Turn Your Passion Into Skills
Develop Career-Ready Skills
In International Development Studies, you'll dive deep into the pressing issues our world faces to learn about the root causes of these issues and discover possible solutions. The program is interdisciplinary, so you'll be tackling these issues from all sides, taking courses in the areas of Psychology, Anthropology, Environmental Studies, Agriculture, Geography, History, Sociology, Political Science and Philosophy in addition to International Development core courses.
With the tools and skills developed by studying a variety of disciplines, you'll be able to critically examine and impact the issues you care the most about. Whether your passion relates to the environment, gender and inclusivity, food security, development in Canada or development internationally, you can choose an area of emphasis that will translate your passion into the knowledge and skills you need to make a difference.
Sample International Development Courses
- Understanding Development and Global Inequalities
- Development, Social Justice and Human Rights
- Poverty and Inequality
- Engaging in Development Practice
- Achieving Sustainable Development
- Managing and Evaluating Change in Development
- Decolonizing Development
- View full International Development Program requirements
"The most important thing that the program taught me was how to be a critical thinker. It gave me the ability to question 'common sense' assumptions that we often rely on. Coming from a multi-disciplinary perspective like IDS has been really helpful. Entering the workforce after graduation, the specific course-related knowledge that you learn is, of course, really valuable, but I think it's the skills you gain like adaptability and communication that often help you the most."
Five Areas of Emphasis
Explore the role of agriculture and the agrifood system in ending hunger and improving nutrition and health both locally and globally. You'll be empowered to bring about positive, inclusive and sustainable change and reduce food insecurity.
Sample Courses
- Eating Sustainably in Ontario
- Sociology of Food
- Poverty, Food and Hunger
- More Agriculture and Food Security courses
Development problems are found all over the world, including in Canada. By choosing to focus on development in the Canadian context, you'll explore issues of poverty, global migration, inequality, Indigenous-settler relations and food insecurity here at home.
Sample Courses
- Gender and Change in Rural in Canada
- Migration, Inequality and Social Change
- Governments and Indigenous Spaces
- More Development in the Canadian Context courses
In institutionally weak and/or unstable regions, many complex issues such as migration, conflict, social change and postcolonialism often play a role. With development in fragile contexts, explore issues associated with state fragility and failure, institutional development, post-conflict rebuilding and social insecurity in order to develop distinct and effective development strategies.
Sample Courses
- Conflict and Conflict Resolution
- Revolution in the Modern World
- Migration, Inequality and Social Change
- More Development in Fragile Contexts courses
How can we create sustainable development in local and global contexts? Investigate the development challenges posed by environmental change and natural resource use. You'll dive into topics such as urbanization, erosion, natural disasters, water, natural resource and land use as well as climate change in order to implement environmentally sustainable approaches to development.
Sample Courses
- Environment, Justice and Society
- Global Environmental Change
- Media, Digital Technology and Environment
- More Environment and Sustainable Development courses
Historically, development has often excluded or negatively impacted women and other marginalized groups. This area of emphasis gives you the tools to design and implement development policies that promote gender inclusivity as well as inclusivity of sexuality, race, indigeneity and other dimensions of marginalization.
Sample Courses
- Global Gender Justice
- Women and Cultural Change
- Gender and Environment
- More Gender and Inclusive Development courses
Turn your Skills into Action
Test out theory in the real world through hands-on experiences built into the program, including exchange, field schools, co-op, internships, volunteering, and course-based experiential learning.
Turn your Action into Change
After graduation, you'll launch an impactful career locally or abroad and join the community of GIDS alumni working around the world, using your expertise to enact equitable change.