X. Collaborative Specializations
International Development Studies
PhD Collaborative Specialization
The collaborative specialization in International Development Studies (IDS) in a PhD program provides an opportunity for advanced students to engage with interdisciplinary development theories and to conduct research on international development issues based on approaches of selected academic disciplines. The collaborative specialization in IDS is undertaken jointly with a discipline-based degree. Students enter IDS through a participating department with a PhD program. At present these include Sociology; Plant Agriculture, Philosophy, Political Science; Population Medicine, Geography; Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics; Economics; History; Engineering; Environmental Sciences.
Based on the experience of faculty advisors in key participating departments, the program focuses on issues such as international political economy, food security, environmental dynamics and governance, gender inequality, rural development, long-term economic change, and other interdisciplinary cutting-edge topics in international development.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, an applicant must have a recognized Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in a relevant discipline or related interdisciplinary field. Applicants to the IDS collaborative specialization must meet the specific departmental admission requirements, which vary from one department to another. For information on the admission requirements and application deadlines of your selected department, please contact the relevant department directly.
In addition to the specific departmental admission requirements, applicants are expected to have a strong background in the social sciences a demonstrable track record of experience in the course-based study of development issues, development research and/or development practice and a stated research interest relating to international development.
Degree Requirements
Students complete requirements for the departmental degree as well as the IDS components which consist of two core courses, including an interdisciplinary course on theories and debates in development and a course on development research and practice. Students must obtain a minimum final grade of 75% in each of the two IDS PhD core courses to remain in the IDS collaborative specialization. While the students have to successfully complete these courses to remain in the IDS collaborative specialization, they do not have to pass a separate qualifying examination in addition to the departmental qualifying exam. Furthermore, the expectation is that the IDS students’ PhD research will bridge two or more disciplines in a way that relates to the field of IDS. The departmental supervisor must have knowledge and understanding of International Development Studies as it relates to the requirements of the IDS collaborative specialization. One of the members on the student’s advisory committee needs to be an appointed IDS affiliated faculty member approved by the IDS Admissions Committee.
For further information regarding course offering, please contact the IDS Graduate Program Assistant.
IDS PhD Core Courses
Departmental PhD Requirements
Departmental requirements are assigned in collaboration with the student's home department. See respective departmental web pages.