The course will offer an in-depth examination of successful interventions and policies that have contributed to the well-being of marginalized communities around the world while promoting equitable development and resource distribution. By focusing on effective and promising strategies, the course will highlight how targeted actions can improve human development outcomes, despite the persistent challenges of poverty, poor health, and environmental degradation. Through this lens, the course will provide students with a critical understanding of how development practices are shaped by and respond to complex global challenges.

The course will draw on empirical research to showcase meaningful improvements across diverse sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, governance, and environmental protection. Students will explore case studies that demonstrate increases in agricultural productivity, improved health and well-being, strengthened democratic participation, and enhanced climate resilience. Furthermore, the module will address innovations in health promotion, efforts to integrate climate and health priorities into policy and trade agreements, and approaches to navigating complexity and learning from failure in development practice. Through these examples, students will gain a comprehensive view of the global efforts that have effectively tackled development issues and improved the quality of life for vulnerable populations.

Learning outcome

By taking this course, you will:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of what works, how, and why in global and national development programs and anti-poverty interventions.
  • Develop a nuanced comprehension of how development is measured and understood, including the methodological challenges that arise in the process.
  • Become familiar with key theoretical and empirical approaches that underpin successful development strategies.
  • Learn to identify, differentiate, and critically analyze the impact of both conventional and participatory approaches to development, poverty reduction, and climate change.
  • Engage in critical examination of specific development programs and projects to assess their effectiveness in reducing poverty, promoting health outcomes and combating climate change.

You will be equipped to:

  • Critically evaluate existing studies on development-related topics.
  • Apply theoretical frameworks to analyze specific cases across contexts.
  • Conduct comparative analyses of successful development interventions in various settings.
  • Illustrate key successes and failures in public policy related to development.
  • Organize and assess the impact of major development interventions at different levels of governance.

Students will:

  • Strengthen their ability to conduct critical, independent, and thorough analyses of complex development issues.
  • Enhance their capacity to critically evaluate empirical research in the field.
  • Improve their understanding of interdisciplinary theory and its practical applications to global development.

Admission to the course

Admission to this course requires enrolment in a masters's programme at a Circle U. university.

Documentation requirements for Circle U. students:

Confirmation of student status. Please attach a certificate that confirms that you are currently enrolled as a student at a program on master's level at one of the Circle U. universities.

The confirmation must include:

  • That you have admission to a study program
  • Level of study
  • That you are currently enrolled as a student at the program
  • Copy of passport or ID-card.
  • Name change documentation if your name appears different in any of your documentation.

Apply by 15 February 2026

Teaching

This course is a blended intensive course (BIP) consisting of a digital "Meet and greet" followed by the first lecture. The physical teaching is held in an intensive one-week period at the University of Oslo, with all-day sessions five days a week.

Attendance in lectures and seminars is mandatory, and active participation in class is both expected and encouraged. You must have an attendance of 80% to be eligible to take the exam.

Reading list

Examination

To pass this course, you must complete a mandatory presentation in person and a 15-minute oral exam conducted digitally.

The tentative date for the exam is 15 June 2026.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail.

Funding

The course is organized as a blended intensive program (BIP) within Erasmus+, and hence you may apply for a grant at your home university.

Please contact the mobility office at your university for more information:

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