Development studies often aim to prepare students to perform a deep investigation of the developing world. To this end, an academic program in this discipline might engage with any number of issues facing developing economies and societies.

Switzerland (German: Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansch: Svizra. Switzerland has some of the world renown universites like ETH in Zurich, EPFL in Lausanne, IHEID in Geneva, University of Lausanne or the University of St. Gallen. Keep in mind, it's much better to speak the local language, so if you can't speak either French, German or Italian, better go for a language course first.

Requirements for the PhD program often involve the student having already obtained a Master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis or dissertation primarily consisting of original academic research must be submitted. In some countries, this work may even need to be defended in front of a panel.