BA (Hons) International Development Bachelor's degree at the University of Portsmouth

Gain knowledge and understanding of the principles surrounding the use of digital software in higher education and the modern workplace. Learn how to practically use key Microsoft applications and demonstrate this knowledge in studies and future careers. Learn of the potential and risks of AI software and how to use it responsibly in the classroom and in assessments.

Develop a solid understanding and practical skills needed for degree level study. Understand the value of scholarships and prepare to move on to postgraduate programs at the University of Portsmouth.

Explore key areas like observation, interpretation, and critical analysis, gaining insight into anthropology and intercultural studies. Develop academic writing skills and critically analyse texts and images. Present analysis to deepen self-awareness and understand diverse perspectives in a global context.

Gain a solid foundation in politics and international relations. Explore theories of international relations, the nature of the international system, and factors like conflict, globalisation, and international organisations. Dive into key global issues such as climate change, gender, and human rights.

Explore foundational knowledge of sustainability challenges and developmental issues. Cover sustainability, the environment, and development. Appreciate how these fields intersect and impact each other. Be introduced to technological innovations and examine how they are applied in society from a sociological perspective.

Gain knowledge of contemporary urban challenges and an overview of key discipline areas including cities, space and people. Develop awareness of how people, politics and place are intertwined. Get introduced to criminology with a sociological analysis of urban crime, its cause and effects on society.

Be introduced to legal ethics, morality, and the political, social, and economic factors that influence legal decisions and frameworks. Gain an overview of the history of legal scholarship. Develop solid understanding and ability to apply essential legal knowledge and skills.

Develop skills needed for effective law study, with emphasis on effective communication in English. Learn how to use academic databases and journals. Develop abilities in academic writing by writing short essays, case study analysis or similar written artefacts.

Get basic tools to conduct research using either qualitative or quantitative methodologies. Strengthen understanding of argumentation, rationalisation of evidence, and assessing the credibility of sources.

Explore key concepts for political analyses: power, nation, state, democracy, parties, movements, elections. Reflect on why politics takes its current form, considering core principles, historical roots, and contemporary challenges. Learn the British political system through a comparative lens. Develop skills to establish key differences between how politics works in different states and trace those differences to historical and social roots. Develop vital academic skills including presenting cl

Explore how global development works by thinking about who shapes aid, why inequality persists, and how real people's lives are shaped by policy and power. Using real-world examples, explore why reducing global poverty, inequality and conflict remains so challenging. Debate key ideas in development thinking and explore how development fits within the global economy. Examine changing roles of governments, international organisations and NGOs to learn how aid works in practice.

Learn more about why the world works as it does: explore how the international system is changing, reflect upon the challenges it faces, and discover more about the motivations of the big players in international politics today. Gain good understanding of the variety of actors - from states to international organisations - that comprise contemporary international relations. Participate in informed discussions about big issues in the world today. Delve into main IR theories which are used to make

Explore some of the most important political questions through history, encounter great thinkers who've tried to answer them, and discover how they still shape politics today. Explore ideas of political thinkers from around the world, ancient and modern. Questions about human nature, individual rights and duties to others; civil disobedience and violent protest; and whether there is a place for morality in politics comprise concerns. Be introduced to different arguments, apply them to contempora

Examine how global crises are defined and addressed. Move from understanding 'crisis' as a catastrophic event requiring transformative action, to the notion of 'polycrisis' as a deeper systemic state of instability and insecurity. Explore interconnected crises related to climate change, geopolitical conflict, global health, economic issues and human rights concerns.

Learn how to navigate conflicting arguments in Politics, International Relations, and Development by gaining key research and analytical skills. Explore real-world questions, like is there a link between fake news and the outcome of elections? Or how far does aid help in establishing 'safe' and 'secure' societies and liberal democratic norms? Develop tools to critically assess evidence and carry out independent research.

Examine the power and processes behind foreign policy. Learn diverse perspectives on formulating and presenting policy, taking into account key variables like leadership, security, and global dynamics. Deploy theories to critically analyse major decisions and their outcomes. Debate and discuss how policy intersects with national interests and global security.

Explore the key challenges for development and democracy across Latin America today. Explore how countries like Argentina, Chile and Brazil transitioned from military dictatorships to democracies towards the end of the 20th century. Learn about dramatic public protests and negotiations that toppled dictatorships. Analyse political, economic and social challenges that societies across the region are grappling with in the 21st century. Examine to what extent the region's new democracies have been

Develop an understanding of the dynamics between the state and society in East Asia. Explore ideas around modernisation, colonialism and nationalism and how they shape education, gender roles, ethnicity, class, sexuality and everyday life. Compare experiences of different countries when it comes to industrialisation, democratisation and conflict. Learn to appreciate complex regional dynamics.

Explore European colonisation of Africa, asking questions like how did they justify colonial rule, and how did African peoples respond to these colonisers? Learn how after World War II, colonial rule was increasingly challenged from both within the empire by growing African demands for political rights, and in the international arena, with the global trend towards trusteeship, development and self-determination. Explore European relations with Africa in the post-colonial era, looking at themes i

Explore how the global political economy works, and why it often doesn't. Engage with key theories and tackle major issues like global inequality, climate change, and shifting power dynamics between regions. Examine who governs the global economy and in whose interests.

Study 1 of 8 modern languages on the University's free Institution-Wide Language Programme.

Explore the complex intersection of African development and global power structures through the lenses of geopolitics and geo-economics. Assess the strategic control of space and resources alongside economic competition. Examine Africa's rich potential alongside its enduring struggles, from human security to gender equity and beyond. Develop a nuanced understanding of the continent as a crucial nexus of cooperation and conflict between foreign interests.

Discover the global struggle for truth and reconciliation in societies emerging from conflict or oppression since 1945. Analyse diverse transitional justice approaches balancing community healing and judicial accountability after mass atrocities. Compare mechanisms like war crimes tribunals, truth commissions and reparations programmes.

Get credit towards your degree for work, volunteer and research placements. Arrange your own activities including paid/unpaid work, volunteering, research placements, internships and other work related learning, including self-employment. Support through workshops, events and tutorials.