BS Development Studies
What BS Development Studies covers, career paths in Pakistan, and which universities offer it.
Quick Facts
| Degree Level | BS |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Social Sciences |
| Offered By | 19 universities in our directory |
| Typical Duration | 4 years |
BS Development Studies is a four-year interdisciplinary undergraduate degree examining how societies develop — poverty, inequality, governance, aid and social change — drawing on economics, politics, sociology and policy.
What You’ll Study
Coursework covers development theory and history, development economics, poverty and inequality, governance and institutions, gender and development, environment and sustainable development, project planning and management, and research methods including monitoring and evaluation.
Career Scope in Pakistan
Pakistan has one of the larger donor-funded development sectors in the region, spanning health, education, water and sanitation, livelihoods, climate adaptation and governance reform — which makes this degree unusually well matched to actual local employment.
Graduates work in NGOs and international development organisations, donor agencies and UN bodies, monitoring and evaluation roles, government policy and planning departments, research institutes and think tanks, and corporate social responsibility functions.
Monitoring and evaluation capability is the single most transferable skill — every funded programme must evidence results, and people who can design and run credible evaluations are consistently sought across the whole sector.
Admission Requirements
Intermediate or an equivalent qualification, plus the admission test used by the university concerned. Check each university’s admissions page for the current cycle.
Where You Can Study This
- 19 universities
- 13 cities
- 16 public
- 3 private
| University | City | Sector | Duration | Fees whole programme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahria University | Islamabad | Public | 4 years | — |
| Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan | Dera Ghazi Khan | Public | 4 years | 189,000 (Fall 2025) |
| Karakurum International University | Gilgit | Public | 4 years | 334,260 (Fall 2026 / Spring 2027) |
| Kohat University of Science and Technology | Kohat | Public | — | — |
| National University of Modern Languages | Islamabad | Public | — | — |
| NED University of Engineering & Technology | Karachi | Public | 4 years | — |
| Sindh Madresatul Islam University | Karachi | Public | — | — |
| The University of Agriculture, Peshawar Development Studies, Subsidized | Peshawar | Public | 4 Years (8 semesters) | 278,300 (Fall 2026) |
| The University of Agriculture, Peshawar Development Studies, Non-Subsidized | Peshawar | Public | 4 Years (8 semesters) | 462,220 (Fall 2026) |
| University of Gujrat | Gujrat | Public | — | — |
| University of Poonch | Poonch | Public | 4 years | — |
| University of Sargodha | Sargodha | Public | — | — |
| University of Science & Technology | Bannu | Public | 4 years | 181,740 (2025-onward) |
| University of Shangla | Shangla | Public | 4 years | — |
| University of Swat | Swat | Public | 4 years | 176,200 (Fall 2026) |
| University of Turbat | Turbat | Public | 4 years | — |
| Hands-Institute of Development Studies, Karachi | Karachi | Private | 4 years | 654,058 (Fall 2026 (flat rate)) |
| Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology | Karachi | Private | — | — |
| Sohail University, Karachi | Karachi | Private | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes development studies graduates employable?
Monitoring and evaluation capability above all — every donor-funded programme must evidence results, and people who can design and run credible evaluations are consistently sought across the sector.