Issues in Development Policy

6 unitsSem 1In Person

Crawford School of Public Policy · ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy

About this course

This course is available for on-campus & remote (online) learning. All students participate in interactive, real-time classes. This course explores and analyses the key issues in economic development. Students will develop descriptive skills and apply theoretical models to understand and analyse key issues in the field of development economics. The course will draw on experiences from developing economies in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, with a focus on policy approaches able to boost development outcomes.

Learning outcomes

1Demonstrate a strong understanding of the theoretical principles and conceptual arguments for dealing with key issues in economic development.
2Apply analytical methods to analyse real-world situations in economic development.
3Understand the key issues with respect to policies aiming to enhance economic development.
4Evaluate the roles, strengths, and limitations of the various kinds of institutions that exist in developing countries.
5Demonstrate capacity to carry out research on cross-country differences in economic growth and development among developing countries.

Assessment

Weights and hurdle requirements come straight from the imported ANU record.

Written assignment (maximum 1,000 words)

Learning outcomes 1, 2, 4

15%

Essay (maximum 2,000 words)

Learning outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5

35%

Final exam

Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4

50%

Study expectations

Study information

The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independent study.

Texts and reading

Thirlwall, A.P. and Pacheco-López, P. (2017) Economics of Development, Palgrave Macmillan, 10th Edition. Preliminary Reading Readings will be available on the Wattle course site.

Course essentials

Academic year: 2026
Course subject: IDEC
Subject name: International and Developmental Economics
Academic career: PGRD
School: Crawford School of Public Policy
College: ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy
Convener: Prof Ligang Song
Delivery: In Person
Unit value: 6 units
EFTSL: 0.125
Last source update: Not listed

View the ANU course source

Fees

International fee paying students: International · 2026 · Course basis; $7,020
Student Contribution Band Code 34: Commonwealth supported · 2026; ANU contribution-band code 34
Estimated domestic fee: ≈ $5,160; Estimated from the median of 277 similar courses in the ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy. ANU's page didn't list a fee we could read, so this isn't the official fee.

Areas and attributes

Areas of interest

Development StudiesEconomics