Fieldtrips

Fieldtrips in the UK and overseas are a key feature of our teaching in the School of Global Development as they give students exciting opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in real world contexts. They are also a chance for students to gain hands-on experiences and develop transferable skills.

At undergraduate level, we run a dedicated Field Course module in the second year which gives students the option of either an international or UK-based trip. For students starting in September 2026, those opting for the international Field Course will visit East Africa. See below for more information about this module.

All undergraduate students also take part in a residential trip to the North Norfolk coast early on in their degree so they can start to put classroom learning into practice and build a community with their peers. In later years, several undergraduate modules include their own local fieldtrips. For example, students on the third-year module, Just Transformations to Sustainability, have recently visited Marlpit Community Gardens to learn more about this thriving, volunteer-run hub for sustainable growing, biodiversity, and community spirit.

At postgraduate level, fieldtrips are also embedded in several modules. Students taking the module Tools and Skills in Environment and Development have regularly visited Stonehouse Farm, an innovative, family run farm and the home of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network. Students taking the MA in Agriculture and Rural Development have taken an annual field trip to the North Norfolk coast to study community action that tackles rural poverty.

The exact location of field courses is decided on a yearly basis.

In addition to fieldtrips, undergraduate students can also travel oversees if they choose to do either a 8-10 week Development Work Placement, or a Placement Year for nine to twelve months. Several postgraduate degree programmes offer students a Development Work Placement instead of a dissertation.

Field Course module

In the second year of our undergraduate degrees, we run a dedicated Field Course module where students undertake a residential fieldtrip either in the UK or abroad. This module is compulsory for students studying BA Geography and Global Development and BSc Sustainable Development and optional for all other undergraduate students in the department – space permitting.

For students starting in September 2026, those opting for the international Field Course will visit East Africa where they will immerse themselves in new urban and rural environments and learn how to design and carry out their own field-based research. They will also work with local partners to gain first-hand experience of the challenges of small farmers, for example, or the tensions between wildlife conservation and livelihoods. The cost of this international Field Course is subsidised by the department.

Students taking the Field Course module can also choose to do a UK-based fieldtrip instead, for no cost. This will involve working with community-based partners who tackle issues such as environmental justice, cultural development and colonial legacies. In recent years, students have travelled to Bristol to see how local communities are challenging hidden histories of the city – particularly those related to colonialism and migration. Through drumming, dance, storytelling and graffiti workshops, students have learnt how the geographies of empire can be revealed.