Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2008

Single degrees

Bachelor of International Development (ABID) – Melbourne (Bundoora)

This degree is designed to equip students with an appreciation of issues in social, economic, and political development from a multidisciplinary perspective. Possible career opportunities are available in fields related to government and non-government organisations working towards sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and well-being. The degree consists of 360 credit points, which can be completed in three years of full-time study. Part-time enrolment is also available. Students must include all compulsory units to qualify for this degree.

Credit towards the degree may be awarded for approved units at overseas universities with which La Trobe University has an exchange or study abroad agreement. Prior approval must be obtained from the Chair of the Development Studies Committee.

First year (120 credit points)

In their first year, students study:

  • 45 credit points of the compulsory core units listed below
  • 45 credit points from List A below, and
  • 30 credit points of Electives.
Compulsory core units (15 credit points each)
Teaching period Unit title Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Conquest of the Americas: Aztecs, Incas, Mayans, Spaniards HIS1CAM
TE-SEM-1 Culture and Globalisation: introduction to anthropology ANT1CAG
TE-SEM-2 Globalisation: the rise of the modern world HIS1DEV
List A
Teaching period Unit title Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Chinese Language units at first year level
TE-SEM-1 Indonesian Language units at first year level
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Asia: Japan and Indonesia AST1IJI
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Aboriginal Australia ANT1IIA
TE-SEM-1 Long-Term Economic Change ECO1LEC
TE-SEM-1 Sex, Gender and Identity GSD1SGI
TE-SEM-1 Law and Society LST1LAS
TE-SEM-1 Self and Community: introduction to sociology SOC1SAC
TE-SEM-1 Spanish Language units at first year level
TE-SEM-1 States, Nations and Security: world in transition POL1SNS
TE-SEM-2 Australia and Beyond: introduction to sociology SOC1AAB
TE-SEM-2 Chinese Language units at first year level
TE-SEM-2 Economy, Environment and Human Rights: world in transition POL1EEH
TE-SEM-2 Indonesian Language units at first year level
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Asia: China and India AST1ICI
TE-SEM-2 Our Global Village: introduction to anthropology ANT1FET
TE-SEM-2 Sex, Gender and Diversity GSD1SGD
TE-SEM-2 Spanish Language units at first year level

Second year (120 credit points)

In their second year, students study:

  • 60 credit points of the compulsory core units listed below
  • 40 credit points from List B below, and
  • 20 credit points of Electives.
Compulsory Second year core units (20 credit points each)
Teaching period Unit title Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Development, Globalisation and Culture ANT2DGC
TE-SEM-2 Gender and Development SOC2GAD
TE-SEM-2 The World Since 1945 HIS2WOR

Third year (120 credit points)

In their third year, students study:

  • SOC3DIP Development in Practice and one of ANT3MQA or SOC3MSR
  • 60 credit points from List B below, and
  • 20 credit points of Electives.
Compulsory Third year core units (20 credit points)
Teaching period Unit title Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Development in Practice SOC3DIP
and one of
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Social Research Methods SOC3MSR
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Ethnographic Research ANT3MQA
List B
Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.
Unit title Unit code
Aboriginal Australia ANT2ABA/ANT3ABA
Applied Anthropology ANT2APA/ANT3APA
Australian Aboriginal History HIS2AAH/HIS3AAH
Australian Foreign Policy POL2AAW/POL3AAW
Charting the Colonial Pacific HIS2CCP/HIS3CCP
Childhood and Culture ANT2CAC/ANT3CAC
Chinese Language units at second and third year level
Cities and People SOC2CAP/SOC3CAP
Community Studies SOC2CMS/SOC3CMS
Crises in South Asia: weapons, women, well-being POL2CSA/POL3CSA
Critical Social Policy SOC2CSP/SOC3CSP
Comparative Social Movements SOC2CSM/SOC3CSM
Cross-Cultural Communication LIN2CCC/LIN3CCC
Culture, Race and Difference ANT2CRD/ANT3CRD
Displacement, Flight and Refuge ANT2DFR/ANT3DFR
Ecological Philosophies PHI2ECP/PHI3ECP
Ecology, Democracy and Utopia PHI2EDU/PHI3EDU
Ethnicity and Identity: social and political approaches SOC2EAI/SOC3EAI
Economic Growth and Development ECO2EGD
Food, Drink and World History: Ancient World to Modern Australia HIS2FDA/HIS3FDA
Gender and Sexuality: contemporary debates SOC2GES/SOC3GES
Globalization ECO2GLO
Growth and Decline in the Global Economy ECO3EGD
Indonesian Language units at second and third year level
International Law and International Organisation POL2ILO/POL3ILO
International Relations: the Cold War and the great powers POL2INR/POL3INR
Language in Asia LIN2LIA/LIN3LIA
Latin America through Film and Popular Culture 1820-2000 HIS2LFP/HIS3LFP
Living with Colonialism: resistance and accommodation HIS2LWC/HIS3LWC
Modern World Economy ECO2MWE
Peace and Change POL2PAC/POL3PAC
Peasants and Politics in Latin America HIS2PPL/HIS3PPL
Political Change and Development in the Third World POL2DDA/POL3DDA
Politics and the Economy POL2PAE/POL3PAE
The Politics of Economic Regions POL2PER/POL3PER
Politics of Non-violent Activism POL2PNV/POL3PNV
Portuguese Language units at second and third year level
Postcolonial Perspectives ANT2PCP/ANT3PCP
Reconciliation POL2REC/POL3REC
Regional Economic Development ECO3RED
Sex, Gender and Work SOC2SGW/SOC3SGW
Social Policy, Welfare and the State SOC2SWS/SOC3SWS
Society and State in Japan and China AST2EAS/AST3EAS
Sociology and Everyday Life SOC2SEL/SOC3SEL
Sociology of the Environment SOC2SOE/SOC3SOE
South African History HIS2SAH/HIS3SAH
South-East Asian Politics: change and conflict POL2SEA/POL3SEA
Spanish Language units at second and third year level
Visual Anthropology: documenting cultures ANT2ASF/ANT3ASF

Honours degree

An honours program is available. Entry into the honours year is by application at the end of the student’s third year of study. Students considered for admission will normally have at least a B average in development studies units.

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