Interdisciplinary Program

International Development Studies, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences

The program in International Development Studies (IDS) explores the nature and impacts of economic and social development, in Canada and across the globe, from an interdisciplinary perspective. It equips students with the theoretical understanding and analytical and practical skills needed to bring about positive and inclusive change in the world. Students completing a degree in IDS have the skills to tackle complex global problems as needed to promote social justice as citizens and in careers across the public and private sectors and in civil society organizations.

The IDS program provides students with the opportunity to engage with international development practitioners in Canada and internationally. Furthermore, they are equipped with the skills needed for effective engagement whilst as students and in their life beyond university.

Students select an area of emphasis that enables them to explore an issue of particular interest using the skills they develop in the core part of the program. This area of emphasis is selected by the end of the 4th academic semester of study.

International Development Studies students are encouraged to learn another language and to participate in relevant learning experiences beyond the IDS program, including study, work or volunteering in Canada and internationally. In addition to the required core courses and the chosen area of emphasis, students are encouraged to take electives that complement their degree and enhance their analytical and communication skills. See the GIDS website for more information on these opportunities or talk to your academic advisor.

Students with a minimum cumulative average of 80% in courses that constitute the IDS major may complete a thesis (IDEV*4100 Thesis in International Development Studies I and IDEV*4150 Thesis in International Development Studies II) under the supervision of an ID-affiliated faculty member. 

Program Requirements

The Co-op program in International Development is a four and a half year program, including four work terms. Students must follow the academic work schedule as outlined below (also found on the Co-operative Education website: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/). 

International Development Academic and Co-op Work Term Schedule

Co-op Information

Year	Fall	Winter	Summer
1	Academic Semester 1	Academic Semester 2	Off
2	Academic Semester 3 COOP*1100	Academic Semester 4	COOP*1000 Work Term I
3	COOP*2000 Work Term II	Academic Semester 5	Academic Semester 6
4	Academic Semester 7	COOP*3000 Work Term III	COOP*4000 Work Term IV
5	Academic Semester 8	N/A	N/A

To be eligible to continue in the Co-op program, students must meet a minimum 70% cumulative average requirement after second semester, as well as meet all work term requirements. Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements.

For additional program information students should consult with their Co-op Co-ordinator and Co-op Faculty Advisor, listed on the Co-operative Education web site.

Credit Summary

(22.00 Total Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Core Courses		7.50
Credits in one of four areas of emphasis		2.50
Electives		10.00
Co-op Work Terms		2.00
Total Credits		22

The recommended program sequence is outlined below.

Major (Honours Program)

A minimum of 10.00 credits is required, including:

• 7.50 core course requirements
• 2.50 credits in one of four areas of emphasis

Agriculture and Food Security (Area of Emphasis)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Semester 2 - Winter
FARE*1300	Poverty, Food and Hunger	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Summer Semester
No academic semester or work term.
Semester 3 - Fall
AGR*2150	Plant Agriculture for International Development	0.50
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
IDEV*2000	The Development Landscape: Actors and Institutions	0.50
IDEV*2100	Research in International Development	0.50
IDEV*2200	Policy, Economy and Society	0.50
0.50 electives or restricted electives		0.50
Semester 4 - Winter
IDEV*2300	Theoretical Perspectives on Development	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Semester 5 - Winter
IDEV*3100	Achieving Sustainable Development	0.50
IDEV*3400	Managing and Evaluating Change in Development	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Semester 6 - Summer
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Semester 7 - Fall
IDEV*3000	Poverty and Inequality	0.50
IDEV*3300	Engaging in Development Practice	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Winter Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Semester 8 - Fall
IDEV*4000	Development in Action	1.00
IDEV*4600	Advocating and Effecting Change in Development Policy and Practice	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00

Restricted Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1.00 credits of the following (core):
GEOG*3050	Development and the City	0.50
PHIL*3230	Theories of Justice	0.50
POLS*3320	Politics of Aid and Development	0.50
POLS*3790	International Political Economy	0.50
SOAN*3680	Perspectives on Development	0.50
Select 1.50 credits of the following (Area of Emphasis):
AGR*2500	Field Course in International Agriculture	0.50
ANTH*4550	Topics in the Anthropology of Health	0.50
ENVS*2130	Eating Sustainably in Ontario	0.50
FARE*3250	Food Security, Nutrition and International Development	0.50
GEOG*3320	Food Systems: Issues in Security and Sustainability	0.50
HIST*3240	Food History	0.50
IDEV*4100	Thesis in International Development Studies I	0.50
IDEV*4150	Thesis in International Development Studies II	0.50
OAGR*2070	Introduction to Organic Agriculture	1.00
SOC*4420	Sociology of Food	0.50

Development in the Canadian Context (Area of Emphasis)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Semester 2 - Winter
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Summer Semester
No academic semester or work term.
Semester 3 - Fall
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
IDEV*2000	The Development Landscape: Actors and Institutions	0.50
IDEV*2100	Research in International Development	0.50
IDEV*2200	Policy, Economy and Society	0.50
POLS*2300	Canadian Government and Politics	0.50
0.50 electives or restricted electives		0.50
Semester 4 - Winter
ANTH*2660	Contemporary Indigenous Peoples in Canada	0.50
IDEV*2300	Theoretical Perspectives on Development	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Semester 5 - Winter
IDEV*3100	Achieving Sustainable Development	0.50
IDEV*3400	Managing and Evaluating Change in Development	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Semester 6 - Summer
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Semester 7 - Fall
IDEV*3000	Poverty and Inequality	0.50
IDEV*3300	Engaging in Development Practice	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Winter Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Semester 8 - Fall
IDEV*4000	Development in Action	1.00
IDEV*4600	Advocating and Effecting Change in Development Policy and Practice	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00

Restricted Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1.00 credits of the following (core):
GEOG*3050	Development and the City	0.50
PHIL*3230	Theories of Justice	0.50
POLS*3320	Politics of Aid and Development	0.50
POLS*3790	International Political Economy	0.50
SOAN*3680	Perspectives on Development	0.50
Select 1.50 credits of the following (Area of Emphasis):
GEOG*2510	Considering Canada A Regional Synthesis	0.50
HIST*2090	Indigenous Peoples of the Americas	0.50
HIST*3390	Governments and Indigenous Spaces	0.50
HIST*3660	Canadian Social History	0.50
IDEV*4100	Thesis in International Development Studies I	0.50
IDEV*4150	Thesis in International Development Studies II	0.50
POLS*3140	Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms	0.50
SOAN*4210	Indigenous-Settler Relations in Canadian Society	0.50
SOAN*4220	Gender and Change in Rural Canada	0.50
SOAN*4260	Migration, Inequality and Social Change	0.50

Development in Fragile Contexts (Area of Emphasis) 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Semester 2 - Winter
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Summer Semester
No academic semester or work term.
Semester 3 - Fall
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
IDEV*2000	The Development Landscape: Actors and Institutions	0.50
IDEV*2100	Research in International Development	0.50
IDEV*2200	Policy, Economy and Society	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00
Semester 4 - Winter
IDEV*2300	Theoretical Perspectives on Development	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Semester 5 - Winter
IDEV*3100	Achieving Sustainable Development	0.50
IDEV*3400	Managing and Evaluating Change in Development	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Semester 6 - Summer
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Semester 7 - Fall
IDEV*3000	Poverty and Inequality	0.50
IDEV*3300	Engaging in Development Practice	0.50
POLS*3490	Conflict and Conflict Resolution	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00
Winter Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Semester 8 - Fall
IDEV*4000	Development in Action	1.00
IDEV*4600	Advocating and Effecting Change in Development Policy and Practice	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00

Restricted Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1.00 credits of the following (core):
GEOG*3050	Development and the City	0.50
PHIL*3230	Theories of Justice	0.50
POLS*3320	Politics of Aid and Development	0.50
POLS*3790	International Political Economy	0.50
SOAN*3680	Perspectives on Development	0.50
POLS*2100	Comparative Politics	0.50
or POLS*2200	International Relations
Select 1.50 credits of the following (Area of Emphasis):
ANTH*4440	Culture, Rights and Development	0.50
HIST*3270	Revolution in the Modern World	0.50
IDEV*4100	Thesis in International Development Studies I	0.50
IDEV*4150	Thesis in International Development Studies II	0.50
POLS*3000	Politics of Africa	0.50
POLS*3060	Politics of the Middle East and North Africa	0.50
POLS*3080	Politics of Latin America	0.50
POLS*4340	Nationalism, State-building and Identity	1.00
SOAN*3130	Protest, Resistance, and Collective Action	0.50
SOAN*4260	Migration, Inequality and Social Change	0.50

Environment and Sustainable Development (Area of Emphasis)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Semester 2 - Winter
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Summer Semester
No academic semester or work term.
Semester 3 - Fall
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
GEOG*2030	Environment, Justice and Society	0.50
IDEV*2000	The Development Landscape: Actors and Institutions	0.50
IDEV*2100	Research in International Development	0.50
IDEV*2200	Policy, Economy and Society	0.50
SOC*2280	Society, Knowledge Systems and Environment	0.50
Semester 4 - Winter
IDEV*2300	Theoretical Perspectives on Development	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Semester 5 - Winter
IDEV*3100	Achieving Sustainable Development	0.50
IDEV*3400	Managing and Evaluating Change in Development	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Semester 6 - Summer
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Semester 7 - Fall
IDEV*3000	Poverty and Inequality	0.50
IDEV*3300	Engaging in Development Practice	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Winter Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Semester 8 - Fall
IDEV*4000	Development in Action	1.00
IDEV*4600	Advocating and Effecting Change in Development Policy and Practice	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00

Restricted Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1.00 credits of the following (core):
GEOG*3050	Development and the City	0.50
PHIL*3230	Theories of Justice	0.50
POLS*3320	Politics of Aid and Development	0.50
POLS*3790	International Political Economy	0.50
SOAN*3680	Perspectives on Development	0.50
Select 1.50 credits of the following (Area of Emphasis):
ENVS*2120	Introduction to Environmental Stewardship	0.50
GEOG*3020	Global Environmental Change	0.50
GEOG*3030	Media, Digital Technology and Environment	0.50
GEOG*3090	Gender and Environment	0.50
HIST*3460	Natural Disasters in Global History	0.50
IDEV*4100	Thesis in International Development Studies I	0.50
IDEV*4150	Thesis in International Development Studies II	0.50
PHIL*2070	Philosophy of the Environment	0.50
POLS*3370	Environmental Politics and Governance	0.50
SOAN*4250	Energy and Society	0.50

Gender and Inclusive Development (Area of Emphasis)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
2.00 electives or restricted electives		2.00
Semester 2 - Winter
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Summer Semester
No academic semester or work term.
Semester 3 - Fall
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
IDEV*2000	The Development Landscape: Actors and Institutions	0.50
IDEV*2100	Research in International Development	0.50
IDEV*2200	Policy, Economy and Society	0.50
0.50 electives or restricted electives		0.50
Semester 4 - Summer
IDEV*2300	Theoretical Perspectives on Development	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Semester 5 - Winter
IDEV*3100	Achieving Sustainable Development	0.50
IDEV*3400	Managing and Evaluating Change in Development	0.50
1.50 electives or restricted electives		1.50
Semester 6 - Summer
2.50 electives or restricted electives		2.50
Semester 7 - Fall
IDEV*3000	Poverty and Inequality	0.50
IDEV*3300	Engaging in Development Practice	0.50
POLS*3160	Global Gender Justice	0.50
SOAN*3240	Gender and Global Inequality I	0.50
0.50 electives or restricted electives		0.50
Winter Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Semester 8 - Fall
IDEV*4000	Development in Action	1.00
IDEV*4600	Advocating and Effecting Change in Development Policy and Practice	0.50
1.00 electives or restricted electives		1.00

Restricted Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1.00 credits of the following (core):
GEOG*3050	Development and the City	0.50
PHIL*3230	Theories of Justice	0.50
POLS*3320	Politics of Aid and Development	0.50
POLS*3790	International Political Economy	0.50
SOAN*3680	Perspectives on Development	0.50
Select 1.50 credits of the following (Area of Emphasis):
ANTH*4440	Culture, Rights and Development	0.50
GEOG*3090	Gender and Environment	0.50
HIST*2930	Women and Cultural Change	0.50
IDEV*4100	Thesis in International Development Studies I	0.50
IDEV*4150	Thesis in International Development Studies II	0.50
PHIL*2060	Philosophy of Feminism I	0.50
POLS*4100	Women, Justice and Public Policy	1.00
SOAN*4220	Gender and Change in Rural Canada	0.50
SOAN*4230	Gender and Global Inequality II	0.50
WMST*2000	Women and Representation	0.50