NGOs and International Development (LAWS90155)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025
About this subject
Overview
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Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the field of international development, both as providers of services to vulnerable individuals, communities and governments and as advocates for policy changes and law reform. NGOs also play a role in cultural change and political reforms.
This subject provides a critical introduction to the wide-ranging topic of NGOs and development. In addition to critically examining the development context, we will consider the wide diversity of NGOs and their roles as well as interrogate their recent rise to prominence at the international level. This subject not only highlights the importance of NGOs in development, but it also engages with the criticisms that the increased profile of NGOs in development now attracts. It will also analyse how interest in NGOs has both reflected and informed wider theoretical trends and debates within development studies, before analysing NGOs and their practices.
In this subject we also examine the relationship of NGOs with governments and how this relationship impacts on national and popular sovereignty, service delivery and civil and political freedoms. Specific consideration will be given to the ways in which NGOs are increasingly important in relation to ideas and debates about ‘development’, ‘civil society’, democracy, and the changing ideas and practices of international aid. Students’ understanding of these themes will be deepened through critical explanations of international laws and institutions, Australian laws and policies as well as case study-based assessments.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have a sophisticated and critical understanding of the history of, and thinking around, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the context of development
- Obtain a specialised understanding of the central role played by NGOs in the fields of international and national development
- Be able to understand and assess critiques of NGOs and their relationship to, and work in, development
- Have an integrated and advanced knowledge of the international legal and institutional frameworks regulating NGOS in the context of international development
- Have a sophisticated and critical understanding of the range of theoretical approaches to understanding and critiquing the work of NGOs in the context of development
- Have an integrated and advanced knowledge of Australian law and policy with respect to NGOs working in a development setting
- Have an advanced capacity to critically examine current issues arising with respect to NGOs in the context of development
- Have developed high level analytical and research skills, as well as the capacity to understand and evaluate complex legal sources and literature, and literature in related disciplines
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate superior critical and creative ideas relating to NGOs and the concept of development.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:
- The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
- The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
- The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
- The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.
Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Class presentation of research paper topic | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Research paper on topic approved by the subject coordinator
| Wednesday 31 January 2024 | 90% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2025
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- 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.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required prior to enrolment, or for further information about the pre-requisites for Community Access Program study, please contact us:
- prospective CAP student enquiries;
- existing CAP student enquiries (if you have a current Unimelb login).
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025