Overview
What is development? What role do historical patterns and institutions play in moulding the development context and outcomes? How are development theories and practices responding to economic globalization, shifting global economic geography, and global climate change? How does private capital influence development patterns and practices worldwide? Is “development” relevant only for the Global South in the twenty-first century? Political Economy of Development: People, Processes, and Policies, a three-credit, senior-level course provides a broad overview of the historical evolution of the dynamic and contested concept of development, its theoretical study, and its application in the contemporary domestic and international policy spheres.
Outline
The course consists of the following six units:
- Unit 1: Introduction to Development Studies: Theory and Practice
- Unit 2: A Long View of Economic History: Putting “Development” (and the Lack of It) Into Perspective
- Unit 3: Development as a Domestic Policy Objective: The Role of the State
- Unit 4: International Development Aid: Then and Now
- Unit 5: Development and Economic Globalization: The Enforcers and The Resisters
- Unit 6: Challenges of “Development” in the Twenty-First Century: Inequality, iCapitalism, and Climate Change
Evaluation
To receive credit for INTR 395, you must complete all of the assignments, achieve a mark of D (50 percent) or better on the final examination and the research essay, and obtain a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) or better. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Essay 1 | 20% |
| Essay 2 | 20% |
| Research Essay | 30% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
All course materials are entirely online and include course information, a study guide, a digital reading room (DRR), and links to articles and videos.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the INTR 395 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent) on the examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form