UNISA Development studies Course Module 2024-2025

UNISA Development studies Course Module 2024-2025

Major combinations:
NQF Level: 5: DVA1501
NQF Level: 6: DVA1601, DVA2601, DVA2602
NQF Level: 7: DVA3701, DVA3702, DVA3703, DVA3704, DVA3705

Rural and Urban Development – DVA3702
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 7 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To gain insight, through reading and text analysis, into development policies and strategies for rural and urban areas, interaction between rural and urban processes, urbanisation and rural and urban poverty as key development issues.
Development Policy and Strategies – DVA3703
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 7 Credits: 12
Module presented in
Purpose: To gain insight into the process of formulating development policies and strategies at local, national and international levels, and to analyse the dynamics and issues of policy implementation.
Development Planning – DVA3704
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 7 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To gain insight into development planning theories and practices by reading texts and case studies on various approaches, actors and methods.
Empowerment and Popular Initiatives – DVA3705
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 7 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To gain insight into the debate on empowerment and popular initiatives, and to analyse concepts such as mobilisation, participation, human action, classes, social formations, struggles and resistance in this context.
Human Security and Development – DVA4802
Honours NQF level: 8 Credits: 24
Module presented in English Module presented online
Purpose: To equip students with comprehensive and systematic knowledge of themes of insecurity, risk and vulnerability in the development context. The second purpose is to provide students with in-depth knowledge and skills that will enable qualified learners to assess and apply strategies and frameworks of human security such as sustainable livelihoods, humanitarian intervention and frameworks to minimise risk and vulnerability in a development context.
Governance and Development – DVA4803
Under Graduate Degree NQF level: 8 Credits: 24
Module presented in English Module presented online
Purpose: To equip students with systematic knowledge and understanding of debates and issues of governance of development at global, national and local levels.
Sustainable Development: Policy, Practice and Environment – DVA4804
Honours NQF level: 8 Credits: 24
Module presented in English Module presented online
Purpose: To equip students with well-rounded systematic knowledge and an understanding of key themes of sustainable development within the development context. These are themes such as the nature of the environmental crisis within the global system, national and local sustainable development policy, theories of sustainable development, the clash between development and conservation as well as issues in sustainable development practice.
Research Methodology in Development Studies – HMDVA81
Under Graduate Degree Year module NQF level: 8 Credits: 12
Module presented in English Module presented online
Purpose: To equip students with advanced knowledge and understanding of the contemporary field of research methodology in Development Studies. Qualified students will be able to utilize relevant research methods in postgraduate research projects
Research Report in Development Studies – HRDVA82
Honours NQF level: 8 Credits: 36
Module presented in English Module presented online
Purpose: To equip students with advanced knowledge and practical experience of research in the field of Development Studies at the honours level.. Qualified students will be able to conduct competent basic research in the development field and will be able to conceptualize masters level research projects and draft masters’ level research proposals.
Introduction to Development Studies – DVA1501
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 5 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To equip students to gain insight into basic concepts in the field of development studies.
Development Problems and Institutions – DVA1601
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 6 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To introduce students to integrated development problems such as education and health, the role of the state in development, policy approaches, political and economic dynamics within states, the role of development institutions, and the importance of participatory development and empowerment.
Community Development and the Basic Needs Approach – DVA2602
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 6 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To enable students to demonstrate an understanding of the process and dynamics of community development and the basic needs approach by linking related concepts and theories to practice.
Development Theories – DVA3701
Under Graduate Degree Semester module NQF level: 7 Credits: 12
Module presented in English
Purpose: To introduce students to key development theories such as modernisation, underdevelopment, sustainable and participatory development, to enable them to demonstrate understanding by comparing theories and by linking them to practical situations.