and civil society have tried to address, contest, and resist spatial difference and forms of inequality. Throughout the module, questions of place, space, nature, and scale surface (and overlap) – demonstrating the disciplinary strength of geographic scholarship for the analysis of uneven development.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE & CONFLICT: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

Code:
PPLM5002B

Credits:
20

Political violence, individual or collective, is easily condemned as an irrational and barbaric phenomenon, with little relevance for understanding political developments and social change. A lot is down to LeBon’s famous nineteenth century accounts of the crowd as ‘a primitive being’ so destructive ‘that the interests of the individual, even the interest of self preservation, will not dominate them’ (LeBon, 1995). The taboo of violence persists despite attempts of social and political theorists to engage with the issue and understand different forms and contexts, from riots, to religious violence and terrorism. The aim of the module is to break this generalized taboo by tracing the role (explicit or implicit) of political violence in political theory and its function in processes of socio-political transformations and change. Critical engagement with contemporary theoretical and empirical debates around the issue and the examination of mass and new media representations of political violence will enable students to develop a sophisticated understanding of the origins, logics, perceptions and outcomes of political violence and conflict.

STRUCTURE

You’ll spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner universities before returning to UEA for your final year.