BSc (Hons) in International Development

Are you interested in human rights, health, education, and the environment in the context of development? Or the UN's sustainable goals and the fight against global hunger and poverty? If so, this program will be of interest to you.

Our BSc (Hons) International Development, offered by the College of Business and Law at University College Cork (UCC), is the first undergraduate program in Ireland to have a primary focus on international development, particularly on the countries of the global south. It will help you understand key issues of development and deliver skills such as languages, research techniques, and project management.

In Year 3, you will have the opportunity to undertake a five-month work placement, typically with a development agency based in a developing country in Africa or Asia.

The course addresses key challenges in global development:

• Poverty and hunger
• Agricultural and rural development
• Food policy and food systems
• Human rights, governance, and gender
• Health and development
• Climate change
• Role of international development agencies and non-governmental organizations
• Migration and Refugees

It aims to:

• Develop your understanding of the multidimensional nature of international development
• Develop your understanding of cross-disciplinary methods for the analysis of key development challenges
• Equip you with practical skills to address global challenges
• Ensure you can work effectively as individuals and in team settings

Why Choose This Course

Our students engage with major global issues from a development perspective. These issues include poverty, hunger and inequality, sustainability, international food policy, human rights, peace and conflict, gender studies, and climate change.

The course will give you the foundations necessary to work in the field of international development, whether with a non-governmental organization, a state agency, an international organization, or within the private sector or to advance to further study. A distinctive feature of this course is the five-month work placement with a development agency, usually based in a developing country in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. This allows students to gain hands-on experience of working in international development, develop their practical skills, and experience other cultures and societies.

The course provides broad training in key socio-economic areas related to international development and food policy, as well as a set of generic transferable skills, such as program management, research, and report writing that will be valued by employers in many fields, particularly those operating in an international context.

Key facts

• In-depth focus on international development and food policy issues over four years
• Course input from development practitioners
• A mix of theoretical and practical skills
• Multi-disciplinary staff with a wealth of international experience
• International work experience with a recognized development organization

Placement or Study Abroad Information

A central feature of the course is the work placement, which takes place over five months in the third year. Students are placed with well-established development organizations throughout the developing world and in Ireland to gain first-hand experience of development work. Students on placement are supported by a Placement Officer and allocated a Mentor from the Department of Food Business and Development.

A typical work experience includes opportunities to meet with communities in urban and rural areas, contribute to new development projects, run a social media campaign, conduct field research, draft policy document and funding proposals, and generally contribute to the daily operations of the host organization.

Countries to which students travel include Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Cambodia, Thailand, and Bolivia. As well as the practical experience of development on the ground and the technical skills acquired on placement, you will achieve valuable personal development in terms of self-reliance, self-confidence, communications, and teamwork.

“Africa Direct have found the students to be very helpful in getting a good insight into how our partners are performing. The standard of students has been very high and they have produced insightful reports as well as working productively for partners.” John Slattery, Africa Direct