The Full Form of IDPS is‍ International Development Program.

The International Development concentration equips International Relations Online students with the skills necessary for careers that contribute to improving the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. The coursework provides an understanding of the economic, political, and social challenges of economic development; contending perspectives on how best to achieve development; and issues crucial to development, such as the environment and global health.

Sample Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this concentration, students will have met a number of learning objectives, including the ability to:

• Define and understand central concepts of international development, including measurement of development, actors, theoretical approaches, and the history and trajectory of the field.
• Gain a greater ability to apply knowledge and analysis to specific development contexts and cases in order to evaluate the strengths and limitations of theoretical approaches, programs, and projects.
• Evaluate the merits of different approaches to international development on the basis of values at stake, including ethical, political, social, environmental, and economic ramifications.
• Have a working understanding of the causes and implications of a range of global environmental challenges and of different forms of response.
• Analyze the main problems related to diseases and health in international relations and development policy, as well as international efforts to control the spread of disease.