Based on the current regulations of higher eduation in Indonesia, the Doctoral degree in Development studies (PDSP) follows the Semester Credit System on his curriculum. The study load for this program must be met at least 42 credits, especially for students who already have a Master’s Degree or equivalent in relevant disciplines.

Referring to Academic Regulation of Andalas University No.3 year 2016, the education program at PDSP is aimed to produce quality dissertation through more intensive research compared to the lecture load. The following description describes the PDSP curriculum which shows the study load in each semester.

Semester I: three compulsary and one elective subjects = 12 credits

(a) three compulsary subjects = 9 credits

1. Philosophy of Science (3 cr)
2. Concepts of Sustainable Development (3 cr)
3. Capita Selecta (3 cr)

(b) one elective subject = 3 credits

1. Academic writing (3 cr)
2. Special topic I (3 cr) *)

Semester II: one compulsary and two elective subjects = 4 credits

(a) one compulsary subjects = 1 credit

1. Colloquium of research proposal (1 cr)
2. Preliminary or PhD Qualification Exam (0 cr)

(b) one elective subjects = 3 credits

1. Special topic II (3 cr)
2. Elective subject from Master degree courses (3 cr) **)

Semester III-VI: minimum of 28 credits

(a) six compulsary subjects = 28 credit

1. Progress Report I (3 cr) ***)
2. Progress Report II (3 cr)
3. Progress Report III (3 cr)
4. Progress Report IV (3 cr)
5. Seminar of Dissertation (1 cr)
6. Dissertation (15 cr)

(b) two elective subjects

1. National Conference (2 cr)
2. International Conference (4 cr)

Note :

*) Academic activities in the form of Special Topics (Directed Independent Study) is an unstructured lecture activity, where the students are given a task by the Promoter Team to perform independent activities, either in terms of literature study or or preliminary research activity related to the dissertation research topic which is equivalent to study load of 3 credits. In the period of one semester of the Special Topics, students are required to meet with their promoters for 8 (eight) meetings. The final result of this Special Topic should be one paper presented and reviewed by the Promoter Team in the Colloquium Series of Doctor Program forum.

**) Elective subjects are course subjects can be taken from courses offered in the postgraduate program either in the master program or in doctoral programs in Andalas University or in other universities in the form of credit transfer.

***) Research activities are conducted every semester to produce scientific works in the form of progress reports assessed by the promoter team at the end of each semester in the discussion forum of the promoter's team, which also gives an assessment of the national and international seminar paper produced:

• Progress Report I and II, at least in the form of publishing articles in unaccredited national journals or papers on local seminars, each equivalent to 3 credits
• Progress Report III and IV, at least in the form of publication of an international journal article and an accredited national journal article, or both international journals articles or accredited national journal articles, each equivalent to 3 credits
• Scientific work related to dissertation research presented at a national seminar outside the province is equivalent to 2 credits, whereas if presented at an international seminar abroad is equivalent to 4 credits.
• The dissertation of 15 credits is given after the students have passed the final examination, covering the whole process from the writing of the proposal, the research of data collection and its processing, and the writing of the dissertation itself.