Department of Development Studies

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Degree Description

Development Studies is a field of study that deals with the multidimensional nature of the development process which involves the reorganization and reorientation of the entire economic and social systems. This field of study emerged out of a need to gain a better understanding, and indeed offer possible solutions, to a wide range of social, economic, and institutional challenges facing the developing communities.

South Africa is a developing country. Many of its people live in poverty. Development Studies offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the development problems facing Third World countries in general and South Africa in particular, thus enabling them to contribute meaningfully towards their resolution by applying knowledge of development techniques.

Degree Specific Structure

1. This degree programme is interdisciplinary in nature and it draws modules from the Departments of Geography and Environmental Studies, Public Administration, Computer Studies, English and Business Management.
2. The degree is informed by current theory in the development discourse and it is very relevant to the development industry and market.
3. Graduates of this programme can access employment opportunities in all the levels of government, that is, local, provincial and national in the departments of Housing, Urban and Regional Planning, and Economic Development. Graduates of this degree can also work for NGO sector, or in the private sector particularly in the Corporate Social Responsibility area, or alternatively they can work as consultants, or as researchers.
4. Students cannot major in both Public Administration and Local Government as subjects.

Click here for updated modules offered in Undergraduate Programmes and for Postgraduate qualifications (Page 49)

Staff

Professor	Vacant
Senior Lecturer	Vacant
Lecturers	S.S. Nhlabathi BEd, BA (Hons) (UZ), MSc URP (Housing), Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management (Natal), MBA (UKZN) M.R. Hadebe, BA Social Science, (Natal Univ), BA Nursing Science, (KZN), Hons Development Studies (UNISA), MA (UZ) B.M. Nkosi, Certificate of Public Policy, BA Social Science & Dev Studies (UKZN), BA (Hons) Social Science (Policy & Dev. Studies) (UKZN), Master of Social Science (Policy & Dev. Studies (UKZN) P.T. Sabela, B. Home Econ. (Hons) (UZ), M.Phil (UCT), Gender Diploma (ILO), Housing Certificate (Oldenburg)

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