DSD 751 Development Theories and Strategies

This course is designed to help students analyse the shifting “development” paradigms and policy prescriptions designed to bring about positive change and thereby developing the human potentials. In addition, it seeks to equip students with the skills to evaluate the degrees of success and failures of the development strategies emanating from development thinkers to guide development. Students of the programme will be able to evaluate the applicability of these theories and the associated strategies to developing countries particularly Ghana.

DSD 753 Advanced Planning Survey and Research Methods

The course exposes students to principles and techniques for conducting scientific research. It assumes that students have basic knowledge in research methods and therefore builds on that foundation. Students are further exposed to some practical issues in research design and management, the emerging challenges of participatory research and the increasing role of computers in the processing and management of data. It covers different types of research, principles of research design, major schools of thought regarding research approaches, determination of data needs and collection methods, analysis and synthesis of data, report writing and preparation of research proposals.

DSD 755 Quantitative Methods for Planners

This course is designed to equip students with the basic analytical and statistical skills relevant to the formulation, implementation, management and evaluation of nation and sectoral measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression analysis, estimation of parameters and various computer software like EXCEL, SPSS for comprehensive statistical analysis and the presentation of data and macro-economic model building and design shall be emphasized.

DSD 757 Written and Oral Presentation Skills for Planners

The main objective of this course is to offer you instruction and practice in the fundamentals of making effective oral presentations. It also aims at helping students acquire the skills needed to structure their written compositions. The course will equip students to employ critical thinking to revise or edit a scientific journal article or a science magazine article using a standard or guidelines.

DSD 759 Development Planning Process

The nature of planning, private and public planning, planning by governments. The historical development of national planning. The meaning and basic characteristics of the planning process. Stages of the planning process. Grassroot planning, the concept of participation. The role of the planner, the planning process at the national, regional and district level in Ghana, the role of the planning agencies at the district level. The policy of decentralization of the planning system. Fiscal implications of planning at the different levels of government. The implications of the new planning system for administration.

DSD 752 Advanced Qualitative Research

This course will provide an overview and in-class practice of qualitative research methods including in-depth interviewing, focus groups, naturalistic observation, content analysis, and thematic analysis of textual information. The objectives of this course include the following:

• Help students develop skills in the qualitative research process from start to finish;
• Equip students develop skills in conducting in-depth interviews;
• Equip students develop analytic skills, critical thinking skills and writing skills;
• Equip students develop skills in applying ethical principles and critical thinking in the evaluation of qualitative research; and

DSD 754 Advanced Quantitative Research

This course focuses on quantitative research methodology and related inferential statistics. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Formulate research questions that are relevant to the purposes and contexts of planning and development studies;
• Conceptualize and operationalize research questions to develop testable hypotheses;
• Select research designs appropriate to the questions being asked and understand the issues of validity associated with each design;
• Select appropriate measurement instruments;
• Develop appropriate sample designs with attention to power analysis;
• Be fully conscious of the ethical and diversity issues relevant to conducting quantitative research, including responsible data collection, management, and reporting;
• Use descriptive statistics to organize and present findings and conduct exploratory data analyses;
• Understand probability concepts and theory as related to hypothesis testing;
• Be able to perform data analyses and appropriately communicate the results of these analyses;
• Utilize SPSS to analyze data and to report results in an appropriate form; and
• Be an advanced consumer of planning and social science research articles.

Doctoral Colloquium I, II and III

This ‘special topics’ course will explore a particular breaking development or theme relating planning as a discipline and will also offer students with the opportunity to share experiences with seasoned professionals in planning research and practice. Students will learn about the breadth of the planning discipline and the varied opportunities you might have to explore specialized topics with members of our faculty. Students will also learn about the motivations for, and challenges of, planning research.

DSD 758 Political Economy of Development

This course is primarily concerned with various issues bothering the interaction between politics, economics as well as society and culture. It deals with current empirical reality, theory, concepts, history and the current governance and policy problems of development, poverty, and inequality. The course introduces participants to a range of contemporary issues in development. It takes a critical and political economy approach to the processes of economic and human development, emphasizing the interaction of politics with the economy, as well as society and culture. The course introduces participants to different strands of development theory and the debates between these different stands. The course focuses upon the way these different theoretical approaches have shaped development relations, processes, institutions, and policies; the trends and assessment of poverty, inequality and development; and the politics of interaction between the developing and developed world. The course will equip students with the skills to appreciate the interactions and the linkages between politics, the economy, society and culture and how these linkages shape development.

DSD 951/952 Doctoral Thesis

This guided research on planning and development issues constitutes the core of the Doctor of Philosophy programme in Development Studies. It is intended to build the capacities of candidates in carrying out advanced and independent research. The candidates are expected to apply the knowledge acquired in the courses they took in year one by defining, researching and addressing an issue related in a recognizable framework of development planning theory and practice. The candidates are expected to liaise with staff for direction and subsequently work closely with their thesis supervisors.