Overview
The BSc (Honors) Social Development and Policy (SDP) is a unique degree program which builds upon traditional social sciences disciplines like anthropology, economics, political science and sociology while integrating cutting edge research on social phenomena.
The program offers an innovative and dynamic approach to some of the most important issues faced by the global community. Additionally, as a student, you have the opportunity to choose from a number of elective courses which address the complex social, economic and developmental challenges from a variety of perspectives.
You will gain theoretical understanding of complex social, economic and political challenges facing contemporary Pakistan and the world coupled with hands-on training and applied practice.
Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate with a degree in Social Development and Policy will be able to:
- Formulate appropriate research methods to pursue and produce meaningful social research.
- Clearly and appropriately communicate disciplinary content across multiple media and to multiple audiences.
- Synthesize multiple ways of knowing the lived environment and the experiences of the people who inhabit them
- Critically assess and/or design development, policy and other social interventions.
- Recognize and appraise the formal and informal structures that organize and regulate societies.
- Justify development practice and theory using a social justice perspective.
- Reflect upon and critically assess one’s own practice and the practices, theories and methods in a chosen field.
Requirements for the Major
All students majoring in Social Development and Policy are required to complete a total of 37 courses (129 credit hours). Students must maintain a minimum grade of C+ (2.33 GPA) in SDP major credit requirements in order to graduate with this degree.
| Course Category | Course | No. of Courses |
| University Requirements | Habib Liberal Core | 10 |
| Social Development & Policy Program Core | SDP 101 Development and Social change | 01 |
| SDP 201 Quantitative Research Methods/ Core Quantitative Reasoning | Counted in Habib Liberal Core* | |
| SDP 202 Qualitative Research Methods | 01 | |
| SDP 103 Social Theory I | 01 | |
| SDP 2xx Social Theory II | 01 | |
| SDP 3xx Public Policy I | 01 | |
| SDP 3xx Public Policy II | 01 | |
| SDP 3xx/4xx International Political Economy Elective | 01 | |
| SDP 302 Data Analytics | 01 | |
| Program Electives | Lower-level Electives (maximum 04 courses) | 04 |
| Upper-level Electives (minimum 02 courses) | 02 | |
| Summer Practicum | FP/SDP 302 Field Practicum | 01 |
| Capstone / Research Seminar | Research Seminar + Capstone Report/Thesis Proposal | 01 |
| Thesis or Elective | Thesis Report (IS) or Upper-level Elective | 01 |
| Regional Language Requirement | Three sequential courses in a vernacular language | 03 |
| Electives | AHSS Electives (non-SDP) | 02 |
| University-wide Free Electives | 05 | |
| Overall | 37 | |
*SDP 202 Quantitative Research Methods fulfils Quantitative Reasoning Form of Thought requirement of the Habib Liberal Core.
1The requirements may be altered to enhance the learning experience.
2One course double counted in Habib Liberal core as well as in SDP core.
4-Year Grid
The students of SDP Major are required to complete a minimum of 37 courses and 129 credit hours over their 4-year journey (8 semesters). A set of recommended courses (semester-wise) fall under the following course categories:
Category 1 – Habib Liberal Core (HLC), also known as the University Core, is a common curriculum designed for all Habib University students as a mandatory requirement. A total of 10 courses are included in the HLC/University Core.
Category 2 – SDP Program Core entails a set of mandatory courses for the SDP Majors. A total of 9 courses are included in the SDP Program Core.
Category 3 – SDP Electives. Each student has to complete a total of 06 SDP elective courses comprising of 04 lower-level and 02 upper-level SDP electives.
Category 4 – Research Seminar Elective. Each student has to complete 01 Research Seminar Elective (4 credit-hour course), usually taken in their 7th semester. This elective also includes a 1 credit-hour final year project report or thesis proposal component.
Category 5 – Field Practicum (4 credit-hours) usually taken during summer of either 2nd year or 3rd year.
Category 6 – Language Elective. Each student has to complete a 3-course sequence (4 credit-hours each) in a regional language.
Category 7 – Free Electives. Each student has to complete at least 05 Free Elective courses (with a minimum of 15 credit-hours). Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill but must a take a minimum of 15 Cr in Free Elective Category.
Category 8 – AHSS Electives. Each student has to complete at least 02 AHSS Elective courses (from CND and CH programs). Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill but must a take a minimum of 6 Cr in AHSS electives category.
| Courses to complete | Credit hours | Course Category | Comments |
| First Semester (5 courses) | |||
| CORE 101 – Rhetoric and Communication | 4 | University Core (1 of 10) | |
| Formal Reasoning (PFun or LPS) | 3/4 | University Core (2 of 10) | |
| SDP 101 – Development and Social Change | 4 | SDP Program Core (1 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (02 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Language | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Second Semester (5 courses) | |||
| CORE 102 – What is Modernity | 4 | University Core (3 of 10) | |
| CORE 121 – Jehan-e-Urdu | 4 | University Core (4 of 10) | |
| SDP 103 – Social Theory I | 4 | SDP Program Core (2 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (02 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Language | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Third Semester (5 courses) | |||
| CORE 201 – Pakistan and Modern South Asia | 4 | University Core (5 of 10) | |
| SDP 2xx – Social Theory 2 | 4 | SDP Program Core (4 of 9) | |
| SDP 204 – Public Policy I | 4 | SDP Program Core (5 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (02 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Fourth Semester (5 courses) | |||
| CORE 202 – Hikma I | 4 | University Core (6 of 10) | |
| CORE 200 – Scientific Methods | 3 | University Core (7 of 10) | |
| SDP 202 – Quantitative Research Methods | 4 | “SDP Program Core (6 of 9) & University Core (8 of 10)” | The course double counts for both SDP Program Core and University Core. |
| Elective/Langauge (02 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Fifth Semester (5 courses) | |||
| Elective for Philosophical FoT | Min 3 | University Core (9 of 10) | |
| SDP 201 – Qualitative Research Methods | 4 | SDP Program Core (7 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (03 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Sixth Semester (4 courses) | |||
| Elective for Creative Practice FoT** | 3 | University Core (10 of 10) | |
| SDP 303 – Public Policy II | 4 | SDP Program Core (7 of 9) | |
| SDP 302 – Data Analytics | 4 | SDP Program Core (8 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (01 course) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Summer (Year 2/3) | |||
| Summer – Practicum*** | 4 | Can be completed in 2nd year or 3rd year | |
| Seventh Semester (4 courses) | |||
| Research Seminar – FYP | 4 | Research Seminar Elective | Capstone path/Thesis proposal path. This is a 3+1 credit hour course. One additional credit hour is assigned for Capstone report/Thesis proposal. |
| SDP 3xx/4xx – International Political Economy Elective | Min 3 | SDP Program Core (9 of 9) | |
| Elective/Langauge (2 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
| Eighth Semester (3 courses) | |||
| SDP Elective – Upper-level or Thesis (IS) | Min 3 | SDP Elective / Thesis (IS) | Students not pursuing Thesis option are required to take an upper-level SDP Elective. |
| Elective/Langauge (2 courses) | 3/4 | Elective/Langauge | “The space may be used to meet either of the following requirements: 1) SDP lower-level Elective or upper-level Elective, 2) AHSS elective, 3) Free Elective*, 4) Language courses (sequence starts from Fall)” |
Note:
* Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill but must a take a minimum of 15 Cr in Free Elective and 6 Cr in AHSS electives through any combination of 1Cr, 2Cr, 3Cr, or 4Cr courses.
** Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill the Creative Practice FoT but must a take a minimum of 3 Cr.
*** Summer Tehqiq Research project can be counted towards meeting the Summer Practicum requirement.
Click to view Semester-wise Sample Student Journey for a SDP Major
Semester-wise Sample Student Journey for a SDP Major
| Courses to complete | Credit hours | Course Category | Comments | First Semester (5 courses) |
| CORE 101 – Rhetoric and Communication | 4 | University Core (1 of 10) | |
| Formal Reasoning (PFun or LPS) | 3/4 | University Core (2 of 10) | |
| SDP 101 – Development and Social Change | 4 | SDP Program Core (1 of 9) | |
| SDP lower-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP lower-level Elective (1 of 4) | |
| Free Elective* | 3 | Free Elective (1 of 5) | Second Semester (5 courses) |
| CORE 102 – What is Modernity | 4 | University Core (3 of 10) | |
| CORE 121 – Jehan-e-Urdu | 4 | University Core (4 of 10) | |
| SDP 103 – Social Theory I | 4 | SDP Program Core (2 of 9) | |
| SDP lower-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP lower-level Elective (2 of 4) | |
| Free Elective* | 3 | Free Elective (2 of 5) | Third Semester (5 courses) |
| CORE 201 – Pakistan and Modern South Asia | 4 | University Core (5 of 10) | |
| SDP 2xx – Social Theory 2 | 4 | SDP Program Core (3 of 9) | |
| SDP 204 – Public Policy I | 4 | SDP Program Core (4 of 9) | |
| AHSS Breadth Elective* | 3 | AHSS Elective (1 of 2) | |
| Free Elective* | 3 | Free Elective (3 of 5) | Fourth Semester (5 courses) |
| CORE 202 – Hikma I | 4 | University Core (6 of 10) | |
| CORE 200 – Scientific Methods | 3 | University Core (7 of 10) | |
| SDP 202 – Quantitative Research Methods | 4 | SDP Program Core (5 of 9) & University Core (8 of 10) | The course double counts for both SDP Program Core and University Core. |
| SDP lower-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP lower-level Elective (3 of 4) | |
| AHSS Breadth Elective* | 3 | AHSS Elective (2 of 2) | Fifth Semester (5 courses) |
| Elective for Philosophical FoT | Min 3 | University Core (9 of 10) | |
| SDP 201 – Qualitative Research Methods | 4 | SDP Program Core (6 of 9) | |
| SDP lower-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP lower-level Elective (4 of 4) | |
| SDP upper-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP upper-level Elective (1 of 2) | |
| LANG 101 | 4 | Vernacular Language (1 of 3) | Sixth Semester (4 courses) |
| Elective for Creative Practice FoT** | 3 | University Core (10 of 10) | |
| LANG 102 | 4 | Vernacular Language (2 of 3) | |
| SDP 303 – Public Policy II | 4 | SDP Program Core (7 of 9) | |
| SDP 302 – Data Analytics | 4 | SDP Program Core (8 of 9) | Summer (Year 2/3) |
| Summer – Practicum*** | 4 | Can be completed in 2nd year or 3rd year | Seventh Semester (4 courses) |
| SDP 3xx/4xx – International Political Economy Elective | Min 3 | SDP Program Core (9 of 9) | |
| Research Seminar – FYP | 4 | Research Seminar Elective | Capstone path/Thesis proposal path. This is a 3+1 credit hour course. One additional credit hour is assigned for Capstone report/Thesis proposal. |
| LANG 103 | 4 | Vernacular Language (3 of 3) | |
| Free Elective* | 3 | Free Elective (4 of 5) | Eighth Semester (3 courses) |
| SDP upper-level Elective | Min 3 | SDP Elective (2 of 2) | |
| SDP upper-level Elective or Thesis (IS) | Min 3 | SDP Elective (Upper-level) or Thesis (IS) | Students not pursuing Thesis are required to take an upper-level SDP Elective. |
| Free Elective* | 3 | Free Elective (5 of 5) |
Note:
* Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill but must a take a minimum of 15 Cr in Free Elective and 6 Cr in AHSS electives through any combination of 1Cr, 2Cr, 3Cr, or 4Cr courses.
** Students may take 1 Cr and 2 Cr courses to fulfill the Creative Practice FoT but must a take a minimum of 3 Cr.
*** Summer Tehqiq Research project can be counted towards meeting the Summer Practicum requirement.
Career Prospects
SDP graduates have found employment in:
- Banks
- Education Sector
- Financial institutions
- IT companies
- Media companies
- Multi-national corporations
- NGOs
- Publishing houses
- Research organizations
- Software houses
- Think tanks
Some students decided to launch their own start-ups and businesses. A number of our graduates decided to pursue further studies in prestigious universities either in Pakistan or abroad. Recently, a number of SDP graduates have also been able to win the prestigious Fulbright scholarship.
