WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How the concept of development has historically been defined and practiced
  • Connections among the political, economic, and sociocultural dimensions
  • Assumptions that have shaped development and policy goals, and the diverse kinds of evidence used to evaluate their effectiveness

WHO YOU COULD BE

  • Peace Corps volunteer
  • Foreign service officer
  • Fulbright researcher
  • Import coordinator
  • Immigration attorney
  • Environmental policy consultant

OVERVIEW

What is the meaning of development? What are the trade-offs associated with industrialization, economic growth, and globalization? What are the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges faced by low-income countries?

The Global Development Studies (GDS) Program offers an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on the transformations associated with development. Since development entails transformations at the individual, local, national, and global levels, the program consists of courses that address multiple thematic and regional dimensions of development processes.

Courses in the program allow students to explore the empirical, philosophical, and policy dimensions of development. Faculty members at Puget Sound with development expertise teach in several departments and thus can provide students with a comprehensive set of skills and experiences for future development studies or work.

 

Jessica Dyck '18
ALUMNI
Jessica Dyck ’18

"The ability to critically think about global health inequities and the challenges that the world faces when it comes to policy-making and funding of health care gives me perspective when I am working in my community."