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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

Repeat Rule

Students who earn a grade of F, D-, D, D+ or NP may repeat the course only once. Regardless of the grade the student receives for their second attempt (including F, D-, D or D+), the student may not repeat the course a third time.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Summary of Major Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Lower division requirements: five courses
Foreign language requirement: proficiency equivalent to four college-level semesters
Upper division requirements: nine courses
DEV STD C100	History of Development and Underdevelopment
Disciplinary courses: two courses
Development courses: two courses
Methodology: one course
Concentration: three courses

Lower Division Requirements 

Course List

Code	Title	Units
DEV STD C10	Course Not Available	4
ECON 1	Introduction to Economics 2	4
or ECON 2	Introduction to Economics--Lecture Format
ANTHRO 3	Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology	4
IAS 45	Survey of World History	4
STAT 2	Introduction to Statistics	4
or STAT C8	Foundations of Data Science
or STAT 20	Introduction to Probability and Statistics
or STAT 21	Introductory Probability and Statistics for Business

1	Students must receive a C grade or higher. This course can only be repeated once. All Development Studies majors are required to take  DEV STD C10
2	Students must receive a C grade or higher. This course may be repeated only once.

Foreign Language Requirement

DS majors must demonstrate proficiency in a modern language other than English by the last semester of their senior year. Proficiency is equivalent to the ability achieved in four college-level semesters (or two years). Language courses taken in high school do not satisfy this requirement. See below for details on how to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

Languages accepted by the College of Letters & Science are not automatically accepted by the DS major. Please check with a DS adviser for eligible languages.

There are a variety of ways to fulfill the four-semester language requirement for DS, depending on the individual and his or her background and ability.

1. Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test: An AP score of 5 or an International Baccalaureate (IB) score of 7 will complete this requirement. An AP score of 4 will place a student into the fourth-semester college level course. A score of 3 will place a student into the third-semester college level course. Documentation of AP scores must be provided.
2. Coursework: Any combination of college courses, summer programs, or college-level study abroad programs can satisfy the language requirement. At a minimum, students must complete the fourth semester (i.e., the second semester of intermediate level) of a language with a grade of C- or better in order to fulfill the requirement. The first, second, and third-level courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. Language courses need not be taken at UC Berkeley. Courses taken at a community college or any accredited school or university may be acceptable. Transcripts must be submitted and evaluated by a DS adviser. A one-semester upper division course taken abroad in the target language may satisfy the foreign language requirement, depending on the school and program followed. For more information, see a DS adviser concerning language study abroad.
3. Proficiency exam: Some, but not all, language departments on campus offer proficiency testing for students with advanced skills in that language. Please note that if a particular language is not taught on the UC Berkeley campus, then students are not able to test in that language. A student would then need to choose one of the other methods for fulfilling the foreign language requirement. Please speak with a DS adviser about proficiency testing.
4. High school completion in a non-English language: Students who were educated in a non-English language through the completion of high school or the equivalent may wish to satisfy this requirement with that experience. This requires a language proficiency exam. 

Upper Division Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
DEV STD C100	History of Development and Underdevelopment	4
Disciplinary courses
Select two courses from the same discipline (see below for approved options)
Development courses
Select two courses from the development course list (see below)
Methodology
Select one course from either the statistical methods category or the research design category.
Statistical Methods:
DEMOG 110	Introduction to Population Analysis
ECON 140	Economic Statistics and Econometrics
ECON 141	Econometric Analysis
ECON C142/POL SCI C131A/PUB POL C142	Applied Econometrics and Public Policy
ENVECON/IAS C118	Introductory Applied Econometrics
IND ENG 162	Linear Programming and Network Flows
PSYCH 101	Research and Data Analysis in Psychology
PB HLTH 142	Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health
SOCIOL 106	Quantitative Sociological Methods
STAT 131A	Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Life Scientists
Research Design:
AFRICAM 101	Research Methods for African American Studies
ANTHRO 169B	Research Theory and Methods in Socio-Cultural Anthropology
ENV DES 100	The City: Theories and Methods in Urban Studies
ETH STD 101A	Social Science Methods in Ethnic Studies
ETH STD 101B	Humanities Methods in Ethnic Studies
ETH STD 195	Selected Issues in Comparative Ethnic Studies Research 1
GPP 105	The Ethics, Methods, and Pragmatics of Global Practice (Available to Global Poverty and Practice students only.)
IAS 102	Scope and Methods of Research in International and Area Studies
IAS H102	Scope and Methods of Research in International and Area Studies
LGBT 145	Interpreting the Queer Past: Methods and Problems in the History of Sexuality
M E STU 102	Scope and Methods of Research in Middle Eastern Studies
NATAMST 110	Theories and Methods in Native American Studies
SOCIOL 105	Research Design and Sociological Methods
SOCIOL 108	Advanced Methods: In-depth Interviewing
Concentration
Select three courses from the approved concentration list (see below).

1	Requires approval of a DS adviser

Disciplinary Course List

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Anthropology
ANTHRO 114	History of Anthropological Thought
ANTHRO 141	Comparative Society
ANTHRO 147A	Anthropology of Gender
ANTHRO/LGBT C147B	Sexuality, Culture, and Colonialism
ANTHRO 148	Anthropology of the Environment
ANTHRO 169B	Research Theory and Methods in Socio-Cultural Anthropology
Economics
Select one course from each list. Students may choose from 2 different series.
Microeconomics
IAS 106	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
ECON 100A	Economic Analysis--Micro
ECON 101A	Economic Theory--Micro
UGBA 101A	Microeconomic Analysis for Business Decisions
Macroeconomics
IAS 107	Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 100B	Economic Analysis--Macro
ECON 101B	Economic Theory--Macro
UGBA 101B	Macroeconomic Analysis for Business Decisions
Environmental Economics and Policy
ENVECON C101/ECON C125	Environmental Economics
ENVECON C151	Economic Development
ECON C171	Economic Development
Geography
GEOG 123	Postcolonial Geographies
GEOG 110	Economic Geography of the Industrial World
GEOG 130	Food and the Environment
GEOG 170	Special Topics in Geography 1
History
HISTORY 101	Seminar in Historical Research and Writing for History Majors 1
Political Economy
HISTORY 103E	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Latin America
HISTORY 103F	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Asia
HISTORY 103H	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Africa
POLECON 100	Classical Theories of Political Economy
POLECON 101	Contemporary Theories of Political Economy
POL SCI 126A	International Political Economy
Political Science
POL SCI 124C	Ethics and Justice in International Affairs
POL SCI 126A	International Political Economy
POL SCI C131A/PUB POL C142/ECON C142	Applied Econometrics and Public Policy
POL SCI 137A	Revolutionary Change
Sociology
SOCIOL 101	Sociological Theory I
SOCIOL 102	Sociological Theory II
SOCIOL 127	Development and Globalization
SOCIOL 140	Politics and Social Change

1	Requires approval of a DS adviser

Development Course List

Course List

Code	Title	Units
AFRICAM 112A	Political and Economic Development in the Third World	4
AFRICAM 112B	Political and Economic Development in the Third World	4
DEV STD 150	Advanced Studies in Development Studies 1	4
ECON 115	The World Economy in the Twentieth Century	4
ECON C171/ENVECON C151	Economic Development	4
ECON 172	Case Studies in Economic Development 1	4
ECON 173	Economic Development Seminar	4
ECON/DEMOG C175	Economic Demography	4
ESPM 165	International Rural Development Policy	4
ENVECON 131	Globalization and the Natural Environment	3
ENVECON 152	Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade	3
ENVECON 153	Population, Environment, and Development	3
ESPM 166	Natural Resource Policy and Indigenous Peoples	4
ESPM C167	Environmental Health and Development	4
ESPM 168	Political Ecology	4
ESPM 169	International Environmental Politics	4
ETH STD 190	Advanced Seminar in Comparative Ethnic Studies 1	4
GEOG 123	Postcolonial Geographies	4
GEOG 138	Global Environmental Politics	4
GEOG 170	Special Topics in Geography	3
GPP/CY PLAN 115	Global Poverty: Challenges and Hopes in the New Millennium	4
GWS 141	Interrogating Global Economic "Development"	4
GWS 143	Women, Proverty, and Globalization	4
HISTORY 100	Special Topics	4
IAS C148	Course Not Available	4
IAS 120	Selected Topics - International and Area Studies	3
IAS 150	Advanced Studies in International and Area Studies	4
IAS 180	Course Not Available
LEGALST 158	Law and Development	4
POLECON C196W	Special Field Research	10.5
POL SCI 124C	Ethics and Justice in International Affairs	4
POL SCI 139B	Development Politics	4
POL SCI 139D	Urban and Sub-national Politics in Developing Countries	4
PB HLTH 112	Global Health: A Multidisciplinary Examination	4
PB HLTH 181	Poverty and Population	3
SOCIOL 127	Development and Globalization	4

1	Requires approval of a DS adviser

Concentration Course List

Concentration courses are selected to provide substantive knowledge of the cultural, political, economic, and historical development of one particular region of the developing world. It is best to choose courses from more than one discipline. Concentration courses must be preapproved by an adviser.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Africa (North and Sub-Saharan)
AFRICAM 115	Language and Social Issues in Africa	3
AFRICAM 241	Special Topics in Development Studies of the Diaspora 1	1-4
ANTHRO 183	Topics in the Anthropological Study of Africa 1	4
HISTORY 103H	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Africa 1	4
HISTORY 112B	Africa: Modern South Africa, 1652-Present	4
POL SCI 146A	African Politics	4
POL SCI 149B	Special Topics in Area Studies	4
East Asia (China, Japan, North and South Korea)
ANTHRO 170	China	4
ANTHRO 171	Japan	4
CHINESE 158	Reading Chinese Cities	4
ECON 162	The Chinese Economy	3
GEOG 164	The Geography of Economic Development in China	4
HISTORY 103F	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Asia	4
HISTORY 113B	Modern Korean History	4
HISTORY 116C	China: Modern China	4
HISTORY 116D	China: Twentieth-Century China	4
HISTORY 117A	Topics in Chinese History: Chinese Popular Culture	4
HISTORY 118C	Japan: Empire and Alienation: The 20th Century in Japan	4
POL SCI 128	Chinese Foreign Policy	4
POL SCI 143A	Northeast Asian Politics	4
POL SCI 143B	Japanese Politics	4
POL SCI 143C	Chinese Politics	4
POL SCI 144B	Politics of Divided Korea	4
LATAMST 160	The Politics of Development in Chile	6
Eastern Europe, Russia, Former USSR
S,SEASN 120	Course Not Available	4
ANTHRO 180	European Society	4
ECON 161	Economics of Transition: Eastern Europe	4
GEOG C152	Course Not Available
GERMAN 160C	Politics and Culture in 20th-Century Germany: A Divided Nation. Politics and Culture in Germany 1945-1990	4
GERMAN 160D	Politics and Culture in 20th-Century Germany: Multicultural Germany	4
HISTORY 103B	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Europe	4
HISTORY 171B	Russia: Imperial Russia: From Peter the Great to the Russian Revolution	4
HISTORY 171C	Russia: The Soviet Union, 1917 to the Present	4
HISTORY 173C	History of Eastern Europe: History of Eastern Europe: From 1900 to the Present	4
HISTORY 174A	Topics in the History of Eastern Europe: A History of Poland-Lithuania	4
HISTORY C175B/UGIS C155/RELIGST C135	Jewish Civilization: Modern Period	4
POL SCI 129B	Course Not Available
POL SCI 141C	Politics and Government in Eastern Europe	4
SLAVIC 158	Topics in East European/Eurasian Cultural History 1	4
Latin America (Mexico, Central America, Chile, Brazil, the Carribean)
AFRICAM 131	Caribbean Societies and Cultures	3
ETH STD 159AC/EDUC 186AC/GEOG 159AC	The Southern Border	4
GEOG C157/CHICANO C161	Central American Peoples and Cultures	4
HISTORY 103E	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Latin America 1	4
HISTORY 140B	Mexico: Modern Mexico	4
HISTORY 141B	Social History of Latin America: Social History of Modern Latin America	4
HISTORY 143	Brazil	4
LATAMST 150	Advanced Studies in Latin American Studies 1	4
POL SCI 148A	Latin American Politics	4
PB HLTH 212C	Migration and Health: A U.S.-Mexico Binational Perspective	2-3
SOCIOL 145L	Social Change in Latin America	4
The Middle East (The Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, etc)
ANTHRO 181	Themes in the Anthropology of the Middle East and Islam	4
GWS 142	Women in the Muslim and Arab Worlds	4
HISTORY 109C	The Middle East From the 18th Century to the Present	4
HISTORY C175B/UGIS C155/RELIGST C135	Jewish Civilization: Modern Period	4
HISTORY 177B	Armenia: From Pre-modern Empires to the Present	4
M E STU 130	Cross-Listed Topics	1-4
M E STU 150	Advanced Study in the Middle East	4
NE STUD 175	History and Culture of Afghanistan	3
POL SCI 142A	Middle East Politics	4
South Asia
ANTHRO 184	South Asia	4
ASAMST 190	Seminar on Advanced Topics in Asian American Studies 1	4
ASIANST 150	Special Topics 1	4
HISTORY 103F	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Asia 1	4
HISTORY 114B	India: Modern South Asia	4
POL SCI 145A	South Asian Politics	4
POL SCI 145B	South Asian Politics	4
S ASIAN 148	Religious Nationalism in South Asia	4
Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines)
ASAMST 125	Contemporary Issues of Southeast Asian Refugees in the U.S	4
ASAMST 126	Southeast Asian Migration and Community Formation	4
ASAMST 190	Seminar on Advanced Topics in Asian American Studies 1	4
ASIANST 150	Special Topics 1	4
HISTORY 103F	Proseminar: Problems in Interpretation in the Several Fields of History: Asia 1	4
HISTORY 111A	Topics in the History of Southest Asia: Southeast Asia to the 18th Century	4
HISTORY C111B	Course Not Available	4
or SEASIAN C141B	Course Not Available
HISTORY 111C	Topics in the History of Southest Asia: Political and Cultural History of Vietnam	4
POL SCI 149E	Special Topics in Area Studies	4
SEASIAN 130	Articulations of the Female in Indonesia	4

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters & Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide.

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

• 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

• Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

1. Develop strong interdisciplinary training with control over key concepts in the social sciences:
   • Develop a critical understanding of conventional and non-conventional measures and indices of development.
   • Comprehend core concepts pertaining to development studies which are part of larger social scientific traditions and analysis (state, market, civil society).
   • Understand the genealogy of particular theoretical traditions of development that are both rooted in and cross cut the disciplines.
   • Grasp the complex relations between development as a series of planned interventions (at various levels) and the dynamics, conflicts and rhythms of historical change and social transformation.
2. Apply an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of international development theory and practice:
   • Recognize how differing concepts and ideas are translated into development practice.
   • Identify the multiple forms of state and non-state interventions – and the map of multilateral, bilateral and local development institutions – associated with contemporary international development.
   • Integrate understandings of market, state and civil society, and grasp how they are deployed in development theory and practice.

Skills

1. Acquire historical & geographical knowledge and language skills:
   • Examine the historical processes by which the Global South emerged from within the modern world system (post 1450).
   • Develop a comparative understanding of major world regions and their interrelations.
   • Gain a substantive knowledge of cultural, political, economic, and historical development of one particular region of the developing world; if possible, participate in Education Abroad Program in a country in the region.
   • Acquire language skills relevant to regional expertise.
2. Demonstrate research, critical reading, and writing skills:
   • Formulate well-organized arguments supported by evidence.
   • Write clearly and effectively.
   • Apply basic quantitative skills.
   • Critically evaluate arguments in professional, public and advocacy literatures.
   • Gain some practical experience through internships.

Courses

Development Studies

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

Elisabeth Sadoulet, Professor. Economics, agriculture, labor management & policy.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Clare Talwalker, Lecturer. Qualitative methods, global poverty action, human rights, South Asia and economic anthropology.

Emeritus Faculty

Gillian P. Hart, Professor Emeritus.

+ Michael J. Watts, Professor Emeritus. Islam, development, Africa, social movements, political economy, political ecology, geography, South Asia, peasant societies, social and and cultural theory, US agriculture, Marxian political economy.
Research Profile