BA Global Development

This exciting programme provides an interdisciplinary training in social sciences, focusing on how societies change, exploring what constitutes progress and examining interventions that aim to bring about change.

Students build strong knowledge of theories and evidence on the causes of and responses to poverty, insecurity and inequality, and develop a nuanced understanding of the dramatic processes of social, economic, political transformation underway in different parts of the world.

Why study BA Global Development at SOAS?

• We are ranked 2nd in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings 2023)
• You will have the opportunity to take work placements as part of your degree, and we offer internships in the department and in partner organisations
• Get placed in a development organisation with our exclusive Professional Placement module - available to final year Development Studies students
• Our academic staff create an intellectually stimulating and challenging space across the many branches of international development and humanitarianism that make up Development Studies. All modules engage with questions of climate crisis, recognising its impact and interaction with processes of inequality and change
• Our staff specialise in a range of thematic areas including sustainability and climate change, migration and displacement, conflict, humanitarian action, labour, political ecology, and aid and institutions
• Combined with exceptional resources and our interdisciplinary approach, we offer a unique learning and research opportunity for our diverse and vibrant student community

This versatile degree provides a great launchpad into a range of fields. As well as developing a strong understanding of contemporary global development issues, you also cultivate a range of transferable skills including analytical skills, critical thinking and cultural awareness. Our students go on to work in a variety of sectors, including: governments, international organisations and donors; NGOs and charities; private sector, banks and social enterprise; research institutes, think-tanks and consultancy firms; and media organisations.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

• Amnesty International
• BBC World Service
• British Embassy Brussels
• Department for International Development
• Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
• Embassy of Japan
• Government of Pakistan
• Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• KPMG LLP
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• Overseas Development Institute
• Oxfam
• Royal Norwegian Embassy
• Save the Children UK
• The World Bank
• Thinking Beyond Borders
• US Department of State
• UN World Food Programme
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees
• WaterAid

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