Anthropology |
- be prepared to write a lot of essays and do a lot of readings
- there are many different streams to anthropology, but the socio-cultural is the one most relevant to IDS
- main point of anthro: studying why humans behave the way they do
- may be combined with environmental, political, economic streams & factors
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- large development orgs (i.e. World Bank, UN, CIDA) and some private sector companies (i.e. mining) hire anthropologists to ensure development projects are appropriate in their context
- anthropologists also tend to become academics or researchers
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African Studies |
- courses are mostly general to all of Africa, but some are country specific
- a good balance between African culture, beliefs, and traditions & the effect of colonialism, war, and modern society
- new minor and a lot of the courses are still being developed; makes it hard to plan ahead since some courses are not offered every year
- it is best to combine with French, Arabic, or Swahili (offered in the downtown campus)
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- regional focus for work in Africa
- can make you more competitive with organizations who work in Africa
- there is also a language requirement for jobs in Africa (mostly French, but also a 3rdnon-colonial language i.e. Swahili)
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Economics |
- a minor is not difficult to complete
- IDSB01, IDSC11, STAB22 all count towards requirements
- there are more social/political economics but there are also more hardcore economics course offered for a more solid foundation
- need additional technical skills (math, science, stats) that might be difficult to develop alongside skills you need in IDS
- some economic courses should be taken regardless in order to understand the importance of a strong local economy and job creation for development
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- microcredit programs
- could be used in many different fields of development, especially political science / public policy
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Environmental Science |
- also one of the two options of the IDS program, other than the Arts
- since 2010, it has been difficult to do major in EnviroSci in combination with IDS, but the program has been completely restructured recently
- there is a new science curriculum to introduce workshops/courses that better tie with IDS
- there are still a high number of prerequisites (1st year biology, chemistry, physics, calculus)
- it is a good idea to take some in summer school, in order to ensure good grades and an easier course load during the year
- in the field you need to know physics and chemistry, so don’t think of them as unnecessary
- need additional technical skills (math, science, stats) that might be difficult to develop alongside skills you need in IDS
- some valuable courses to take are the B level EES courses, such as hydrology, climatology, soil science, due to their application in upper courses
- BIOC52 or any other field course for practical experience
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- usually need a post-grad to make it more practical
- NGOs doing sustainability work look for people who can combine knowledge of development with a solid understanding of environmental processes
- industry/corporate world: environmental consulting, urban planning, adaptation to climate change, GIS, Environment Impact Assessment
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Health Studies |
- a focus on the Social Determinants of Health, the connection between health and socioeconomic issues * policy & advocacy
- unless you really enjoy health and science, the science requirements are not very useful (unless you are thinking about medical school)
- need further education for technical medical fields
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- Doctors Without Border (MSF), Stephen Lewis Foundation, Care International, Global Health Council , AMREF, Aga Khan, SALAMA, Treatment Action Campaign
- human rights work
- health care/services provision
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Political Science |
- there are three streams: Canadian politics, international/development politics, and political theory
- offer courses with regional focus (i.e. Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia) which would be useful for a better understanding of the underlying issues in specific countries
- politics is the core component to so many of the issues discussed in development, so even a few interesting courses are worth taking for a more holistic understanding of development
- very heavy on the essay writing and readings
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- national and international politics
- internships with the Governance Department of the UNDP
- CIDA
- any policy work
- NGOs and advocacy, lobbying government(s)
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