University of Cambridge: Programme Specifications CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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1 University of Cambridge: Programme Specifications Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this programme specification. Programme specifications are produced and then reviewed annually by the relevant faculty or department and revised where necessary. However, we reserve the right to withdraw, update or amend this programme specification at any time without notice. Further information about specifications and an archive of programme specifications for all awards of the University is available online at: CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1 Awarding body University of Cambridge 2 Teaching institution University of Cambridge 3 Accreditation details Faculty of Earth Sciences and Geography 4 Name of final award Certificate of Higher Education 5 Programme title International Development 6 UCAS code None 7 JACS code(s) L420 8 Relevant QAA benchmark statement(s) Geography 9 Qualifications framework level FHEQ Level 5 10 Date specification produced/ April 2007 last revised 11 Date specification last reviewed May2010 This modular Certificate of Higher Education in International Development will be delivered by the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), as part of its programme of credit-bearing, modular and non-modular courses at CATS Levels 1, 2 and 3 (FHEQ levels 4, 5 and 6) offered to part-time adult students. ICE is a General Board, non-school institution whose purpose can be defined in two complementary ways. It is a conduit both for transmission of the University s knowledge and research on the one hand and for enabling members of the public to access higher education courses, whether for personal interest or professional development, on the other. In these ways it contributes significantly to the University s public engagement and widening participation commitments. Public Programmes Courses at Level 1 are offered on open access. They are taught by members of ICE s Tutor Panel, all of whom are assessed under quality assurance procedures approved by the General Board. It is a requirement of Panel membership that tutors should have expertise in teaching adult learners with widely differing levels of academic experience and expertise. Academic responsibility for monitoring the performance of individual tutors working within the Public Programmes Division of ICE rests with the appropriate academic staff member (ASM), who is a designated University Teaching Officer. Aims of the Programme The course aims to introduce participants to the inter- and multi-disciplinary theoretical and conceptual base underpinning international development; enable participants to develop an understanding of the target groups and subjects on which international development is focused, and how international development works in practice; Page 1 of 5

2 introduce participants to the broad range of strategies and techniques required by those working in international development, and the critical, analytical, evaluative and interpretative skills that will enable them to make the appropriate choices between these strategies and techniques; introduce participants to the skills and understanding required to plan and evaluate small, assisted or mentored projects in international development. Learning outcomes By the end of the Certificate, within the constraints of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes: Knowledge and understanding - demonstrate a broad knowledge and critical understanding of the main theories, concepts, debates and issues relating to economic, social, political and environmental inequality which underpin the study of international development; - demonstrate a familiarity with the main interpretations of the processes creating particular geographies of difference and inequality as they relate to international development, and the ways in which interactions at one magnitude influence those at another; - begin to demonstrate an appreciation of change and stability, cause and consequence in international development; - begin to recognise the main moral and ethical issues and debates relating to international development. Critical skills - evaluate critically the main concepts underlying international development and sustainability; - demonstrate a general awareness of the practical applications and limitations of the main methodological strategies relating to international development; - begin to be able to collect, use and critically evaluate, analyse and interpret, data relating to international development, including such representations as maps, texts, visual images and (where appropriate) digital technologies; - be able to plan and/or evaluate small, assisted or mentored projects in international development. Transferable skills - be able to execute a limited piece of rigorous research or enquiry, within broad frameworks set by the tutor, including the production of a final report; - show an outline familiarity with one or more of the following analytical and observational strategies: social survey and interviewing methods; quantitative analysis; and qualitative analysis; - show an awareness of responsibility as a local, national and international citizen with a global perspective; - draw on appropriate skills in word processing, databases and spreadsheets to gather information from a limited range of appropriate sources. Teaching and learning methods Teaching and learning on the programme will be delivered through a combination of formal presentations by the tutor, a range of interactive and participative methods of teaching and learning, and through reading and assignments to be undertaken individually by students outside the course sessions. Such interactive and participative methods of teaching and learning will include small and whole group work, projects, case studies, structured discussions, role play, oral presentations etc. (see also Assessment Methods below). Page 2 of 5

3 Assessment methods Each course will be independently assessed on the basis of 1. A minimum of 70% attendance at course sessions; 2. Satisfactory completion of one or more tutor-assigned tasks totalling 3,000 4,000 words or their equivalent. It is anticipated that such tasks will include: work-based assignments, reflective journals, literature reviews, essays, case-studies and projects. Programme structure: overview The programme will be a named certificate, a nationally recognised qualification which is equivalent to 120 credits at FHEQ level 4 (that is, HE level 1, the first year of an undergraduate degree). The six courses within the programme are modular, each carrying 20 credits at HE Level 1. They can be taken individually and in any order. Students must complete at least 80 credits from those listed below, and gain an additional 40 credits by taking courses from elsewhere in the regional or certificate programme. Programme structure: detail Course 1: The making of international development: concepts, theories and ideas. This course provides an introduction to the concepts and terminology of international development, with a view to investigating who the subjects of international development are. Tracing the path of international development from a relief mode to the regime of rights, students are able to map out the main currents in development practice and thinking in relation to the present day globalized world in order to set their own interests within a wider context. Course 2: Course 3: Course 4: Course 5: A multi disciplinary approach to international development The skills and strategies required in international development are embedded in development economics, the sociology of development and the politics of development. This introductory course, based on an overview drawn from these disciplines, presents for discussion the outline skills and strategies employed by workers in international development in the interdisciplinary context of these three streams. Being a developmental practitioner: multiple roles and contributions Engagement with stakeholders in international development is core to obtaining funding and ensuring sustainability in international development. This course provides an overview of the various players that are involved, include international financial organizations, NGOs, local community organizations, governments, bilateral organizations, civil society, businesses, academic and research institutions etc. Specific attention is paid to the role of funding organizations in shaping the field and issues of sustainability of funding. Contemporary issues in development: challenges and pathways This course examines specific sectors of international development, including health, education, microfinance, environment, livelihoods, migration and conflict. Case studies from across the world address main issues and debates in each sector. Making Poverty History : Issues of debt and trade Global trade patterns, the debts associated with aid, ineffective or insufficient aid, and the economic and international development policies of national government all contribute to continuing economic inequalities between Page 3 of 5

4 Course 6: nations. This course examines the major issues and policies underpinning such inequalities and evaluates strategies for dealing with them. Sustainable development in theory and practice Sustainable development in the Global South is seen both as a solution to poverty and a way of dealing with environmental problems. This course critically examines the different approaches to sustainable development and assesses its impact through country-based case studies and the work of local NGO s. There is an opportunity to have some experience of practical sustainable technologies and solutions. Delivery The course will be offered part-time. The courses are free-standing and can be taken in any order individually, or as part of a continuous programme of study over two or more years. The whole programme should be completed within a minimum of two years and maximum of six. Programme Requirements The course is targeted at Volunteers and, where appropriate, professionals engaged in non-governmental organisations to operate overseas University staff and students considering placements, voluntary work, careers and/or further study in this field Those with a general interest in issues of international development. Students wishing to achieve a generic Certificate of Higher Education by combining courses from this programme with courses from other accredited FHEQ level 4 courses. Progression Successful completion of the Certificate will require students to demonstrate the appropriate level of achievement against the learning outcomes of each course, and the learning outcomes of the Certificate as a whole. The minimum criteria for achieving a pass at FHEW level 4 are outlined in the ICE Students Handbook. Students who have completed the Certificate will be able to progress to other FHEQ level 5 provision within the Institute. Credit awarded by the Institute can be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. The amount of credit which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution. Employability Students completing this Certificate of Higher Education will have demonstrated high levels of motivation and personal commitment through part-time study. They will also have gained and demonstrated a number of valuable transferable skills, including: the capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse; the ability to engage in processes of drafting and redrafting texts to achieve clarity of expression and an appropriate style; the capacity for independent thought and judgement demonstrated through critical and creative practice. Page 4 of 5

5 Managing Teaching Quality and Standards The teaching quality and standards of the programme will be monitored throughout by the appropriate ASM, who will report annually to the Subject Moderation Panel, consisting of the internal, University and external moderators and other Faculty and ICE members as agreed by the Education Committee. Student Support Academic advice to students taking Public Programmes courses is available both before and after they have registered for a course: first, from the appropriate member of the academic staff and, once the course has begun, from the course director and/or the course tutor. Administrative enquiries are dealt with by Academic Programme Managers. All students are provided at the start of a course with the ICE Students Handbook. Page 5 of 5