MAS Humanitarian Action 2024

This MAS is a unique blended learning postgraduate programme on humanitarian action that provides current and future humanitarian professionals with the managerial, theoretical, and practical skills needed to optimise responses to humanitarian crises.

Information

Period

September 2024 - October 2025
60 ECTS credits
200 Teaching hours
200 Distance teaching hours
Around 1500 hours of work for the whole Master, including: • App. 400 hours of face-to-face teaching (lectures, group work, round tables, debates, visits) • App. 750 hours of self-study time (e-learning modules, readings, assignments, videos, quizzes, etc.) • App. 350 hours for the MAS dissertation

Language

English

Format

Blended learning

Contact

Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies
+41 (0)22 379 56 50
humanitarianstudies(at)unige.ch

Location

Geneva and online (blended learning)

Registration

Registration deadline

30 June 2024
Deadline for scholarships: 1 February 2024. Registration deadline excl. EU/EFTA citizens: 31 May 2024

Fees:

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

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

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 in humanitarian social and development organisations who wants to improve their competencies as well as reflect and capitalise on their experiences
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)

Dr Valerie GORIN, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, Geneva

Diploma delivered jointly by

University of Geneva, IHEID

Accreditation

AAQ
Executive Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action
This Master programme is a unique blended learning postgraduate course on humanitarian action providing current and future humanitarian professionals with the managerial, theoretical and practical skills needed to optimize responses to humanitarian crises.

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

Once the students successfully complete the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action's full programme according to CERAH requirements, they obtain a joint degree delivered by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), and accredited by the Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ).

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

Max. 30 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

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development