Minor Development Studies

Overview

In today’s world, richer and poorer countries share many challenges, such as inequality and poverty, marginalisation of minorities, limited access to health services and education, ecological degradation, climate change and failing democratic and political institutions. In some countries and regions these issues develop into outright political and humanitarian crises.  The Minor Development Studies is a multidisciplinary and interfaculty minor, providing students with tools to understand challenges the world faces from the points of view of people living in it and to provide a conceptual framework to understand and reflect on global development issues.

Interdisciplinarity

The Minor Development Studies is a multidisciplinary, interfaculty minor. This means that its courses are taught by different faculties, and that the programme is open to Bachelor students from all faculties. The programme includes a compulsory introductory course and a number of electives on development economics, social change, anthropology, climate change, population, environment, culture, politics, and development cooperation.

Structure

You can choose either 15 or 30 ECTS to compose your minor package. The first course, Rethinking Global Inequality: People, Power and Poverty is compulsory for all minor students. Apart from this course you are free to choose the courses which appeal to you most. All courses are offered in English and in the first semester only (early September to end of January).

Practical Information

The programme is open to Bachelor students from all faculties. The maximum intake for the minor is 120 students. Some courses also have their own maximum capacity, so the sooner you enrol the better. Registration for the minor as a whole will be open from 24 May to 5 July 2024. For more information on the programme, you can visit the minor webpage. Questions about the Minor can be addressed to Caitlin Ryan, the Director of Studies of the Minor: minor-development-studies rug.nl.