Dr Rajesh Venugopal

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Anthropology and Development, MSc in Development Studies and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is available on the MSc in Economic Policy for International Development. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply: Places will be allocated with priority to ID and joint-degree students. If there are more ID and joint-degree students than can be accommodated, these places will be allocated randomly. Non-ID/Joint Degree students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations permit this option.

Deadline for application: You should make your request to take ID courses by 12 noon Friday 25 September 2026.

You will be informed of the outcome by 12 noon Monday 28 September 2026.

Students do not need to write a statement to apply for this course.

Students will be allocated places to courses with priority to ID and joint-degree students.  If there are more ID and joint-degree students than the course can accommodate, these spots will be allocated randomly. 

Non-ID/Joint Degree students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations and places permit.

This course provides an inter-disciplinary introduction to the ideas, theories, and practices of international development. We critically review the contested ideas of development among key thinkers, examine global development goals, and discuss historical development trends on growth, poverty, and human development. The course examines issues of states and markets, growth and redistribution, colonial legacies, gender, climate change, and demography (topics may change from year to year).

15 hours of seminars and 15 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

There will be a separate revision session prior to the exam.

Essay (1000 words).

Essay (1000 words).

K Gardner and D Lewis, Anthropology and Development: Challenges for the Twenty-First Century (Pluto, 2015)

Recommendation for students with little previous exposure to economic debates:

Chang, H.J. (2014). Economics: The User’s Guide. (London: Penguin Books)

Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period.

Exam (100%), duration: 120 Minutes.