International Relations and Development BA Honours
Course descriptionInternational Relations and Development BA Honours.
Course summary:
Development Studies focuses on international development and the challenges associated with political and economic change in the international system. The course considers the relationships between the global North and South, examining how colonialism and capitalism have shaped our contemporary world. You will explore global poverty and inequality and the impact of globalisation on different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, China, India, Central Asia and Latin America.
The course provides a theoretical framework for understanding the international distribution of power at the global, regional and national levels, and we aim to enthuse and inspire you by building close links to government bodies and the policy world. A degree in Development Studies and International Relations will prepare you for professional life in a range of sectors, including the Civil Service, media, public policy, NGOs, teaching and further research.
Our teaching programme is structured to support your transition to higher education, with our first year designed to immerse you in the key concepts, issues and major themes in international relations and development.
In the second year you will be encouraged to think about the operation of the global economic system through an in-depth overview of international political economy. You will explore the contemporary challenges to developing states in the context of the world market, and explore the origins of capitalism through detailed case studies in different regional settings. More significantly, you will be encouraged to think about the impact of global economic forces on individual states, territories and regions in world politics.
In your third year, you will examine the regional constellations of development and how different regions of the world have been affected by developmental politics.
Teaching and learning includes small group work, problem-based tutorials, review sessions, workshops, symposia, debates, Q&A sessions, document analysis sessions, and structured role-plays.
A wide range of assessments includes essays, exams, policy reports, project work, individual and group presentations, blogs, posters, and debates.
The teaching is offered within the Department of Politics and International Relations. We are in the centre of one of the world’s greatest cities and we use this vibrant, multicultural setting to ensure that our students discover innovative solutions to the problems facing our world. In 2016 the University of Westminster was named the most diverse university in the UK, representing 169 nationalities. As a department we also host the world-renowned Centre for the Study of Democracy. The Centre undertakes research across a range of critical challenges to the theory and practice of politics and international relations. We have an innovative initiative called the Democratic Education Network that facilitates dialogue and the sharing of knowledge between our students, international universities and diasporic communities in London.