International Development Diploma

Designed for students who are interested in working with organizations involved in development projects internationally, this program provides students an opportunity to engage with current global issues.  

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International Development Diploma studies focus on the world.

Campus

  • Kelowna
View schedule and campus details
Legend:
  • Full program offered
  • Partial program offered

Credential

Diploma

Delivery options

Full-Time, Part-Time

  • International students eligible

Tuition and fees

2023-24: $4,590.14 (Governance Option), $5,269.19 (Management Option, per year)

  • Fees listed are for first year (two semesters) for a typical, full-time student taking five courses per semester (ten Arts courses in the Governance Option, five Arts and five Business courses in the Management Option). Depending on the courses selected fees may vary.

  • Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.

  • Detailed International tuition fees information.

  • This program is student loan eligible. View Financial Aid & Awards

  • All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.

  • Detailed domestic tuition and fees information

Program details

The International Development Diploma is designed for learners who are interested in working with organizations involved in development projects across the globe. The program provides learners an opportunity to engage with current global issues such as poverty; environmental degradation; racial and gender discrimination; corruption and lack of economic and financial transparency; and political deficiency. Upon successful completion of this program, learners have acquired a multidisciplinary understanding of the current issues in international development and will apply appropriate techniques to analyze the issues and problems of development in the global context.

The diploma has two options:

  1. International Development Governance. In this option, students will have a choice of further specializations in:
    a. Women and Development;
    b. Environment and Development;
    c. Sustainable Development
  2. International Development Management, a joint Diploma Program between Arts and Business.

All Arts courses in this Diploma program have university studies credits, providing students with the option of further study in either international development or other related disciplines. Business courses are transferred on a course-by-course basis.

Students are advised to verify with the appropriate Department Chair or Dean that the specific course offerings will be offered within a two-year cycle if students intend to complete the Diploma in two years.

Students should refer to the most recent BC transfer guide at http://www.bctransferguide.ca/.


This diploma can only be completed in full at the Kelowna campus. A selection of courses may be offered at the Vernon, Salmon Arm and Penticton campuses. A number of specialized courses and second year courses are offered only at the Kelowna campus.

For more information, book an appointment with an Education Advisor.

Campus Start date Schedule
Kelowna Jan. 08, 2024
Kelowna Sep. 04, 2024
Kelowna Jan. 06, 2025

Admission requirements

Regular Applicants:
A regular applicant will have secondary school graduation (or equivalent) or will complete the requirements for senior secondary graduation (or its equivalent) not less than one month prior to commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter. The following minimum entrance requirements will apply to regular applicants:

  • B.C. secondary graduation, or equivalent.
  • English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.

Students with a passing grade of less than 60% in English 12, English 12 First Peoples, TPC 12, or an equivalent Provincial level Adult Basic Education English course will be admissible to the first year of the Associate of Arts Degree, subject to the following conditions:

    1. Registration is restricted to courses for which the student satisfies the prerequisites. Registration in first-year English courses is, therefore, prohibited.
    2. Successful completion of the English entrance requirements within the first year of studies. This may be done in one of the following ways:
      • Successful completion of English 12, English 12 First Peoples TPC 12 or an equivalent course with a minimum grade of 60%. This may be done concurrently through the College's Adult Basic Education Program or by completing an equivalent course through a distance education program.

Mature Applicants:
A mature applicant will be at least 19 years of age and will not have attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year. Secondary graduation is waived for mature applicants. The English entrance requirements, as stated above, must be satisfied prior to admission. Admission may be granted on the condition that the entrance requirements will be completed prior to the commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either Fall or Winter.

Program outline

Required courses (all options):
ECON 115 - Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 125 - Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 261 - Economics of Developing Countries
POLI 101 - Introduction to Politics
POLI 112 - Understanding International Development
POLI 220 - The Politics of Human Rights
POLI 221 - Global Politics
POLI 222 - Global Political Economy
Please see additional program outline information for each specialization below.

Graduation of the International Development Diploma will require the completion of 60 prescribed compulsory and elective credits as outlined.

Program specializations

Program Outline

International Development Governance Option
Students will complete:
ANTH 121 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Students will complete one of the following courses:
HIST 115 - Contemporary World from 1900 to World War II
HIST 125 - Contemporary World from World War II to the Present
HIST 126 - History of Western Civilization 1789 to the Present
HIST 230 - Warfare and Terrorism Since 1945
Students will complete one of the following courses:
ECON 210 - Women and the Economy
ECON 260 - Poverty and Inequality
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
* Students in the Environment and Development Emphasis (Governance Option) with credit for ECON 271 as their ECON elective cannot also take it as an Arts elective in their emphasis.
Students will complete two of the following courses:
POLI 114 - Engaging in International Development
POLI 202 - Women and Politics
POLI 206 - Religion and Politics
POLI 211 - Comparative Government
POLI 240 - Contemporary Political Ideologies
POLI 213 - Canada in International Development
POLI 339 - Sustainable Development
POLI 346 - Institutions of Global Governance
* Students in Women and Development specialization cannot take ECON 210 or POLI 202 as their POLI and ECON electives in the International Governance Option.
Students will complete two of the following English electives:
ENGL 100 - University Writing
ENGL 150 - Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 - Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 - Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
Students will complete five of the following Arts electives:
ANTH 180 - Communicating Across Cultures
ANTH 213 - Women in Cross-cultural Perspective
ANTH 214 - The Family in Cross-cultural Perspective
ANTH 215 - Religion in Cross-cultural Perspective
ANTH 245 - Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 - Ethnobotany: Plants and People
ANTH 283 - Globalization & Resistance
CMNS 100 - Introduction to Communications
CMNS 110 - Introduction to Mass Communication
CMNS 230 - Communication and Culture
CMNS 280 - Applied Communication
EESC 101 - Environmental Science
ECON 202 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis
ECON 335 - The Economics of Social Issues
ENGL 222 - Studies in International Literature in English
GEOG 128 - Human Geography: Space, Place and Community
GEOG 129 - Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
GEOG 201 - Food and Society
GEOG 210 - Introduction to Environmental Issues
GEOG 221 - Economic Geography
GEOG 250 - Introduction to Urban Geography
GEOG 311 - Environmental Management
GSWS 100 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
GSWS 201 - Gender, Justice, Resistance
GSWS 207 - Gender and Sexuality in Religion
GSWS 222 - Eco-Feminism
HIST 241 - Late Imperial China
HIST 250 - Post-Independence Latin American History
HIST 271 - Modern India
IDST 101 - Resistance and Revolution in the Colonial Period
IDST 102 - Resistance and Revolution in the Neocolonial Period
IDST 201 - Strategies of Resistance and Revolution
IDST 202 - Praxis of Resistance and Revolution
PHIL 114 - Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking I
PHIL 241 - Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 251 - Environmental Ethics
PSYC 121 - Introduction to Psychology: Personal Functioning
SOCI 111 - Introduction to Sociology I
SOCI 121 - Introduction to Sociology II
SOCI 202 - Introduction to Social Problems
SOCI 212 - Race and Ethnic Relations I
SOCI 213 - Sex, Gender and Society I
SOCI 217 - Consumer Society
SOCI 219 - Sociology and Religion
SOCI 224 - Men and Masculinities
SOCI 226 - Work, Technology and Social Change
SOCI 269 - Studies in Sexualities
SOCI 303 - Environmental Sociology
HIST 251 - The Chinese Republics
The Breadth Requirement: students cannot take more than two courses from the same discipline.
* If students want to gain a specialization, they can review the Arts electives for specializations below.

Option 1

Specialization in Women and Development
Students must choose four of their Arts electives from the following courses to gain the specialization in Women and Development:
Complete at least 4 of the following:
ANTH 213 - Women in Cross-cultural Perspective
ANTH 214 - The Family in Cross-cultural Perspective
ECON 210 - Women and the Economy
POLI 202 - Women and Politics
GSWS 100 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
GSWS 201 - Gender, Justice, Resistance
GSWS 207 - Gender and Sexuality in Religion
GSWS 215 - Gender and Popular Culture
GSWS 222 - Eco-Feminism
SOCI 213 - Sex, Gender and Society I
SOCI 224 - Men and Masculinities
SOCI 269 - Studies in Sexualities
The Breadth Requirement: students cannot take more than two courses from the same discipline.

Option 2

Specialization in Environment and Development
Students must choose four of their Arts electives from the following courses to gain the specialization in Environment and Development.
Complete at least 4 of the following:
ANTH 245 - Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 - Ethnobotany: Plants and People
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
EESC 101 - Environmental Science
GEOG 129 - Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
GEOG 201 - Food and Society
GEOG 210 - Introduction to Environmental Issues
GEOG 311 - Environmental Management
GSWS 222 - Eco-Feminism
PHIL 251 - Environmental Ethics
SOCI 303 - Environmental Sociology
The Breadth Requirement: students cannot take more than two courses from the same discipline.

Option 3

Specialization in Sustainable Development
Students must choose four of their Arts electives from the following courses to gain the specialization in Sustainable Development:
Complete at least 4 of the following:
GEOG 221 - Economic Geography
GEOG 250 - Introduction to Urban Geography
ECON 202 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis
ECON 210 - Women and the Economy
ECON 335 - The Economics of Social Issues
POLI 339 - Sustainable Development
POLI 346 - Institutions of Global Governance
SOCI 217 - Consumer Society
SOCI 226 - Work, Technology and Social Change
HIST 250 - Post-Independence Latin American History
HIST 251 - The Chinese Republics
HIST 271 - Modern India
The Breadth Requirement: students cannot take more than two courses from the same discipline.
International Development Management Option
Students will complete all of the following courses:
BUAD 111 - Financial Accounting I
BUAD 116 - Marketing
BUAD 123 - Management Principles
BUAD 128 - Computer Applications I
BUAD 195 - Financial Management
BUAD 201 - Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
BUAD 209 - Business Law
BUAD 262 - Organizational Behaviour
BUAD 269 - Human Resources Management
Students will complete one of the following courses:
ECON 205 - Managerial Economics
ECON 210 - Women and the Economy
ECON 260 - Poverty and Inequality
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Students will complete two of the following Communication or English electives:
CMNS 112 - Professional Writing I
CMNS 122 - Professional Writing II
ENGL 100 - University Writing
ENGL 150 - Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 - Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 - Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
Additional information

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