We caught up with David Fielding, Programme Director for the brand-new BSc Global Development course, to tell us more about the first undergraduate degree at the Global Development Institute.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your connection to this new degree?

I’m David Fielding and I’m a Professor of Development Economics in the Global Development Institute. I’ve been working at Manchester since 2019 and before that I worked at a university in New Zealand for 15 years. I work primarily on questions related to charitable giving and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tell us about the BSc Global Development degree?

The BSc Global Development is a new degree for entry 2023 and will be taught by the Global Development Institute (GDI), based in the Arthur Lewis Building which was named after the first black Nobel Prize winner and first black professor in the UK.

Today’s challenges; climate change, inequality, and social justice cut across global boundaries and require a global perspective. In this degree, students will learn how to analyse these issues from different viewpoints. The course draws on a range of social science disciplines, especially Geography, Politics and Economics. The focus is on the “Global South” (Asia and the Pacific, Africa and Latin America), but recognising the different ways in which the North and South are connected.

What makes this degree distinctive?

The GDI is one of the largest and most diverse providers of development studies in Europe and we’re one of the top ten departments for development studies in the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022).

We currently have 50+ lecturers/professors and 750+ postgraduate students. Around 40% of our lecturers are female and 40% are from the Global South. The degree will be interdisciplinary, but it will be based in a single department. We will also be sharing many of our modules with the University of Manchester Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute.

Why should I study this degree?

Ranked 7th in the world for development studies (QS 2022), the Global Development Institute has an outstanding reputation across the globe, meaning that a degree from Manchester will set you up for a bright future within the field of development studies.

How will this degree help me find a job?

BSc Global Development graduates will be equipped for a wide range of positions in both the public and private sectors. It will also prepare students looking to do a Masters in a development studies subject (and a career in development). Graduates will also gain transferrable skills such as communication, data analysis and problem solving.

What are the entry requirements?

Typical entry requirements are A-Level: AAB or IB: 34 points overall, with 6 5 5 at Higher Level (correct at the time of posting), you may also have to pass English language requirements. We do not require specific A-level subjects as our aim is to produce graduates who can analyse and discuss global development questions using a wide range of intellectual tools. See entry requirements for more information.

Visit the BSc Global Development course profile for more information.

For general admissions enquiries telephone: +44 (0) 161 2750969 or email ugadmissions.seed@manchester.ac.uk

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