Handbook home
Development Systems and Interventions (DEVT90053)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject complements the Development Theories compulsory subject, which taken together will give students a strong grounding in both the theories and the practice of development. This subject interprets ‘intervention’ broadly to cover efforts (policies, programmes, projects, activities) that are understood by the actors concerned to be promoting of international and national development. This covers the efforts of the international development industry, but it is also interested in the interventions of national governments in the developing world, the role of emerging donors like China, India and the Gulf states and other agents of development including the private sector and social movements. It aims to show how intervening in development can involve a wide span of activities from the implementing of aid projects, to reforming the civil service, to campaigning for social justice, to improving the tax system. This subject aims to give students an introduction to the complexity and diversity of development settings and interventions and an understanding of why some forms of intervention have been more successful than others.
To enrol in this subject, students must be admitted to the Master of Development Studies.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- understand the current trends and debates around the policy and practice of key development actors; and
- understand the key challenges and opportunities of developing countries in intervening in development in a legitimate, effective and coherent way; and
- oversee contemporary critiques of development interventions and possible alternatives, link these to theoretical positions, and be able to critically engage with underlying questions of evidence; and
- take well-argued position in these debates in verbal discussions and an authoritatively written essay.
Generic skills
Student who successfully complete this subject should:
- be able to unravel development interventions, place them in historical context; and
- be able to critically reflect on them and engage with underlying questions of evidence; and
- be able to shift perspective between academic and policy perspectives; and
- be able to treat the knowledge, language and workings of both realms at their own merit, and identify tensions and connections between them; and
- be able to write and verbalize coherent and convincing arguments about development interventions.
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Assignment: students will select one of four topics
| From Week 4 to Week 10 | 40% |
Essay
| During the examination period | 60% |
| Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Anne Decobert Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours A 2 hour seminar per week for 12 weeks of semester. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2022 Census date 31 March 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 Hours
Last updated: 12 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings will be provided online through the subject's LMS site prior to the commencement of semester.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Development Studies - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
Last updated: 12 November 2022