Master of Arts in International Development Studies
Program Committee on International Development Studies
| A. H. O'Malley, Coordinator | International Development Studies |
| H. Veltmeyer | Sociology and Criminology |
| A. M. Dalton | Religious Studies |
| S. Dansereau | International Development Studies |
| M. Doucet | Political Science |
| J. Measor | Political Science |
| J. Morrison | History |
| E. Tastsoglou | Sociology and Criminology |
| S. Wein | Philosophy |
| T. Charles | Finance and Management |
| R. Barbosa | History |
| A. Spires | Modern Languages |
| Adjunct Professors: | W. Bello, T. Charles, N. Girvan, R. Delgado Wise, J. Devlin, J. Petras, J. Kirk, K. Ahoojapatel, |
Note: In addition to the above IDST Program Committee members and Adjunct Professors, there are several other Saint Mary's faculty members teaching IDST related courses.
The graduate degree program is an interdisciplinary program comprising a core program of development analysis, practitioner skills, and policy-oriented courses in the field of International Development Studies (IDST). The IDST graduate Program makes considerable use of the techniques and concepts of social science disciplines such as Economics, Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science to analyze and assess development problems, but also views the contributions of History, Management, Geography, Philosophy, Religious Studies and Modern Languages, among others, as important sources of explanations and understandings which advance our knowledge of international development. The IDST Program recognizes a significant number of approved, cross-listed courses in other University departments as creditable to its program.
The interdisciplinary IDST Program provides an environment in which a combination of seminars and guided individual research are strongly focused on analyzing the problems experienced by developing countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and Africa, and Oceania regions. Together with associated courses, the IDST Program focuses not only on practical policies for
remedying these problems, but also on the conceptual frameworks that explain how such problems are derived from the social, cultural, economic, historical and political structures and forces that underlie them. An important concern of the program is with evaluating the development strategies pursued by social movements and governments in developing countries and regions. An evaluation of the different models and strategies for national and regional development, as well as an evaluation of models for local bottom-up development, in an increasingly global context, forms an essential part of a student's training within the Program.
Master of Arts in International Development Studies
The IDST Masters program of study will be useful to those seeking employment in national and international settings, for which knowledge of global development issues, policies and practices is increasingly needed. Such employers would include many federal government offices (CIDA, Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade), multilateral development agencies, crown and parastatal corporations, immigration services, non-governmental organizations and professions such as teaching, journalism, development planning, public administration and business.
Admission Requirements
The MA in IDST follows the general admission requirements and procedures of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research as outlined in Section 2 of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar. For additional requirements and conditions, see below.
The application should also contain a statement that specifies areas of preparation and interest, and three letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to the applicant's academic or professional competence relevant to graduate studies in international development. The application deadline for this program is March 1.
Students who have earned an honours baccalaureate undergraduate degree (or its equivalent) with a minor concentration in International Development Studies or relevant social sciences, or who have earned a baccalaureate undergraduate degree and can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Admissions Committee that they have had considerable practical experience in the field of international development, may be admitted into the forty-two (42) credit hour regular program (i.e. the Category I program). The IDST Program reserves the right to add up to three (3) credit hours to this course load should the incoming student show
evidence of a specific gap in undergraduate preparation.
Students who have earned an honours baccalaureate undergraduate degree with a major concentration in International Development Studies may be admitted directly into a twenty-seven (27) credit hour accelerated program (i.e. the Category II program). The IDST Program reserves the right to add up to three (3) credit hours to this course load should the incoming student show evidence of a specific gap in undergraduate preparation.
The Admissions Committee of the IDST Program carefully reviews the files of all applicants, and recommends admission to the Program on a competitive basis. Successful applicants will be advised of the category of their admission and the credit requirements of their program in the Letter of Acceptance.
Due to the sequential nature of many IDST graduate seminars, the IDST Program is unable to accept any students for January admission to the MIDS. Note that the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research academic year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31, and consists of three, four-month semesters. IDST students are not required to be in residence at the University during the third (summer) semester.
Financial Support
Students admitted full-time to the MA in IDST may be eligible for funding of a student stipend through funds provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. Funding decisions are made by the Program Coordinator in consultation with the IDST Committee and are provided on a competitive basis within the program.
Program Requirements
Note: Students not registered in any course work but working on their Program/Thesis must register in Program Continuation (FGSR 9000) if their program was initiated after 1 September 2004 or Thesis Continuation (THES 9999) if their program was initiated prior to 1 September 2004 for every semester (including summer) in which they are in their graduate program.
See the FGSR Program Requirements in Section 2 of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar and below.
Selected courses offered by associated academic units departments at Saint Mary's University will be chosen from an approved list and/or in consultation with the International Development Studies Coordinator.
The IDST Program may allow a graduate student to take courses for credit at other university-level institutions. However, approval of the IDST Coordinator must be obtained for such courses, and in no case shall such courses exceed two in number without further special permission of the IDST Program.
To obtain a Master of Arts degree in International Development Studies, all students must complete a thesis under the direction of a supervisor and a thesis supervisory committee of at least two readers, and must, with the approval of this committee, provide a public presentation of the results of their research so that the benefits of their study may be disseminated and discussed by the University community and interested members of the public at large.
The IDST Program encourages students to pursue thesis topics that cover a wide spectrum of student interests. Topics may range from applied, development practitioner-oriented studies—such as project management assessment of an NGO, assessing local community practices in sustainable waste management, or assessing a regional development agency's polices regarding objectives and deliverables—to broader, structural analyses of the dynamics of the global order, global sustainable development policies, popular responses to global policy regimes, or national/regional responses to socioeconomic restructuring or migration. Most graduate students elect to carry out fieldwork overseas—using contacts derived from their own initiative or through IDST Program university linkages and networks—so there is ample opportunity to acquire field experience in the context of the student's thesis research.
All graduate students in the IDST Program are required to participate in the IDST Program Speakers Series, which provides a forum for students to discuss central development issues with invited guests from multilateral agencies, NGOs, academia, and the private sector. Details of Program requirements, current areas of specialization and ancillary matters may be found in the comprehensive International Development Studies Handbook, available from the Program secretary or the IDST website (www.arts.smu.ca/ids).
CATEGORY I (42 credit hours)
The course requirements for this six (6) semester, two-year program are successful completion of the following courses together with twelve (12) credit hours in electives chosen for their relevance to the student's intended area of research (see the IDST List of Approved Courses):
IDST 5543 Seminar: Conceptual Foundations
IDST 5544 Seminar: Contemporary Issues
IDST 6601 Dynamics of Development: Frameworks of Analysis
IDST 6602 Dynamics of Development: Critical Issues
IDST 6620 Advanced Research Methods
IDST 6663, (Regional Specialization course)
or 6662,
or 6661
IDST 6664, (Area Specialization course)
or 6622,
or 6623
IDST 6692 Thesis Design
IDST 6690 Thesis Course.
CATEGORY II (27 credit hours)
The course requirements for this program are successful completion of the following courses together with six (6) credit hours in electives chosen for their relevance to the student's intended area of research (see the IDST List of
Approved Courses):
IDST 6601 Dynamics of Development: Frameworks of Analysis
IDST 6602 Dynamics of Development: Critical Issues
IDST 6620 Advanced Research Methods
IDST 6663, (Regional Specialization courses)
or 6662,
or 6661
IDST 6664, (Area Specialization course)
or 6622,
or 6623
IDST 6692 Thesis Design
IDST 6690.0 Thesis.
Graduate Courses (IDST)
5525 International Justice
3 credit hours
This course will consider how major theories of justice such as Kantian constructivism, economic contractarianism, and utilitarianism deal with important issues in international justice such as the law of peoples, distributive justice, human rights, and democratization.
5530 Contemporary Development Planning
3 credit hours
This seminar will discuss past and current approaches to development planning at the local, regional, national and global levels. Discussions will focus on acquiring an appreciation for the challenges facing contemporary development planners with regard to justifying, formulating and implementing development policies, programs and procedures at all levels.
5540 - 5542 Special Topics in International Development
3 credit hours
These courses will explore in depth a particular topic or set of topics in international development. Specific topics will depend on availability of visiting scholars, invited speakers and research plans of associated faculty.
5543 Conceptual Foundations of Development: Theories and Perspectives
3 credit hours
This is the first part of the core graduate seminar, and will be focused on discussing the spectrum of contemporary perspectives and theoretical approaches forming the foundation of past and current development policies. The seminar will emphasize the acquisition of an analytical and critical appreciation of development perspectives and their underlying assumptions and commitments, together with a broad panorama of their real-world consequences.
5544 Conceptual Foundations of Development: Policy and Practice
3 credit hours
This is the second part of the core graduate seminar, and will be focused on the policies, practices and implications of development theories and perspectives with regard to traditional thematic areas in development such as health, gender, education, material well-being, the state and market, overseas development assistance, nationalism, human rights regimes, agrarian and rural livelihoods, etc.
5550 - 5555 Directed Readings
3 credit hours
These courses provide an opportunity for students to pursue individually with faculty and researchers topics not normally covered by regular course offerings. Students are expected to demonstrate initiative and independence in pursuing a directed reading, and will normally produce a substantial written document summarizing their literature research.
5560 Field Research in Development
3 credit hours
This course will provide an opportunity for students to pursue a supervised research program in the field. The research and project report must be approved by the IDST Coordinator.
5561 South East Asia: Contemporary Development Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues in the context of South East Asia, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the emergence of the Newly-Industrializing Countries, the impact of the Asian financial crisis and globalization. The course will begin from the perspective of common colonial roots and identify the current sub-regional models of development. The course will explore current alternative approaches articulated by Asian scholars and grassroots organizations.
5562 Sub-Saharan Africa: Contemporary Development Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues specific to Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the impact of structural adjustment, efforts toward political democratization and the ongoing presence of traditional forms of social organization. The overall objective is to present the dynamic nature of the current policy debates as they are being articulated and challenged by a variety of actors in the region, including African scholars and grassroots organizations.
5563 Latin America: Contemporary Development Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues in the context of Latin America, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the impact of globalization and liberalization, efforts towards political democratization including the role of popular organizations and alternative approaches articulated by Latin American scholars and grassroots organizations. Sub-regional differences will be identified.
5564 Popular Approaches to Development
3 credit hours
This course will examine theoretical debates surrounding the current alternative and people-centered approaches to development and social change. Emphasis is on alternatives articulated by a new civil society or the new social movements in the South including NGOs, community and grassroots organizations, labour groups and others. Issues range from new practices in development based on increased participation by subaltern groups to the more fundamental challenges to national and international structures as they struggle for greater democratization as groups work for economic and political decentralization.
5570 Environment and Development
3 credit hours
This seminar will explore the implications for world economic development of the rising tide of “environmental problems”, as well as the question of what “economic development” might mean in the context of tackling the growing disruption of the global ecosystem. The importance of a sociological and political-economic analysis of the problems of environmental disruption will be emphasized as the basis for understanding the threat which environmental problems pose for the very existence of human kind and certain patterns of economic development.
5651 International Comparative Education I
3 credit hours
Examination of concepts underlying a comparative understanding of selected educational systems around the world, including research methodologies used in the field. The course will emphasize comparisons between mainstream educational understandings in the developed world, the agenda of international education organizations, international educational funders, and the implementation of educational systems, both public and private. Specific reference will be made to access to education, curriculum and language learning, curriculum and culture, gender and education, and similar issues with an emphasis on examples from the so-called developing world in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa.
5652 International Comparative Education II
3 credit hours
A continuation of IDST 5651. Examination and comparison of educational policies in selected countries or regions of the world with a view to assessing educational outcomes, education processes and the relation between education, the public sector, the private sector and international organizations, and the effect of such policies worldwide. Emphasis is on Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa.
5673 Comparative Perspectives on Innovations in Education – Reforms
3 credit hours
This course will assess, compare and contrast variations and reforms to mainstream educational systems, and will emphasize the conditions out of which such reforms are initiated. Special emphasis will be given to contrasting public systems of education with privatization initiatives, together with public/private partnerships and changes that affect access to education, gender and education, and so on. This course will draw on the considerable body of literature and concrete case studies throughout the world; however, considerable emphasis will be given to examples and case studies from regions or sub-regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa.
5674 Comparative Perspectives on Innovations in Education – Alternatives
3 credit hours
Introduction to concepts and analysis underlying a comparative understanding of selected educational systems around the world. The course will emphasize comparisons between mainstream educational understandings in the developed world, the agenda of international education organizations, international education funders, and the implementation of educational systems, both public and private. Specific reference will be made to access to education, curriculum and culture, gender and education, and similar issues with an emphasis on examples from the so-called developing world.
6601 Dynamics of Development: Frameworks of Analysis and Practice
3 credit hours
This senior, core graduate seminar course will review and critically examine the major schools of development thinking with special reference to the social and political implications of economic polices and practice. The basic assumptions, central concepts, theoretical assumptions and public policy or political implications of each approach will be critically examined and placed in their historical context.
6602 Dynamics of Development: Critical Issues
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: IDST 6601.
A continuation of IDST 6601, each student in this seminar will prepare a major presentation on the issues and basic literature in the area of the student's thesis research. The seminar will act as a forum for discussing and critically assessing the issues arising from each presentation in order to strengthen and support each student's thesis project. A final paper is required and should represent a basic draft of the student's thesis literature review.
6620 Advanced Research Methods
3 credit hours
This course in advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods is designed to provide students with the tools needed to select the appropriate methodological approach and techniques for conducting research on development issues. This course will also deal with more general questions of research design, data gathering and analysis.
6622 Gender and Development: Theory and Method
3 credit hours
This seminar will examine the role of women and development in the Third World. It will discuss the interrelationship of various development and feminist theories; methodological approaches to the study of women and development will also be examined. This course will provide students with a conceptual overview and practical tools for understanding the problems faced by women in developing countries.
6623 Gender and Development: Policy and Practice
3 credit hours
This seminar will examine case studies of the role of women in the development process in various Third World countries. It will provide an analysis of the gender dimensions of programs and policies that affect women in different international, regional and community contexts. Case studies will focus on a number of specific issues such as work, education, health and empowerment. These will vary from year to year.
6625 International Justice
3 credit hours
This course will consider how major theories of justice such as Kantian constructivism, economic contractarianism, and utilitarianism deal with important issues in international justice such as the law of peoples, distributive justice, human rights, and democratization.
6640 - 6645 Special Topics in International Development
3 credit hours
These courses will investigate in some depth a particular topic or set of topics in international development. Specific topics will depend on availability of visiting scholars, invited speakers and research plans of associated faculty.
6650 - 6655 Directed Readings
3 credit hours
These courses provide an opportunity for students to pursue individually with faculty and researchers topics not normally covered by regular course offerings. Students are expected to demonstrate initiative and independence in pursuing a directed reading, and will normally produce a substantial written document summarizing their literature research.
6660 Field Research in Development
3 credit hours
This course will provide an opportunity for students to pursue a supervised research program in the field. The research and project report must be approved by the IDST Coordinator.
6661 South East Asia: Contemporary Development Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues in the context of South East Asia, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the emergence of the Newly-Industrializing Countries, the impact of the Asian financial crisis and globalization. The course will begin from the perspective of common colonial roots and identify the current sub-regional models of development. The course will explore current alternative approaches articulated by Asian scholars and grassroots organizations.
6662 Sub-Saharan Africa: Contemporary Development
Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues specific to Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the impact of structural adjustment, efforts toward political democratization and the ongoing presence of traditional forms of social organization. The overall objective is to present the dynamic nature of the current policy debates as they are being articulated and challenged by a variety of actors in the region, including African scholars and grassroots organizations.
6663 Latin America: Contemporary Development Issues
3 credit hours
This course explores development issues in the context of Latin America, focusing on the nation-state and its development strategies, as well as issues of economic and social development. Issues include the impact of globalization and liberalization, efforts towards political democratization including the role of popular organizations and alternative approaches articulated by Latin American scholars and grassroots organizations. Sub-regional differences will be identified.
6664 Popular Approaches to Development
3 credit hours
This course will examine theoretical debates surrounding the current alternative and people-centered approaches to development and social change. Emphasis is on alternatives articulated by a new civil society or the new social movements in the South including NGOs, community and grassroots organizations, labour groups and others. Issues range from new practices in development based on increased participation by subaltern groups to the more fundamental challenges to national and international structures as they struggle for greater democratization as groups work for economic and political decentralization.
6676 Education and Development I: Perspectives
3 credit hours
Introduction to concepts and analysis underlying a comparative understanding of selected educational systems around the world. The course will emphasize comparisons between mainstream educational understandings in the developed world, the agenda of international education organizations, international educational funders, and the implementation of educational systems, both public and private. Specific reference will be made to access to education, curriculum and culture, gender and education, and similar issues with an emphasis on examples from the so-called developing world in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa.
6677 Education and Development II: Policies and Practices
3 credit hours
A continuation of EDUC 6676. Examination and comparison of educational policies in selected countries or regions of the world with a view to assessing educational outcomes, education processes and the relation between education, the public sector, the private sector and international organizations, and the effect of such policies worldwide. Emphasis is on Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa.
6690 Thesis Research
6 credit hours
Students will engage in the research and writing of a thesis under supervision of a thesis committee. The student must satisfy the supervisor that thesis research and all other methodological and disciplinary preparation for the successful handling of the thesis topic have been completed. Supervisors may require a demonstration of language competence or extra course work as preparation for the treatment of certain thesis topics. Students will publicly defend their thesis, following which a final grade will be determined by the thesis committee.
6692 Thesis Design
3 credit hours
This seminar serves as a forum for addressing the common challenges of writing a thesis research document. General thesis structure, the nature of a literature review, the construction of a research protocol, the nature of the thesis discussion, and the identification of the central issues particular to the thesis problematic will all be discussed in an atmosphere of seminar presentations, constructive peer assessment and instructor-led discussions.
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