Saint Mary's University offers BA/BS in Global Development Studies, a bachelor's degree in Development Studies programme in Halifax, Canada. Tuition for international students is CAD 3,301 per credit (CAD 920 per credit for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Bachelor's Degree
Field:Development Studies
Local tuition: CAD 920 / credit
International tuition: CAD 3,301 / credit
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies is offered by Saint Mary's University on its Halifax campus, taking an interdisciplinary approach to global challenges including climate change, conflict, food insecurity, and inequality. The curriculum combines critical thinking with practical-skills development through intensive, interdisciplinary courses oriented toward research, policy, and development practice; sample courses include Global Development in Turbulent Times and Climate, Security and Development. Instruction is delivered in small, in-person classes, and students regularly take part in exchanges and research trips to countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Greece, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Uganda, with coursework covering practical topics such as Fairtrade coffee and affordable housing initiatives. The program suits students interested in understanding and addressing global development challenges through applied, internationally oriented learning, with graduates going on to work with international organizations, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations, including employers such as UN Women and Global Affairs Canada.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:70.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Saint Mary's admits directly from Canadian high school for the Global Development Studies BA, following the university's general Bachelor of Arts requirements rather than a program-specific list: a minimum 70% average with no individual mark below 60%, English 12 academic (or the provincial equivalent, e.g. English 4U in Ontario, English Language Arts 30-1 in Alberta), and four further academic Grade 12 courses; a 70% average across five Grade 11 courses qualifies for early admission. Applicants educated outside an English-language system must meet Saint Mary's English proficiency requirement: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0 (IELTS Online Indicator accepted), TOEFL iBT 83 with no band below 20 (post-January-2026 scale: 4.5 listening, no other band below 4.0), Duolingo English Test 115 with no sub-score below 95, PTE Academic 58, CAEL 60 with no band below 50, Cambridge English 176, or Trinity ISE 96.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Saint Mary's University applies directly, not through a provincial service. For the currently posted cycle, Winter Term 2027 domestic applications close 1 December 2026 and international applications for the same term close 15 October 2026; Entrance Award and Admissions Scholarship consideration requires applying by 15 February 2027. Applications for the following 2027-2028 academic year (Fall 2027 and Winter 2028) opened 1 October 2026, but SMU has not yet published a Fall 2027 closing date for either domestic or international applicants -- the prior cycle's Fall Term domestic deadline was 1 August 2026. Admission is not described as rolling; each term carries a fixed posted deadline, released roughly a year ahead of the term. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
