International Development Studies (IDS) will help you understand the influences dominating aspects of 21st-century life globally. Governments, businesses, charities and individuals recognise the crucial need to resolve development issues. You can combine IDS with one of a variety of subjects, providing additional expertise that might be applied in a development context.

You will be challenged to understand what development is, how it happens, the challenges involved and what key stakeholders do. We combine an academic training (as an institutional member of the Development Studies Association) with a strong vocational orientation.

We aim for you to experience development in all its guises, both in the national and international context. You will have opportunities to study a range of development issues, sometimes with members of the development community as guest lecturers. You may opt to undertake fieldwork studying organisations supporting migrants and refugees in British cities. You will also meet United Nations aid and relief workers in Geneva as a core part of your programme. On the practical side, we give you the opportunity to get direct experience of development work in the UK or abroad through placements. Through these various channels you may start to build your own network of development professionals during your programme.