Department of Development Studies

The department is dedicated to equipping a new generation of leaders with the critical knowledge and practical skills needed to address India’s and the world’s most pressing developmental challenges.

Our rigorous, five-year Integrated MA programme is designed to be deeply interdisciplinary and research-intensive. From day one, you will learn to analyse complex issues, from sustainability and social justice to migration and digital inequality—with creativity, confidence, and a collaborative spirit.

Why Choose Development Studies at University of Calicut?

We blend strong theoretical foundations with hands-on, practical learning. Our programme is structured to provide flexibility, allowing you to pursue your interests within key domains such as rural & urban development, environment & sustainability, technology & digita development, and development policy & governance. We go beyond theory to ensure ourgraduates are industry-ready.

Our experienced faculty are active researchers and practitioners engaged with policy debates and grassroots action. This ensures your learning is grounded in real-world challenges and contemporary solutions, connecting you directly to the forefront of development thinking in India.

Established in 2021, we are a vibrant and growing hub for critical development studies. You will engage with peers and professionals from diverse backgrounds, joining a community committed to impactful scholarship and social change.

Our mission is to capacitate future leaders for impactful careers in development practice, research, civil service, youth leadership, and industry. Guided by a vision of equitable and sustainable development, we are building a centre of excellence that connects local insights with global perspectives.

Entry Requirements

• The eligibility requires a minimum of 60% marks in the Higher Secondary (Plus Two) or itsequivalent.

  Admission is based on the CU-CET (Calicut University Centralised Entrance Test), a centralized entrance exam conducted by the University of Calicut

Official admission portal: admission.uoc.ac.in

Core Modules

The mandatory core modules provide all students with a foundational understanding of the discipline, equipping them to pursue specialised areas of personal interest.

• Introduction to Development Studies (MDS01C101)
• Basic Mathematics for Development Studies (MDS03C201)
• Development Economics (MDS04C201)
• Introduction to Databases and Data Analysis (MDS05S101)
• State and Development (MDS06C301)
• Public Finance : Theory and Policy (MDS06C303)
• Microeconomics II (MDS07C501)
• Macroeconomics II (MDS07C502)
• Advanced Methods of Social Science Research-Quantitative (MDS07C503)
• Theories of Economic Growth (MDS08C501)
• Anthropologyof Development (MDS08C502)
• Philosophy of Development (MDS09C601)
   

Electives

In addition to the core curriculum, students can select from a suite of optional modules to specialize the studies. The following is a representative list of options:

• Sustainable Development (MDS01D101)

• Industrialization, Globalization & Labour (MDS05E302)

• Development and Social Justice (MDS06E303)

• Public Policy in Development  (MDS06E306)

• Applied Econometrics (MDS07E502)

• Project Management & Evaluation Methodologies (MDS07E503)

• Financial Literacy and Planning (MDS07E505)

• Population, Ageing and Development (MDS09E601)

Components & Evaluation

• Internship/Fieldwork: Mandatory internships with NGOs, government bodies, or community projects.
• Project/Dissertation: Independent research project on a specific development theme.
• Evaluation: Focuses on critical thinking, policy analysis, and empirical research, often using a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS)

Works Done So Far – Building Pathways to Impact

“More than a meeting place — a crucible for the ideas that will define tomorrow’s development landscape.”