Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Development Studies] From School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

By the time you graduate the programme delivered by , you will have cultivated a deep knowledge of the causes of - and responses to - poverty, marginalisation and vulnerability in developing countries and the process of dramatic social, economic and political change.

Why study Development Studies at SOAS?

• we are specialists within the humanities including in key topics such as international development, gender development, violence and conflict, environmental sustainability, the role of aid and trade in promoting development, as well as refugees and forced migration

• our staff have unrivalled practical knowledge across the discipline and regularly inform organisations such as the UN, NGOs and international governments

• as well as the curriculum knowledge you will also obtain a rich historical and cultural knowledge about the countries and regions in which you may work in

• you will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our Open Options modules to take advantage of the expertise of our other departments, including the opportunity to learn a language

• allows you to develop a specialist niche alongside your history degree by utilising the global expertise of one of our other departments

Employment

The degree structure allows students to develop their understanding of the world, other peoplesÕ ways of life and how society is organised, with specific focus on violence and conflict, the role of aid, refugees and forced migration.

Skills gained include:

• specialist knowledge of human rights, international development and politics

• choosing to study a combined degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills

• the ability to think laterally and employ critical reasoning

• analytical skills

• problem-solving skills

• the ability to formulate sound arguments

• ability to interpret and explain complex information clearly

• communication and presentation skills

Graduates go on to work in development planning and in government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Other career paths include journalism, the civil service, banking and the social and educational services. Others are interested in specialising further through postgraduate studies, not only in Development Studies, but also in Economics, Politics, Social Anthropology, Law, Geography, History and Languages.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

• BBC World Service

• Bloomberg

• British Red Cross

• British Counci

• Department for International Development (DfID)

• Palestine Red Crescent Association

• Save the Children

• UNICEF Ethiopia

Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:

• Coordinator of Education

• Development Policy Officer

• Freelance Broadcast Journalist

• Human Rights Officer

• Manager of Fundraising, Communications and Administration

• Project Support Officer

• Marketing Analyst

• Resourcing Executive