Duration of the Programme

The Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Development Studies is run on full time basis.

The duration of the PGD in development studies is 2 semesters (full time)

Requirements for Graduation in the PGD Programme

To be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies, a candidate must pass a minimum of 39 credit units. This would consist of a minimum of 33 credits units from course work, 6 credits from project report.

Course Numbering

The three digit course listing is adopted in the Programme. The first digit refers to the year of study, second digit stress area; the third digit reflects the sequence within the stress area reflecting the odd and even number endings for first and second semester accordingly.

 

Stress Areas

Theories of Development 0
Research Methods 1
Development Policies 2
International Development 3
Human and Social Development 4
Sustainable Development 5
Community Development 6
Research Project 9

 

Course Schedule (for Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies)

 

First Semester

DVS 0501: Basic Development Theories and Applications 3 Units
DVS 0511: Research Methods 3 Units
DVS 0541: Governance and Social Development 3 Units
DVS 0521: Science and Technology Policy and Development 3 Units
DVS 0523: Vulnerability, Poverty and Social Justice 3 Units
DVS 0551: Sustainable Development 3 Units
DVS 0503: Growth, Employment and Development 3 Units
Total 21 Units

Second Semester

DVS 0562: Civil Society Organisations and Development Advocacy 3 Units
DVS 0532: International Development 3 Units
DVS 0512 Research Methods II 3 Units
DVS 0524: Fundamentals of Development Communication 3 Units
DVS 0590: Research Project 6 Units
Total 18 Units

 

DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA)

 

DVS 0501:      Basic Development Theories and Applications                    3 Units

The course conceptualizes development highlighting the different concepts and terms and analyses the overall goals and means of development. The course covers major development theories in the following chronological order: Modernisation theories (1950’s, early 1960’s); Dependency theories (late 1960’s, early 1970’s); Neo-Liberalism (World economy view and the World Systems Theory (late 1970’s, early 1980’s)); Basic needs approaches (late 1970’s); Post-structuralism and ‘Anti-development ‘theories; Feminist and ‘Gender Development theories’; Theories of ethno-development; Alternative modes of production perspective (1980’s); An Evolutionary theory of Political Development; Political theory of Development cooperation; The theory of Political Development; Vygotsky Social Development theory; as well as the Sustainable livelihood approach.

DVS 0503:      Growth, Employment and Development                               3 Units

This course combines theory, intuition, and history to explore the causes of the rise and decline of civilizations and to learn valuable lessons for the future. In doing that the course explores issues such as: concept of growth and development; growth and development dichotomy; distinction between development and growth; development and underdevelopment; theories of development (Rostow stages of growth, Harrod-Domar growth model, Schumpeterian theory);  theories and evidence on economic growth and fluctuations; determination of gross domestic product, investment, consumption, employment, and unemployment; roles of fiscal and monetary policies; characteristics of a developing country; obstacles to development and strategies to removing them; dualism, balanced and unbalanced growth;  international trade and aid; globalization, policy issues and case studies; structural change; indicators of development; industrial policies, MSMEs, employment generation; as well as the application of environmental and economic development planning, policy and management approaches

 

DVS 0511:      Research Methods 1                                                               3 Units

The course overall aim is to acquaint students on how development research and practice are linked in development studies and covers issues such as: meaning of research; types of research; purpose of research; identification and design of development research problems; essence and techniques of literature review; research methods and research methodology; sampling and sampling designs; historical analytical methods in research and experimental designs; basic diagnostic tests and evaluation of hypotheses; basic issues in interpretation of  cross-sectional, time-series and panel data; micro, meso and macro data usage in development research; scaling of data; summary indicators; inconsistencies in data; procedures for managing poor quality data; data cleaning; interpolations and extrapolations; procedures and techniques including design/administration for employing interview, observations, questionnaires and focused group discussions (FGDs); design, tests and validation of research instruments; procedures for data collection/collation; triangulation in research; data analysis and report writing; scaling techniques (different types of scales); different types of sampling; sampling errors; different types of variables; as well as references and referencing.

DVS 0512:      Research Methods II                                                              3 Units

This course is a continuation of Research methods I and covers the application of core statistical ideas such as random variables, probability distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing, to real-world problems will be the focus of this course.  It is also an introduction to statistical methods intended for students in the programme. The emphasis of the course is on applications of core statistical ideas such as random variables, probability distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing, to real-world problems. After taking this course, students develop a deeper understanding of fundamental statistical concepts commonly used in international policy contexts; be able to apply these concepts readily to solve particular exercises. The course also aims to equip students with an understanding of qualitative approaches together with the practical skills to design, develop and evaluate such methodologies in interdisciplinary contexts. It will provide preparatory knowledge and skills for the Research Seminar and Thesis writing. The course introduces students to the foundations of qualitative methodology and a range of methods and technical tools for undertaking and assessing qualitative research analysis and findings in development studies and applied settings.

The course finally treats issues such as: classification and tabulation of data – graphical representation; descriptive analysis (central tendency and dispersion, coefficient of variation, correlation and regression analysis); as well as inferential analysis (parametric and non-parametric tests, T-test, F-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, Chi-square, etc.).

 

DVS 0521:      Science and Technology Policy and Development                                3 Units

The course covers issues such as: the role of science, technology, natural resources and energy in national, rural and international development; industrial policy; the energy crisis and its management; oil and gas and national, rural and global development; the technological dimensions of energy; natural resources production, marketing and distribution (nationally and internationally); OPEC and other international energy related organizations; Burning or topical issues and problems in energy, technology, natural resources and development; the political, economic, historical, management, marketing, socio-cultural and other dimensions of technology, science and development; as well as science and technology effect on food security.

 

DVS 0523:      Vulnerability, Poverty and Social Justice                                         3 Units

The course covers issues such as: the concepts of poverty, vulnerability and inequality; what causes poverty, vulnerability and inequality; how to address poverty, vulnerability and inequality; the concept of equity; theoretical approaches to vulnerability analysis; theoretical approaches to poverty analysis; social protection policies; the importance of health, education, food and knowledge in the fight to reduce vulnerability, poverty and inequality; corruption and social inequality; economic, political, social and environmental vulnerability; ecological vulnerability; socio-economic and cultural vulnerability; unifying framework for

Poverty eradication & social justice: as well as the evolution of CARE’s development approach; analytical shifts understanding of poverty.

 

DVS 0524:      Fundamentals of Development Communication                 3 Units

The course explores the following:  What is Development communication; the Value-Added of Development Communication in programmes and projects; adopting two-way communication; development commination for communication projects and non-communication projects; Key Issues about (Development) Communication; as well as understanding the scope and uses of development communication. The course also involves the study of incorporate interpersonal communication: face-to-face communications that can either be one-on-one or in small groups; the general push for more participatory approaches to development and greater representation of voices from the South. The belief is that while mass media allows for the learning of new ideas, interpersonal networks encourage the shift from knowledge to continued practice. Therefore the course encompasses access to and exchange of information, dialogue, creation of knowledge and open access to knowledge, development communication, strategic communication, participatory communication, expressive culture, media, information and communications infrastructure and technologies has thus come to be seen as a way to amplify voice, facilitate meaningful participation to foster social change.

 

 

DVS 0532:      International Development                                                               3 Units

The course explores theories of trade and development experiences; Globalisation (political, economic, cultural and technological); cross border financial flows (ODA, FDI, FPI, remittances, capital flight, etc.); international trade and regional integration; informal trade; emerging markets; bilateral and multi-lateral agencies; global governance (United Nations systems, WTO, WIPO, etc.) and international financial architecture; the politics of international development; south-south cooperation; as well as migration and brain drain and its other dimension.

 

DVS 0541:      Governance and Social Development                                              3 Units

The course provides students with theoretical and practical understanding of debates on governance and political change, enhancing their capacity to develop and implement policies in NGOs and public organisations. The course also covers the following: critical assessment of competing theories of the role of State and non-State actors in social and economic development; understanding the significance of current globalisation processes for local, national, and international institutions; the process of developing policies for improving the effectiveness, accountability, and legitimacy of governance structures in specific settings; the crucial link between governance and sustainable development; intellectual challenge of understanding the contested body of ideas and practices associated with development interventions and processes of intentional change; understanding of development post WWII, including shifts in the justifications for assisting distant others in the contemporary moral economy, and their political consequences; health, environment, and development-oriented business practices; as well as the contemporary relevance to the practice and study of development.

DVS 0551:      Sustainable Development                                                                  3 Units

The course introduces students to the core concepts, principles and practices of sustainable development (SD). It examines the environmental/ecological, economic, social and gender dimensions of SD by focusing on changing patterns of consumption, production, and distribution of resources. This course includes an international focus and examines the impact of globalization, the role of the private sector, and NGOs. This course also considers the evolving models of the economic evaluation of SD initiatives and programmes. Attention is given to some of the past and current management methods associated with SD just as consideration is given to the driving forces that influence SD with special reference to the impact on water resources, energy sources and uses, and waste management. The course is expected to provide students with the basic understanding of the historical evolution and impact of SD in the Nigeria, Africa and beyond; the critical assessment of alternative approaches to SD based on an understanding of the fundamental environmental and economic concepts and principles of SD; a basic understanding of the influence of national cultures, diverse political systems, interest groups, social movements and other social structures on SD; as well as an appreciation for the impact of business based operational systems, management philosophies, ethical considerations and decision making styles in respect to SD to support career development

DVS 0562:      Civil Society Organisations and Development Advocacy                 3 Units

The course covers issues such as: the sociological and political meaning and dimensions of civil society; typology of civil society and groups; roles and strategy of civil society organizations and groups in rural and urban settings; civil societies and the sustenance of societal values, morals, accountability or transparency, anti-corruption and socio-economic, entrepreneurial, human, sustainable and national development, as well as poverty alleviation. The course also conceptualizes Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as a non-state emergent agent for providing critical social welfare, social services, humanitarian services, socio-economic empowerment, political participation, human capital development and productive economic activities. The course looks at problems facing CSOs and different strategies for development advocacy. The course finally explores existing institutions and structures in community development, CBOs, FBOs, Age grades, NGOs and community development, Community development financing, the sustainability challenge in community development, the ownership question, livelihoods and access to resources for development.

 

External Examiner

The external examiner shall be used at the end of PGD programme to moderate the courses and research project (long essay). The external examiner must be a senior lecturer/Senior Research Fellow and above with a Ph.D in Development Studies or Social Sciences.

The Internal Examiner (Student’s Supervisor) awards a score on the Research Project subject to the approval of the external examiner.

MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.Sc.) IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES PROGRAMME

Philosophy

This programme aims at combining an understanding of theory and practice to produce skilled manpower with cutting edge knowledge, critical thinking and leadership skills in an ever changing world. The programme is inspired by the need to fill the gaps faced by developing countries’ unique environment as they work to improve the quality of lives of millions of residents in a highly integrated world.

Objectives

The objectives of this programme are to help in the training, supply and sustenance of a corps of highly qualified, specialized and technical manpower that can show managerial leadership and demonstrate practical expertise in the successful conceptualization, designing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and projects at all levels. Graduates of this programme should also be able to teach research and work in all functional areas of development.

Scope

The programme is designed to provide the students with functional knowledge and skills in various areas of development theory, philosophy and practice required for ignition, implementation and management of sustainable development.

Mode of Study

The mode of study is a combination of course work and independent research/field work in which the former constitutes two-thirds of the entire programme.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates from this multi-disciplinary Masters Degree programme have job opportunities in federal, state ministries and parastatals, local governments, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Liberties Organizations (CLOs), Supranational Organizations (SOs), as well as teaching and research in institutions of higher learning.

 

 

Duration of the M.Sc. Programme  

The maximum and minimum duration of the M.Sc. in development Studies programme is:

  • Full Time             Minimum of four (4) semesters and; Maximum of eight (8) semesters.
  • Part-Time           Minimum of six (6) semesters and; Maximum of ten (10) semesters.

Requirement for Graduation in the M.Sc. Programme

To be awarded a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Development Studies, a candidate must pass a minimum of 48 credit units. This would consist of a minimum of 30 credit units from core course work, minimum of 6 credit units from electives, 6 credits from seminar and 6 credit units from thesis. Every Candidates thesis must be from the candidate’s track of specialization

 

TRACKS OF SPECIALIZATION(S)

The following tracks of specialization in the M.Sc. programme in Development Studies exist:

 

Tracks of Specialization STRESS AREA
Human and Social Development 4
Community Development 5
Conflict Resolution and Peace-building 6
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development 7
International Development 8

COURSE NUMBERING

The three digit course listing is adopted in the Programme. The first digit refers to the year of study, second digit stress area; the third digit reflects the sequence within the stress area reflecting the odd and even number endings for first and second semester accordingly.

 

STRESS AREAS

Theories of Development 0
Research Methods 1
Development Policies 2
Practicum/Seminar 3
Human and Social envelopment 4
Community Development 5
Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building 6
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development 7
International Development 8
Thesis 9

 

SCHEDULE OF COURSES

 

  • CORE COURSES

Regardless of the track and proposed area of specialisation, candidates must offer the following core courses:

 

FIRST SEMESTER

 

DVS 501 Development Theories and Applications 3 units
DVS 511 Research Methods 3 units
DVS 521 Development Planning and Administration 3 units
DVS 523 Development Concepts and Principles 3 units
DVS 513 Development Practicum/Seminar   1 3 units
DVS 525 Development Financing 3 units
DVS 545 Development Practice 3 units
DVS 547 Communication for Development 3 units
Sub-total 24 units

SECOND SEMESTER

DVS 502: Sociology and Institutions of Development 3 units
DVS 512: Monitoring and Evaluation 3 units
DVS 522: Development and Change Management 3 units
DVS 524: Science/Technology Policy and Development 3 units
DVS 514 Development Practicum/Seminar    II 3 units
DVS 504: Globalization, National and International Development 3 units
Two electives courses from track of specialisation 6 units
Sub-total 24 units
DVS    590: M.Sc.  Thesis 6 units
Sub-total 30 units

 

(b)       ELECTIVES FOR THE SPECIALISED TRACKS

Track 1:         Human and Social Development Option

Candidate for the M.Sc. in Development Studies with option in Human and Social Development will in addition to the core courses offer any two of the following courses:

 

COURSE CODE TITLE CREDIT UNITS
DVS    541: Public Health and Development 3
DVS    542: Culture, Values and Development 3
DVS    543: Education and Development 3
TOTAL (from any two Electives) 6

Track 2:         Community Development

Candidate for the M.Sc. in Development Studies with option in Community Development will in addition to the core courses offer any two of the following courses:

 

COURSE CODE TITLE UNITS
DVS  551 Theory and Philosophy of Community Development 3
DVS 552 Community Development Methods and Techniques 3
DVS 553 Gender, Children, Marginalization and Poverty Alleviation   3
TOTAL (from any two Electives) 6

Track 3:     Conflict and Peace-building

Candidate for the M.Sc. in Development Studies with option in Conflict and Peace-building will in addition to the core courses offer any two of the following courses:

  

COURSE CODE TITLE UNITS
DVS 561 African Boarders and Borderlands 3
DVS  562 Humanitarian Action, Frameworks and Practice 3
DVS 563 Conflict Analysis and Management 3
TOTAL CREDIT (from any two Electives) 6

Track 4:         Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

Candidate for the M.Sc. in Development Studies with option in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development will in addition to the core courses offer any two of the following courses:

 

COURSE CODE TITLE UNITS
DVS 571 Critical and emerging issues in Food Security 3
DVS 572 Sustainable Development: Approaches and Policies 3
DVS 573 Climate Change and Development 3
TOTAL CREDIT (from any two Electives) 6

 

Track 5:         International Development

 

Candidate for the M.Sc. in Development Studies with option in International Development will in addition to the core courses offer any two of the following courses:

 

COURSE CODE TITLE UNITS
DVS    581: Trade, Migration, Finance for Development 3
DVS    582: Industrialisation and Africa’s Development 3
DVS    583: Politics of International Development 3
TOTAL CREDIT (from any two Electives) 6

 

COURSE CONTENTS FOR M.Sc. PROGRAMME

 

Core Courses

DVS 501: Development Theories and Applications                                              3 Units

The course cover issues such as: the uses of models and theories in development; contending development paradigms and models; leading development theories in economic, human and sustainable development and their applications (Modernisation theories (1950’s, early 1960’s); Dependency theories (late 1960’s, early 1970’s); Neo-Liberalism (World economy view and the World Systems Theory (late 1970’s, early 1980’s); Basic needs approaches (late 1970’s); Post-structuralism and ‘Anti-development ‘theory; Feminist critiques and ‘Gender and Development’; Ethno-development); the Innovation Adoption Model and other related models; as well as the Centre-Periphery theory of development. The course also covers: geography and institutional hypotheses; an evolutionary theory of political development; political theory of development cooperation; the theory of political development; Vygotsky social development theory; application of development concepts and theories in gaining better understanding of development process; examination of the development and underdevelopment of countries; historical record approach to understanding development; as well as relationships between the development process of developing nations and developed nations.

DVS 502:        Sociology and Institutions of Development                                      3 Units

The course covers issues such as: physical development versus human development; man within a changing physical and cultural environment; power and conflict; space, population and mobility; social movements and transformations; culture and identity; modernity and social change; the changing society and culture of developing countries; implications of cultural changes for developmental efforts; community human resources and human advancement; the African family and development; changing structure of other cultural units and their implications for development; changing value systems; as well as religion and the role of religious groups in development.

DVS 504:        Globalization, National and International Development                        2 units

The course covers issues such as: meanings, principles, theories and strategies of globalization and their implications for national and international development; interrogating understanding and principles of globalization; globalization in previous ages; roles of multilateral agencies on globalization and development; economic and politics of globalization; the information superhighway and development; roles of international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in development; communication (internet) in bridging the global divide in development; local development in a globalizing world; technological development and globalization; global business/multi-nationals and development; global financial flows and contagion; international diplomacy, relations and development; globalization, the market economy, democracy and development; tourism, globalization and development; global education and development; regional co-operations and development; the new world economic and political order; wars conflicts, national and international politics and development; as well as globalization and culture.

 

DVS    511:  Research Methods and Application of ICT in research               3 Units                                                                                                                                          

The course overall aim is to acquaint students on how development research and practice are linked in development studies. The course is taught in two parts(by regular lectures and practice by course lecturers and workshop to be organized by the school of post graduate Studies-SPGS). and covers issues such as: meaning of research; types of research; purpose of research; identification and design of development research problems; essence and techniques of literature review; research methods and research methodology; sampling and sampling designs; historical analytical methods in research and experimental designs; basic diagnostic tests and evaluation of hypotheses; basic issues in interpretation of  cross-sectional, time-series and panel data; micro, meso and macro data usage in development research; scaling of data; summary indicators; inconsistencies in data; procedures for managing poor quality data; data cleaning; interpolations and extrapolations; procedures and techniques including design/administration for employing interview, observations, questionnaires and focused group discussions (FGDs); design, tests and validation of research instruments; procedures for data collection/collation; triangulation in research; data analysis and report writing; scaling techniques (different types of scales); different types of sampling; sampling errors; different types of variables; as well as references and referencing. Application of core statistical ideas such as random variables, probability distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing, to real-world problems will be the focus of this course.  The SPGS component include: In-depth research work aimed at acquiring full knowledge and presentation in scholarly writing of the concepts, issues, trends in the definition and development of the study area from African and western perspectives. Major steps in research: selection of the problem, literature review, Historical, Case studies, Surveys, Descriptive, Cross sectional, Experimental, etc. Analysis, Surveys and synthesis of conceptual and philosophical foundations of different disciplines. Identification of research problems and development of research questions and or hypotheses. Detailed treatment of methods of collecting relevant research data and the format for presenting research results (from designing the table of contents to referencing, bibliography and appendix). Data analysis and result presentation in different disciplines using appropriate analytical tools. Methods of project/dissertation writing. Application of appropriate advanced ICT tools relevant in every discipline for data gathering, analysis and result presentation. Essentials of spreadsheets, Internet technology and internet search engines. All registered Masters degree students must attend a solution-based interactive workshop to be organized by the school of postgraduate studies for a practical demonstration and application of the knowledge from the course, conducted by selected experts.

 

DVS 512:        Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)                                                       3 Units

M&E’s importance relates to program management, outputs, outcomes, impacts, sustainability, plus positive funder and stakeholder relations. The course covers: meaning of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E); how to determine appropriate M&E methods for a particular project; the similarities, differences and use of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches; how to construct log frame and performance monitoring plan, including identifying relevant indicators, data sources, and risks; how to foster positive funding and stakeholder relations; as well as the challenges associated with, and successful strategies for, collecting M&E data in developing countries; relationships, essence of monitoring; types of monitoring; what is monitoring; what is monitored and how; performance monitoring; monitoring and financial reports; essence, scope and types of evaluation; tools used in evaluation; basic contents of evaluation report; writing evaluation reports; project design – situation analysis as the cornerstone of design planning; planning with logic; what is evaluation and issues to be evaluated; how to plan and carry out an evaluation; development impact evaluation; etc.

 

DVS 513: Development Seminar 1 –Basic Public Utility Management               3 Units

The seminar is a problem learning seminar by students on: water, electricity, sanitation, dams, roads, rails, stadia, open spaces, etc. and management issues. The seminar focuses on:

  1. Selected crisis rhetoric and the various perceptions of the utility crisis especially in Africa.
  2. Global prescriptions, ranging from the right to such basic public utility to market instruments, defined according to the understanding of such utility crisis.
  3. The diversity of local realities regarding the physical, economic, social, institutional and political dimensions of utility management issues.

 

DVS 514:  Development Practicum/Seminar II                                                            3 Units                                                     The course focuses on field visitation and identifying specific problems in different communities and using scientific process to recommend and implement solutions to the problems. The final report must be presented to the board of the Institute for Development Studies for grading after visitation to confirm such intervention.

 

DVS    521: Development Planning and Administration                                 3 units

The course covers: competing approaches of the role of the state in development; nature of the state in developing countries; interrogation of late-development theories; new institutional approaches; neo-patrimonial state hypotheses and the good governance agenda; theories and practice of the policy process – from design to policy evaluation; sector-level policies with special emphasis on Africa’s responses and associated debates; Agricultural, industrial, financial, employment, poverty reduction policies as well as the political economy of foreign aid.

DVS 522:        Development and Change Management                                       3 Units

The course covers issues such as: development as change; principles, theories, nature and strategies of change management; implication of change for development projects and processes; technological, political, economic and socio-cultural changes and development; managing the change process; planning for and implementation of change programmes in development projects; causes, problems and challenges of change; managing resistance to change; creating acceptance and enthusiasm for change; change, human nature and development; as well as leadership and change management.

DVS    523:  Development Concepts and Principles                                          3 units                                     

The course covers: relevance of development studies; nature of development problems; meaning of development; goal and means of development, interpretations and applications; concepts of human development and happiness; measurement and index of development; principles of sustainable development; growth versus development; development gaps; sustainable economic and human development principles; problems, issues and strategies for development; concepts of well-being and poverty (welfarist and non-welfarist schools); as well as corruption and development;

DVS 524:        Science/Technology Policy and Development                      3 Units

The course covers issues such as: the role of science, technology, natural resources and energy in national, rural and international development; industrial policy; the energy crisis and its management; oil and gas and national, rural and global development; the technological dimensions of energy; natural resources production, marketing and distribution (nationally and internationally); OPEC and other international energy related organizations; Burning or topical issues and problems in energy, technology, natural resources and development; the political, economic, historical, management, marketing, socio-cultural and other dimensions of technology, science and development; as well as science and technology effect on food security.

The course also debates on “whether strengthened intellectual property (IP) protection benefits developing economies especially Africa; the essentiality of IP for foreign direct investment and transfer of technology; strengthened IP protection and the “monopoly” positions of multinational corporations; effects of imitation strategies prevention for the new, emerging market economies as well as Africa. The course further looks at the negotiations on the Agreement on Trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the subsequent decisions on technological transfer. Utilising historical, political, economic and legal materials, this course provides students with an opportunity to critically examine the relationship between IP protection and development policies and practice and the effect they will have on science and technology advancement in developing countries especially Africa.

 

DVS 525:        Development Financing                                                            3 Units

The course covers issues such as: forms and sources of finance for development (aid, debt, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), equity financing, portfolio flows and other private flows). The course also covers: sourcing and management of development finances; development banking; project financing; financial management strategies in development projects; financial control; budgets and budgetary control; auditing and financial performance assessment in development programmes and projects; international and regional financial institutions; the politics of international global development; as well as regional co-operations in development and their roles in development financing.

DVS    545: Development Practice                                                                            3 units

The course covers issues such as: strategic planning; critical thinking; writing skills; leadership skills; proposal writing skills; budgeting; action planning; contemporary theoretical and practice; issues in entrepreneurship and innovation; business and management theories, models and frameworks; entrepreneurship education and training; gender and entrepreneurship, family business; creative industries entrepreneurship; small business creation and development; social, community and ethnic entrepreneurship; e-entrepreneurship & e-business; innovation, incubation and networks; management – skills development and growth issues; as well as supporting small business; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) finance and venture capital.

DVS 547:   Communication for Development                                                          3 units

The course goes beyond providing information. It involves understanding people, their beliefs and values, the social and cultural norms that shape their lives. It includes engaging communities and listening to adults and children as they identify problems, propose solutions and act upon them. The course thus includes the study of large scale media campaigns, social marketing, dissemination of printed materials, and ‘education entertainment’. The course also involves the study of incorporate interpersonal communication: face-to-face communications that can either be one-on-one or in small groups; the general push for more participatory approaches to development and greater representation of voices from the South. The belief is that while mass media allows for the learning of new ideas, interpersonal networks encourage the shift from knowledge to continued practice. Therefore the course “communication for development” encompasses access to and exchange of information, dialogue, creation of knowledge and open access to knowledge, development communication, strategic communication, participatory communication, expressive culture, media, information and communications infrastructure and technologies has thus come to be seen as a way to amplify voice, facilitate meaningful participation to foster social change.

 

SPECIALISATION TRACKS

 

Human and Social Development Track

 

DVS 541:        Public Health and Development                                                       3units

The course explores the interaction between human capital and development that justifies the volume of resources devoted to improving human capital. The course further brings the Amartya Sen’s perspective to Africa’s health debacle including premature mortality, significant undernourishment, allocation of economic resources, cost-effectiveness analysis to health resources allocation decisions in Africa; arrangements for social provision and policies, priorities identification, etc. Other topics covered include: health production functions and demand for healthcare; equity, efficiency and the need; government roles in the healthcare; government intervention and healthcare markets; health, social and economic development; organisation of healthcare insurance; malaria, HIV/AIDS, hemorrhagic fevers and African development; financial risks against health shocks; comparative healthcare systems and health system reforms in Africa with few countries case studies; determinants (macro, meso and micro) of health, determinants of fertility across Africa; cross-country comparisons and healthcare cost growth.

DVS    542:            Culture, Values and Development                                            3 units

The view that culture and values matter for development has gained much ground within institutional development sphere. Some scholars have also provided empirical evidence on the positive and negative effects of culture and values on country performance. This course will focus on providing answers to the following questions: Why do some countries do very well, while others fail to develop, even when all the requisite economic factors seem to be in place? How can we explain the repeated failure of most African nations? Why are countries in Africa and Asia even with a strong resource base and a well educated population, are not developing as fast as they ought to? If some cultural groups with some distinct values seem to do better than others, what would explain the differences? The course also explores what might be done to compensate for these differences and cancel the competitive disadvantages that some cultures and values seem to bear in this age of globalization. There is also high rate of neglect of indigenous societal norms, ethical values and culture to the embrace of foreign culture and values. Is there any connection between such movement and the level of development? The course further looks at the value system with special emphasis on Africa focusing on morals, ethics, standards, preferences, belief systems and world views that define an individual, group or culture and its relationship to the development of the continent.

DVS 543:        Education and Development                                                             3 units

The course explores impact of education on livelihood as well as education links to innovation and final development outcomes (life expectancy, mortality and morbidity rates, income of different segments in the society, etc). The course will look at the process of generating quality education and the roles of the different actors. How has educational policies and educational spending affected quality of literacy?  The course aims at understanding how public expenditure and educational processes (enrolment, completion and drop-out, repetition rates), hidden costs, inclusiveness of learning, mass literacy, nomadic and special education, private intervention in education, etc have affected outcomes (employment) and development in developing world with special emphasis on Africa. It will further look at the adequacy of new roles assigned to different stakeholders including the states, individuals, families and private actors which have emerged in the education supply, changing profoundly the educational landscape in many developing countries especially in Africa. These changes have led to differential access and offered new educational choices especially for emerging middle classes but not for some other social classes. The third part of the course focuses on the origins and features of ‘internationalization’ (mobility, trans-border supply, commodification, etc.) of education whereas the fourth part of the course analyses its consequences (inequalities, quality, educational choices, etc.) in developing countries with special interest in Africa.

 

Community Development Track

 

DVS    551:   Theory and Philosophy of Community Development                          3 units

The course will review the various theories and philosophies guiding community development. The course also covers issues such as: the process of strengthening the capacity of community members to act collectively to improve their physical, social, economic, and political environment; the process of building sustainable livelihood systems through participation and empowerment; community development and reflective practice; Participation and inclusion; Organizing the community – Alinsky style and the different African styles; Leadership development and community mobilisation etc. Other issues include: why learn theory and philosophy? The course will further explore core principles of community development: inclusivity and participation, civic intelligence, civic capacity building and leadership, and collaboration for public action; critical analysis of the historical and contemporary community development practice; opportunities and challenges.

DVS    552: Community Development Methods and Techniques                         3 units

This course covers key tools and techniques for community development including: needs assessment, asset mapping, capacity building, resource mobilization, project planning and program evaluation (summative and formative evaluation). Other  methods and tools covered include: RAPID Framework, Problem Situation Analysis (Tree Analysis), Stakeholder Analysis, Policy Process Mapping, Force Field Analysis, Influence Mapping, SWOT analysis, Case Studies, Episode Studies, Surveys, Bibliometric Analysis, Focus Group Discussion, Write Shops, Political Context Mapping, Competency Self-Assessment, The Entrepreneurship Questionnaire, Lobbying and Advocacy.

Also included are elements in Community profiling, proposal development and work plan development. The course is organized around the professional planner’s role as a community builder and/or, as well as a change agent in relation to other external and internal community agents.

DVS 563: Gender, Children, Marginalization and Poverty Alleviation    3 Units

The course covers gender issues and problems; women and development; women marginalization, discrimination and effect on development; empowerment of women for development; child abuses, youth marginalization and effect on development; status of women, children and youths across different geographical and cultural areas (literacy level, access to resources and rate, quality of their participation in labour force and in governance); strategies for enhancing the place and role of women, children and youth; How all these factors interface with poverty; methods of poverty alleviation in Nigeria; household, livelihood and coping strategies; non-farm activities, eco-tourism and poverty alleviation; identification and management of the needs of disadvantaged, vulnerable or poor groups; strategies for equitable development; as well as Child rights and education.

Conflict Resolution and Peace-building Track

 

DVS    561:     African Borders and Borderlands                                                     3 units

This course looks at the edges of African states to examine the challenges, opportunities and complexities that they represent. With a comparative emphasis drawing on examples from across the continent and with wider international reference, it will take a central principle as a gateway to questions drawn from history, anthropology, politics, economics and geography. Such interrogations will be in the margins on encounters between states, between people, and between states and people that can most readily and informatively serve as witnesses. Beginning with an examination of the myths and realities of the history of ‘arbitrary’ colonial boundaries and divided communities in Africa, the course proceeds to explore how the state seeks to control the border and how local people react to it, leading to questions of citizenship, belonging, resource control and state building from top and bottom. The economic, legal and moral problems of cross-border trade and smuggling progress to the phenomenon of the ‘border boom town’ (Badagry in Nigeria, Seme in Benin republic and Aflawo in Ghana are very good examples), while conflicts arising from secessionism and interventions prompt considerations of the flight and reception of refugees, as well as the place of the border in the restoration of peace.

 

DVS    562: Humanitarian Action, Frameworks and Practice                               3 units

The global and African humanitarian landscape is analysed from an organisational and operational point of view. Present and likely future challenges to be met by humanitarian actors will also be compared to other actors that will be identified. Political, socio-economic and legal frameworks will be primarily dealt with in relation to contexts selected for more detailed analysis of legal and operational humanitarian challenges. The idea of humanitarian principles; humanitarian principles in a changing world; Recent development; Case studies: Understanding conflict; The ‘framework of respect; The Ground Rules, Joint Principles of Operation (JPO) and the Principles and Protocols of Humanitarian Operations (PPHO); Neutrality and politics; The political economy of the humanitarian system; Regulation, codes and accountability; Method and methodological problems; The problem of counterfactuals; are covered in the course. 

DVS 563: Conflict Analysis and Management                                                         3 units

The course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of conflict analysis. It covers the following: classifying phases of conflict using the curve of conflict; identifying interventions appropriate to different phases of a conflict; analyzing the conflict using terms and concepts from the curve of conflict; generating a thorough set of characteristics for describing conflict using an analytical framework; and analyzing unfamiliar conflicts using terms and concepts from the curve and framework.  The course further explores the paradox of religion and conflict; and relationship between access to resources and conflict. Students will be exposed to faith-based approaches to peacemaking in promoting understanding and reconciliation. The course provides students with instruments for: preparing for negotiation, including identifying key stakeholders and analyzing their positions, interests, and sources of leverage; cultivating relationships with constituents and counterparts, especially across cultures, including through active listening and trust building; focusing on interests, including those that are shared, conflicting, or compatible; solving problems by separating them analytically, establishing criteria, and generating options; as well as implementing agreements, including establishing verification, dispute resolution, and enforcement mechanisms.

 

Natural Resources and Sustainable Development Track

DVS    571:  Critical and Emerging Issues in Food Security                                             3 units

The course looks at the need and importance of sound agricultural policies and its implications for food sufficiency and food security. It explores the limitations of the market in agricultural products and the required regulation for sustainable agricultural production and distribution of agricultural goods. The course covers the challenges and debates regarding the design and implementation of agricultural policies from social, economic and ecological dimensions. A particular attention is paid to the case of Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries on these topics as well as the issue of climate change and its adaptation as it affects future agricultural production. The course therefore analyses the multiple and conflicting objectives of agricultural policies with special emphasis on SSA countries; acquaint students with the main instruments of agricultural policies; develop a basic understanding of concepts and methods used to analyse and evaluate agricultural policies; as well as analyse the constraints affecting the design and implementation of agricultural policies in developing countries especially SSA. Healthy nutrition in changing food systems, livestock systems and food security and nutrition: challenges and opportunities; inequalities and food security and nutrition – imperatives of addressing the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations; increasing role of financial markets in food security and nutrition; pathways to sustainable food systems – the pursuit of human and environmental health for all

DVS    572: Sustainable Development: Approaches and Policies                           3 units

The course conceptualizes sustainable development and its evolution. Sustainable Development stands on the tripod of economic, social and ecological sustainability. It also covers models for policy making in sustainable development.

Economics of sustainability looks at the interaction between human societies and their environment as seen by different schools of economic thought. Such schools of economic thought include: the neoclassical environmental economics, as well as heterodox approaches associated with ecological economics, institutional economics, and the property economics. It further reviews policy options including fiscal policies, the creation of missing markets, socio-ecological indicators, industrial ecology and various institutional regimes.

Social sustainability encompasses such topics as: social equity, liveability, health equity, community development, social capital, social support, human rights, labour rights, place making, social responsibility, social justice, cultural competence, community resilience, and human adaptation.  These domains of social sustainability are all dependent upon the relationship between the social and the natural, with the “ecological domain” defined as human embeddedness in the environment. In these terms, social sustainability encompasses all human activities.

Ecologically sustainable development which is the environmental component looks at threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage and why lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. Also important issues to covers include the principle of intergenerational equity; biodiversity, maintenance of diversity and productivity of the environment to enhance future generations benefits, valuation of environmental assets and services to provide more incentive for the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity.

 

DVS    573: Climate Change and Development                                                       3 units

Climate change poses a serious risk to lives and livelihoods, particularly for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. The impacts of climate change may reverse progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this sense climate change is both a development and an environmental challenge. This course focuses on three main issues including: climate change vulnerability and resilience – building adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies that contribute to eradicating poverty; climate change knowledge and learning – improving understanding of whose voices and whose knowledge counts in climate policies; as well as low-carbon development – meeting the challenge of achieving sustainable economic growth. The course further explores the connection among ecosystem, genetic and cultural diversity and global policies and intervention that can help in preservation of all species while enjoying the positive proceeds for development. Such policies include developing effective carbon pricing mechanisms that can and will play a key part in tackling climate change, facilitating the much needed investment that is cost-effective at scale. Specifically, the course assesses “cap and trade” policies or Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) that have been widely adopted in recent years because of their potential to foster greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

 

International Development Track

                                                         

DVS    581: Trade, Migration, Finance and Development                                      3 units

It is believed that trade can be a key factor in development hence the prudent use of trade can boost every economies’ development and create absolute gains for the trading partners involved. In line with these the course explores theories of trade and development experiences; implications of growth theories for trade and development; the current trade trends and challenges in the World economy; the new World Trade Order and its challenges; Market access in general and specifically for less developed economies; as well as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations.

The course further covers the relationship between finance and economic development by focusing on the roles of domestic and international finance. The course also addresses key economic issues related to international migration from the perspective of the developing countries with special emphasis on Africa including the effects of emigration on welfare of the remaining residents, the role of remittances and return migration, the brain-drain problem and the potential for brain-gain, as well as the implications of a range of immigration policies of the host countries on the pattern of international migration and the development prospects of the source countries.

 

DVS    582: Industrialisation and Africa’s Development                                       3 units

The dismal state of affairs in terms of industrialization in Africa creates a cycle of perpetual dependency, leaving some African countries reliant on the export of raw products and exposed to exogenous shocks, such as falling demand and price. Without strong industries in Africa to add value to raw materials, foreign buyers can dictate and manipulate the prices of these materials to the great disadvantage of Africa’s economies and people. This course explores history of Industrialisation in developed countries, the new structural economics, policies that promote manufacturing and industrial growth, as well as the link between access to energy and industrialization. Other issues to be explored are the effects of transportation (Africa’s poor roads, railways and other transport networks) and other basic infrastructures like communications and other issues like rising crime rates, riots and political instability. The unreliable and insufficient energy have resulted in high production and transaction costs. The course will further explore the role of the state through a robust industrial policy and how Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can help stimulate industrialization. The course will further examine key public and private institutions that can catalyse industrial growth as well as how diversification occurs including policies that can promote inclusive growth.

DVS    583: Politics of International Development                                                  3 units

This course presents the main social scientific theories which have underpinned international development since the 1950s following the historical evolution of dominant and alternative theories which seek to explain economic, social and political transformation in developing countries over the last sixty years. The course critically analyses the principles upon which these theories are built hence explores how international, governmental and non-governmental actors and institutions engage with development theories as they seek to shape development debates and to translate theory into workable strategies and frameworks.

The course explores different ways in which ‘development’ has been understood and practiced – from the ideas of civilisation and imperialism in the 19th century to entrepreneurialism and neo-liberalism today. As part of this theoretical overview, the course looks at explanations for why particular areas have or have not developed (e.g. the East Asian miracle, Latin American dependency) and whether international development, as some sceptics allege, is simply a guise for controlling the world’s poor. The course will further explore and analyse particular actors – including the roles of supranational organisations, states, transnational companies, civil society and the poor themselves – and asks what role and responsibility they should have in respect to international development. Also to be looked at are the ways these actors govern issues like hunger, aid, health and climate change.

External Examiner

The external examiner shall be used at the end of the M.Sc. programme to assess the courses and thesis. The external examiner must be a Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer/Senior Research Fellow with a Ph.D. in Development Studies or Social Sciences.

Oral Examination

The thesis shall be subject to oral examination where the student is required to show evidence that he/she carried out the work and has pertinent knowledge of the subject matter. The external examiner must be present during the oral defense. Scores for Masters oral examination are as follows:

  1. Internal examiners excluding the supervisor(s) 30%
  2. Supervisor(s) 20%
  3. External examiner 50%

Total                                                                                       100%  

 

COURSE NUMBERING

The three digit course listing is adopted in the Programme. The first digit refers to the year of study, second digit stress area; the third digit reflects the sequence within the stress area reflecting the odd and even number endings for first and second semester accordingly.

 

 

SCHEDULE OF COURSES

 

  • CORE COURSES

Regardless of the track and proposed area of specialisation candidates must offer the following core courses.

 

                                                            FIRST SEMESTER
COURSE CODE TITLE UNIT
DVS 601 Advanced Development Theories and Applications 3
DVS 631 Seminar in Knowledge, Technology and Society/International Development 3
DVS 611 Research Methods in Development Practice/Synopsis and Grant Writing 3
DVS 651 Culture, Values and Development 3
SUBTOTAL   12
                                                   SECOND SEMESTER
DVS 622 Development Policies, Actors and Processes 3
DVS 632 Seminar in Governance/Poverty and Social Justice 3
DVS 642 Economics of Development and Poverty Dynamics 3
DVS 624 Development Practice 3
SUB TOTAL   12
DVS 690 Ph.D. Thesis 12

 

TOTALCREDIT

 

  36  

 

                                                                                        

 

TRACKS OF SPECIALIZATION(S)

The following tracks of specialization in the Ph.D. programme in Development Studies exist:

 

Tracks of Specialization                                                        

  • Governance and Social Change
  • Poverty, Power Relations and Social Justice
  • Knowledge, Technology and Society
  • International Development

 

FOCUS OF THE SPECIALISATION AREAS

 

  • Governance and Social Change: This area of specialisation covers the following broad issues: public policy and policy making processes; democratization; natural resource management; corruption; conflict resolution and peace building; as well as fragility and state failure.

  • Poverty, Power Relations and Social Justice: This area of specialisation covers the following broad issues: Poverty and income/wealth distribution; inequality and inclusiveness; post 2015 agenda (Sustainable Development Goals); vulnerability; as well as participation.

  • Knowledge, Technology and Society: This area of specialisation covers the following broad issues: Education for development; science, technology and innovation (STI) policies; STI and poverty reduction; STI and popular participation; STI and social change; technology transfer and industrialisation; STI and employment generation; indigenous knowledge; as well as intellectual property rights (IPR).

  • International Development: This area of specialisation covers the following broad issues: Globalisation; cross border financial flows (ODA, FDI, FPI, remittances, capital flight, etc); international trade and regional integration; informal trade; emerging markets; bilateral and multi-lateral agencies; global governance (United Nations systems, WTO, WIPO, etc.) and international financial architecture; the politics of international development; south-south cooperation; as well as migration and brain drain and its other dimension.

 

DETAILED COURSE CONTENTS FOR Ph.D. PROGRAMME

 

CORE COURSES

 

DVS    601: Advanced Development Theories and Applications                                 3 units

The course conceptualizes development highlighting the different concepts and terms and analyses the overall goals and means of development. The course covers major development theories in the following chronological order: Modernisation theories (1950’s, early 1960’s); Dependency theories (late 1960’s, early 1970’s); Neo-Liberalism (World economy view and the World Systems Theory (late 1970’s, early 1980’s)); Basic needs approaches (late 1970’s); Post-structuralism and ‘Anti-development ‘theories; Feminist and ‘Gender Development theories’; Theories of ethno-development; Alternative modes of production perspective (1980’s); as well as the Sustainable livelihood approach. The course further covers: Contemporary Models of Development and Underdevelopment including Poverty Trap and Multiple Equilibria (Big Push and O-Ring Theory); Globalisation theories (economic, political, technology and cultural); Corruption theory; Geography and institutional hypotheses; An Evolutionary theory of Political Development; Political theory of Development cooperation; The theory of Political Development; Vygotsky Social Development theory; Theories of policy change (Large leaps theory, Coalition theory, Agenda setting theory, Messaging and framework theory, Power politics theory, and Community organizing theory); Public Expenditure theories (Laissez-faire:, individual choice theory, authoritarian concept theory, optimal level theory, the ballot box theory, the positive theory of public expenditure); as well as Social Policy theories.

DVS 611:  Research Methods in Development Practice/Synopsis and Grant writing   3 Units                                          

The course is to be taught in two parts (the course lecturers cover the first section while the SPGS take the second part which includes a workshop). All registered PhD Students must attend a solution based interactive workshop of the SPGS. The course covers the meaning and importance of research, types of research, selection and formulation of research problem, research design, ethical issues in research, basis for literature review, hypothesis-importance and types, The course equips students with research methods such as: historical, institutional, legal, philosophical, comparative, ethical, survey, case study, content analysis, experimental method, triangulation, and mixed method research. The course dissects a brief history of social research – logical positivism, axiology, ontology, positive epistemology – logical preliminaries – transformative paradigm – pragmatic paradigm- merging paradigms – phenomenology. The course also covers issues such as: methods of data collecting (observation, questionnaire, interview, attitude scales, interest inventories, construction and standardisation); scaling techniques (different types of scales); different types of sampling; sampling errors; different types of variables; references and referencing styles; as well as preparation of thesis proposal.

The course further covers issues such as: ethical practices in doing development research; working in different cultures; collecting sensible and contentious information; working with partners (educational institutions and government ministries, department and agencies, as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs)); using the world wide web; the importance of census and other secondary data in development studies; as well as ethnography and participant observations usage.  The SPGS component include: Identification of types and nature of grant writing; mining of grants application calls on the internet. Determining appropriate strategy for each grant application. Study of various grant application structures and contents and writing of concept notes, detailed project description,budgeting and budget defense. Study of sample grant writings in various forms and writing of mock research and other grants. Identification of University of Nigeria synopsis structure and requirements, (Introduction, Methodology and Results). Determining the content of each sub-unit of the synopsis. Steps in writing of synopsis from the Dissertation/Thesis document. Structural and language issues. Common errors in synopsis writing and strategies for avoiding them. The roles of the student and the supervisor in the production of a synopsis. Writing of a mock synopsis. All registered Ph.D students must attend a solution-based interactive workshop to be organized by the school of Postgraduate Studies for a practical demonstration and application of the knowledge acquired from the course, conducted by selected experts.

DVS    622: Development Polices, Actors and Processes                                              3 units

Today’s development challenges look quite different, in at least five ways. First, most of the world’s poor live in middle-income countries, such as China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Nigeria. Second, private investment, remittances and private giving are now far bigger than official aid. Third, there has been healthy growth in many developing countries, bringing increases in prosperity for many, but also great challenges of inequality, environmental degradation and dislocation. Fourth, we are moving from a world dominated by a few rich countries to broader spread of emerging global powers. Fifth and finally, we face a growing array of challenges requiring global solutions, including climate change, macroeconomic imbalances, inadequate financial regulation, tax avoidance, insecurity and corruption. How can current development polices confront some of the challenges raised so as to benefit more from resources and services? The course explores such avenues that recognize that people from developing countries are clear that development policy today must mean more than giving aid. Aid can no longer be the compensation for global trade rules which are stacked against developing countries hence the need for the rules to change.

The course explores different roles of different development actors that are operational at local, district, national, international and transnational (global) levels. At each of these levels actors to be analysed can be from the public (government) sector, private (business) sector or from civil society (ordinary citizens). It is common to refer to the different groups of actors as stakeholders and for interactions between them to be called multi-stakeholder meetings. These offer huge challenges in terms of communication and consensus building hence the course explores better communication strategies. The course in addition looks at the Post-2015 Agenda – the Social Development Goals (SDGs) and the process of achieving them through lessons learnt from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

 

DVS    624: Development Practice                                                                            3 units

The course covers issues such as: critical thinking; writing skills; leadership skills; proposal writing skills; budgeting; action planning; contemporary theoretical and practice; issues in entrepreneurship and innovation; business and management theories, models and frameworks; supporting small business; innovation, incubation and networks; management; small business creation and development; social, community and ethnic entrepreneurship; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) finance and venture capital; as well as strategic planning ((setting strategic objectives, establishing success criteria, listing priority areas for action and developing objectives; applying SMART strategic thinking skills, using outcomes-based tools, understanding the key factors involved in implementing strategy, using action planning tools such as logical frame working, action planning grids and planning wheels, undertaking effective monitoring and evaluation, understanding the difference between monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment, and recognising emergent approaches to monitoring and evaluation such as participatory, real-time, balanced scorecard).

DVS 642:  Economics of Development and Poverty Dynamics                               3 units

The course uses analytical and critical skills relevant to development, in particular those needed to assess alternative approaches to policy. It provides the rigorous quantitative training that development work now requires, helping you develop the ability to access, process and interpret a variety of data. It aims to provide the research tools and approaches needed for those who wish to proceed to doctoral research in development economics. The course also covers issues such as: growth and structural change, agriculture and development, political economy and institutions, globalisation, macroeconomic management, and risk and microfinance; time and poverty, methods and disciplines, poverty dynamics: as well as measurement and understanding of poverty.

 

External Examiner

External examiners are involved throughout the process. They shall be used to moderate the questions, marked scripts and during the examination of the final thesis (oral defense). The external examiner must be a Professor with a Ph.D. in Development Studies or Social Sciences and Management Sciences or as determined by the Faculty Board of the Institute.

Oral Defense

The thesis shall be subject to oral examination where the student is required to show evidence that he/she carried out the work and had pertinent knowledge of the subject matter. The external examiner must be present during the oral defense. Scores for Ph.D oral examination are as follows:

  1. Internal examiners excluding the supervisor(s) 30%
  2. Supervisor(s) 20%
  3. External examiner 50%

Total                                                                                       100%