EH413 Half Unit
African Economic Development in Historical Perspective
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Leigh Gardner
Availability
This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, MBA Exchange, MSc in Economic History, MSc in Economic History (Research), MSc in Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation, MSc in Financial History, MSc in Global Economic History, MSc in International and World History (LSE & Columbia) and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: All Economic History courses are controlled access and capped. Priority will be given to students for whom the course is within their programme regulations.
All course choices submitted before the deadline will be considered. It is advisable that students submit a statement in support of their course choices as these will be used to allocate places where a course is oversubscribed.
Deadline for application: First round offers will be sent on Monday 29 September 2025. Students who submit their course choices after the deadline and students wishing to take an Economic History course as an outside option will be waitlisted initially and informed by Wednesday 1 October 2025 whether they have been successful.
Once an offer has been sent, you have 48 hours to accept it before it times out. Once an offer has timed out, it will be re-allocated to someone on the waitlist. In all cases, it is strongly advised that you have an alternative course choice as a back-up in case you are unable to secure your first choice.
For queries contact: If you have any questions, please contact the MSc Programmes Officer (o.harrison1@lse.ac.uk) A list of all taught master's courses in this Department are listed on LSE's course guide webpages. Guidance on how to apply to individual controlled access courses can also be found on LSE for You.
This course has a limited number of places (it is controlled access). In previous years we have been able to provide places for all students that apply, but that may not continue to be the case.
Course content
Many of Africa's current economic challenges, from persistent poverty to the weakness of state institutions, have deep historical roots. This course provides an introduction to the economic history of sub-Saharan Africa since the early modern period. Its overall aim is to bring Africa and Africans into global economic history, allowing students to understand how Africans contributed to that history, as well as how global changes have influenced the patterns of African development.
The course addresses a number of issues which are current in studies of African development, including:
- Globalization and development
- Environmental challenges
- The structure of institutions
- Economic development and welfare outcomes
Close attention is paid to the ways in which economic development is measured and assessed in different periods with the available data. Seminars address the diverse experiences of specific countries and regions in addition to broader trends.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
This course is delivered through seminars totalling a minimum of 20 hours across Autumn Term.
Formative assessment
Students are required to complete one essay or equivalent during the term.
Indicative reading
Readings for this course reflect current trends in research on African economic history and development. For indicative work, please see the online textbook of the African Economic History Network, This History of African Development.
For a general overview of African history over the period, see R.J. Reid, A History of Modern Africa (2009), J. Iliffe, Africans: The History of a Continent (1995).
Also see R. Reid, The African Revolution: A History of the Long Nineteenth Century (2025)
Assessment
Project (90%, 5000 words)
Course participation (10%)
This course includes the following threshold element(s) linked to the Project failure to submit these elements will result in 5 marks being deducted from the final Project grade for each threshold element:
1. Research log
Key facts
Department: Economic History
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 8
Average class size 2024/25: 8
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills