Introduction to International Development
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this undergraduate course on the theory, institutions, and practice of international development. The syllabus takes an interdisciplinary approach to core debates in the field, covering competing definitions of progress, well-being, and culture, and surveying the major institutional actors that shape development policy. Materials include the full reading list, lecture topics, and assignments used in the MIT classroom, encouraging students to move past simple dichotomies toward a more nuanced set of analytical tools. As with other MIT OCW offerings, the course is free to access with no certificate, built from the actual course materials rather than a condensed overview, and suited to students wanting a foundation in development studies before moving into specialized coursework in economics, political science, or urban planning.