Development Studies

Eleanor Townsley, Nexus director

Catherine Corson, track chair

Holly Hanson, track chair

217G Dwight Hall
413-538-3010
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/nexus/sustainable_development

Overview and Contact Information

Sustainable development implies use of natural resources and organization of economic activity in ways that can be maintained indefinitely. In order for development to be sustainable, all regions of the world and all social classes must have political and economic agency. This recognizes that as people meet the needs (including social, political, cultural, economic, and health) of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to also meet their needs, they do so through fair and equitable processes of production, distribution, and consumption.

For the Development Studies Nexus, students devise their own plan in consultation with the track chair and must seek advance approval from the chair.

Faculty

This area of study is administered by the following Nexus track chairs:

Ayca Zayim, Assistant Professor of Sociology

Kevin Surprise, Visiting Lecturer in Environmental Studies

Requirements for the Nexus

A minimum of 18 credits:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Three courses above the 100 level chosen from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair		12
One approved 300-level course from the list of courses approved for this Nexus or selected with approval of the track chair		4
Completion of the UAF application stages 1 and 2 ¹
A substantive internship ²
COLL-211	Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education	2
A presentation at LEAP Symposium
Total Credits		18

Or a fifth class with approval of the track chair

At least 240 work hours and responsibilities that exercise ability to think analytically and creatively, and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s stated mission and complements the student's area of focus

Additional Specifications

Nexus students will develop a brief proposal outlining their specific area of focus and provide a course outline for approval from the track chair. A Plan of Study form must be returned to the Nexus Program office.
The sequence of a Nexus is part of what makes it unique:
- In preparation for the summer internship or research, students complete courses chosen in consultation with the track chair. If seeking funding through LYNK UAF, students will additionally complete orientation and advising, and online training.
- COLL-211 is taken after the internship or research project and culminates in a presentation at LEAP Symposium.

Courses Counting toward the Nexus

Courses other than those listed below may count toward the Nexus. Students should consult the Nexus track chair for consideration of courses not on the list.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Anthropology
ANTHR-216HR	Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Anthropology and Human Rights'	4
College(Interdeptmnt) Courses
COLL-211	Reflecting Back: Connecting Internship and Research to Your Liberal Arts Education	2
Economics
ECON-213	Economic Development	4
ECON-314	Economic Development in the Age of Contested Globalization	4
Environmental Studies
ENVST-210	Political Ecology	4
ENVST-242	Global-Local Inequality and the Environment	4
Geography
GEOG-105	World Regional Geography	4
GEOG-204	Human Dimensions of Environmental Change	4
GEOG-208	Global Movements: Migrations, Refugees and Diasporas	4
GEOG-313	Third World Development	4
GEOG-319	Africa: Problems and Prospects	4
GEOG-325	Conflict and Displacement in Africa	4
History
HIST-357	History of British Capitalism	4
Politics
POLIT-246	American Political Thought	4
POLIT-249	African Politics	4
Sociology
SOCI-240	Collective Behavior and Social Movements	4
SOCI-316DG	Special Topics in Sociology: 'Sociology of Development and Globalization'	4