Development Studies is an interdisciplinary field of research and teaching that takes development as its central concern. It addresses the processes of social, cultural, ecological, economic and political change, and also the people, organisations, practices, and knowledges that engage in these development-related processes.

Development studies is a multidisciplinary subject that focuses on the evolution of nations from political, cultural, geographical, and socio-economic perspectives. It emerged as an academic discipline during the late part of the 20th century amid growing concerns for third world economies struggling to establish themselves in the postcolonial era. More recently, academics turned their attention towards Western states, seeking to address today's (and tomorrow's) most pressing issues by studying their cultural and political development. In other words, development studies is about understanding the current political landscape by examining their origins, which then enables academics, politicians, and world charity organizations to make better plans for the future.