MAS Humanitarian Action 2025
Information
Period
September 2025 - October 2026Language
EnglishFormat
Blended learningContact
Location
Geneva and online (blended learning)Registration
Registration deadline
30 June 2025Fees:
Option I: MAS in 14 months – CHF 15’000.-
Deposit: (upon acceptance of admission): CHF 1'000
Option II: MAS in 2 or 3 academic years - CHF 17’000.-
Deposit (upon acceptance of admission): CHF 1'000
Thanks to the financial support of the Service de la solidarité Internationale of the Canton of Geneva we offer full or partial scholarships for the MAS. For more info and to check the eligibility criteria visit: https://humanitarianstudies.ch/scholarships-and-funding/
Contribution to the SDGs
Objectives
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the evolution of the humanitarian system, governance and stakeholders
- Demonstrate knowledge of core humanitarian values, principles, codes and frameworks
- Engage with major debates and critiques in the humanitarian sector
- Critically assess humanitarian contexts and complex emergencies (armed conflicts, disasters, urban settings and migration)
- Assess, monitor and evaluate humanitarian projects
- Demonstrate key management, leadership and accountability skills
Develop relevant skillsets and competencies for the humanitarian sector, including public health, gender-based and sexual violence, communication, advocacy, negotiation, protection, finance and management
Audience
Professional from other sectors who wishes to deepen their understanding of the contemporary humanitarian action
Post-graduate student with internship experience who wants to work in humanitarian action
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Understand the evolution of the humanitarian system, governance and stakeholders
- Demonstrate knowledge of core humanitarian values, principles, codes and frameworks
- Engage with major debates and critiques in the humanitarian sector
- Critically assess humanitarian contexts and complex emergencies (armed conflicts, disasters, urban settings and migration)
- Assess, monitor and evaluate humanitarian projects
- Demonstrate key management, leadership and accountability skills
- Develop relevant skill sets and competencies for the humanitarian sector, including public health, gender-based and sexual violence, communication, advocacy, negotiation, protection, finance and management.
Programme
The Master programme is a modular executive training of 60 ECTS credits composed of four parts:
Part One: Critical Analysis of Humanitarian Action – RESIDENTIAL TERM IN GENEVA, September - December
(Diploma of Advanced Studies: 25 ECTS Credits)
- Module 1: Humanitarianisms
- Module 2: Contexts, Actions and Consequences
- Module 3: Revisiting Vulnerability and Needs
- Module 4: Humanitarian Governance, Norms and Principles
- Module 5: The Humanitarians and the Social World of Aidland
Part Two: Quality Management of Humanitarian Projects – ONLINE TERM, January - April
(Certificate of Advanced Studies: 10 ECTS Credits)
This course addresses the essential components that guarantee the qualitative management of adapted projects and cohesive teams. It integrates fundamental principles such as inclusion, do no harm, accountability or participation into processes, methods and tools of project and people management. The whole course takes part online during 12 consecutive weeks.
Part Three: Executive Short Courses – ONLINE TERM, April - October (2 ECTS credits per course)
A series of short elective courses focus on key approaches and evaluative tools of humanitarian contexts. Students can select five courses to develop specific skills and learn about good practices. All courses take place online during two weeks each.
The elective courses include:
- A relationship at stake: media and humanitarian action
- Negotiation in humanitarian crises
- Sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian crises
- Cash and voucher assistance in humanitarian action: What works?
- Health systems assessment in humanitarian crises
- Humanitarian advocacy: from bearing witness to activism
- Non-communicable diseases in humanitarian settings
- Protection of civilians, from humanitarian to peace operations
- Planetary health
- Digital innovations in the humanitarian sector
Part Four: Final dissertation (15 ECTS Credits) – ONLINE
Throughout the DAS, MAS students will engage in a series of workshops designed to develop information-gathering and processing, critical thinking, analytical writing and networking skills. These workshops will help participants to write the MAS dissertation. The overall aim of the MAS dissertation is to stimulate a critical and original reflection on issues linked to humanitarian action. The submission deadline for the MAS dissertation is October 31, 2023.
Director(s)
Prof. Karl BLANCHET, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva
Coordinator(s)
Diploma delivered jointly by
Accreditation
Our programme has been developed in response to the growing need to understand, question and reform today’s humanitarian system, and it is delivered in collaboration with our partner organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The programme offers evidence-based, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural education in the field of humanitarian action.
This blended postgraduate course combines theoretical, practical and managerial skills in a unique adult-learning environment, to empower humanitarian professionals with reflective and critical analysis for a more effective humanitarian response. The course work will focus on deconstructing the humanitarian system, on learning about its normative frameworks and reflecting on the interactions and power dynamics among humanitarian actors. It will provide expertise in assessing methods, tools and approaches used to provide assistance to affected populations in different humanitarian contexts (including armed conflicts, disasters, urban settings and migration).
Diploma awarded
Admission criteria
- A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a Swiss or foreign university
- At least two years of relevant professional experience
- Excellent command of English
For more details on the enrollment process visit this page.
Application File
- Copy of identity document or passport
- Passport photo (.jpg format)
- Curriculum vitae
- Cover letter (explaining the reason why you apply for this course and how will the acquired skills help you in your career)
- Copy of the highest educational qualification obtained
- Copy of Work certificates/official document from your current and the previous two job positions
- Proof of English language competence to be dated less than 2 years. Please refer to https://humanitarianstudies.ch/application/
- Two recent letters of recommendation (academic and/or professional) signed and with direct mention of the programme of your choice
- Employer's funding agreement, if applicable
- Scholarship application form
More information about the application process is available on our application page.
Number of participants
Cancellation Policy
Please check our cancellation policy on our application page.
"In September 2020, I joined many other great professionals for the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action. It has been an incredibly intense yet enriching experience. We had the chance to listen, learn and discuss with many professionals from the humanitarian system. I have often been challenged by the process of deconstruction and critical analysis of the humanitarian system itself; however, I feel this has made me a better worker in the sector and a better human being in general."
Master student 2020-21
"This one year with the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies has pushed me beyond my limits, helped me position myself in the sector and decide what I want to do and how to do it. This course offers an excellent opportunity for any passionate humanitarian professional who sees the value of their work and perspectives and wants to grow professionally in the sector and be recognised".
Master student 2019-20
Contribution to the SDGs