Global Development with Politics
Global development with politics addresses the profound inequalities between and within countries, asking why some parts of the world remain poor while others prosper, what the relationship is between political systems and development outcomes, and what role international institutions, NGOs, and states play in enabling or obstructing progress. The discipline is genuinely interdisciplinary, drawing on economics, political science, sociology, history, and geography, and it requires you to think across scales from local community dynamics to global governance structures.
At the University of East Anglia, this three-year, full-time programme benefits from UEA's long-standing strength in development studies, one of the field's founding departments in the UK. You will engage with theories of development and underdevelopment, examine the political economy of aid and trade, study the governance of global commons such as climate and biodiversity, and analyse the political conditions that enable or undermine human development in different contexts. The politics strand brings in comparative politics, political theory, and international relations, giving you the analytical tools to understand how power operates at every level from village politics to the UN Security Council.
Research methods are central to the programme, and you will develop competence in both quantitative and qualitative approaches to studying development and political phenomena. UEA's research culture means you will engage with debates that are live in the field, not just textbook summaries.
Graduates work in international NGOs, development consultancy, government ministries and departments, international organisations such as the UN and World Bank, journalism, policy research, and the charity sector. Many go on to postgraduate study in development studies, international relations, public policy, or area studies, particularly if they wish to work in specific regions or develop technical expertise in areas such as humanitarian response, public health, or education in development contexts.