COURSE CURRICULUM

The BSc Global Sustainable Development programme at the University of Reading equips students with a deep understanding of the environmental, economic, and social challenges shaping the modern world, and the tools needed to respond to them. In the first stage, students study core modules such as Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects, The Economic Environment, Key Issues in Global Development, and Alternative Voices: Changing Perspectives of Global Sustainable Development. These introduce major global issues including climate change, biodiversity loss, inequality, and economic systems, while encouraging students to critically evaluate different perspectives on development. In the second stage, students build advanced analytical and practical skills through Research Methods for Global Sustainable Development, Approaches to Global Sustainable Development, and Exploring Professional Practice, which provide training in qualitative and quantitative research, theoretical frameworks, and real-world engagement with development organisations. The final stage includes a dissertation alongside specialist modules such as Power and Development and Digital for Development: Transformation or Tyranny?, which explore global institutions, social change, governance, and the impact of digital technologies on development. Across the programme, students investigate how power, policy, and sustainability interact across global contexts while developing strong research, communication, and problem-solving skills. Graduates are well prepared for careers in international development, sustainability, policy analysis, NGOs, and global organisations working to address inequality and environmental challenges.