Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA) offers a one semester full-time course (30 ECTS credits) in development studies in Nicaragua. The course is a joint venture between HiOA and Kulturstudier (Culture Studies), an independent Oslo-based organisation that offers international academic courses in the fields of culture and human development at study centres in Vietnam, India, Argentina and Nicaragua. HiOA offers interdisciplinary courses in development issues and North-South relations, leading to a Bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS credits in Development Studies. Students who complete Development Studies I and Development Studies II can continue their studies and complete a Bachelor degree in Development Studies at HiOA by taking courses worth 120 ECTS (the 2nd and 3rd year at the bachelor programme). Be aware that the 3rd and 6th semester in this bachelor programme are taught in Norwegian, while 4th and 5th semester can be offered in English.
The aim of Development Studies II is to combine a study of the academic and institutional literature with field study, taking an inductive approach where learning from the field experience is brought to the literature and informs theory, rather than a deductive approach that applies a particular theory to research data. Thus, the field study will become part of the course curriculum. In addition, there will be a programme of lectures around the four core themes, taught through an interdisciplinary social science/humanistic approach incorporating elements of history, geography, social anthropology, political science, economics and sociology. The course activities (lectures, seminars, assignments, examination) as well as the literature are all in English.
The first part of the course is web-based. After this, the students leave for Nicaragua to attend 10 weeks of lectures, academic activities and field study. The final five weeks are again web-based.
Optional course
Spans multiple semesters
