Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning MSc

This course is in clearing

Overview

Course options

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MSc

  • MSc Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning, home applicant, full time

    • Home Applicant
    • Full time, 1 year
    • Pound 12300 per year
  • MSc Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning, home applicant, part time

    • Home Applicant
    • Part time, 2 years
    • Pound 2050 per 30 credit module
  • MSc Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning, international applicant, full time

    • International Applicant
    • Full time, 1 year
    • Pound 12300 per year
  • MSc Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning, international applicant, part time

    • International Applicant
    • Part time, 2 years
    • Pound 2050 per 30 credit module

What makes this course different

1st of its kind in the UK

This course is the only one of its kind in the UK - and one of very few in the world - to offer expertise in psychosocial support by distance learning to humanitarian workers in active locations.

Humanitarian learning pathway

This degree has been included on the Save the Children curriculum and has been recognised by the world-leading organisation as a humanitarian learning pathway.

Leaders in the field

Your course leaders act as consultants to major humanitarian organisations including Save The Children, Marie Stopes International, International Red Cross. Some former students who have completed this course now work for these organisations.

Accreditation

CPD - Certified by The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA)

This course provides a unique international recognition as it is CPD certified by The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) developed by Save the Children and enables people to prepare for and respond to crises.

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Course modules

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

Your future career

Your future career

This course offers very specific, applied training in humanitarian intervention. As the UK's only MSc in the subject, it will give you the opportunity to go on and study for a PhD.

We also offer intermediate awards. The PG Diploma requires you to pass the two conceptual core modules, plus two optional modules.

The PG Certificate requires a pass in the two conceptual core modules, and the University Certificate asks for a pass in any module other than those relating to research methods and the dissertation.

On completion of the course, you may go on to build or further a career in a humanitarian aid agency in the UK or overseas, or within a public health or social services setting with a psychosocial focus.

The course takes into account the time limitations and practical difficulties the field of psychosocial support can entail. It will cover the changing demands of different phases of aid offered – relief, transition, development and consolidation.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting-edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

Our dedicated and award-winning team provide you with careers and employability resources, including:

  • Online jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work.
  • Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts 
  • 1-2-1 career coaching services 
  • Careers workshops and employer events 
  • Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme which issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you’ve mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

Our Mental Wealth programme

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top

  • Enterprise and entrepreneurship support 
  • We are ranked 6th for graduate start-ups 
  • Networking and visits to leading organisations 
  • Support in starting a new business, freelancing and self-employment 
  • London on our doorstep

What you'll learn

This MSc course introduces you to different types of humanitarian intervention and the skills to put them into practice.

These include engagement, development of trust, facilitation, enabling and the identification of a process by which information can be accessed, shared and evaluated.

You will learn how to consult with other members of your team, offering them appropriate psychosocial support and stress management strategies.

You will also be given the skills to develop psychosocial support programmes within an organisation, perhaps through its HR department.

The course includes key modules on how to offer mental support to beneficiaries outside an organisation - that is, people who have suffered directly from natural or man-made disasters.

The MSc can be completed in a year full-time or two to three years part-time, and involves passing six modules.

These include the two conceptual core modules - Psychological Aspects of Humanitarian Intervention, and Assessing, Planning and Intervening During and After Disaster and Conflict.

We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up to date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change. 

Optional modules include Foundation Counselling Skills, Intercultural Counselling Practice and Processes and Individual Group and Organisational support for IDPs and Refugees. You will also complete two core modules involving research and a dissertation.

How you'll learn

You will have support throughout the course from your contact with the course lecturers as well as your colleagues. Although the course is delivered by distance learning, you will still feel very much part of our community.

Almost all our students work in the field and you can stay in contact with each other through our online forum - an important means of sharing ideas and experiences.

Learning materials such as readings, slides and recorded lectures will be uploaded, so you can listen or watch whenever you have time.

Your two full-time lecturers are highly experienced in both the theory and practice of this subject. They are also flexible and generous with their time and available to students online.

This course is ideal for you whether you are working for a small organisation without a specialised psychosocial unit or you are already in HR doing general tasks but want to specialise in psychosocial support.

Or you might be working in a medical department and want to add another element to your portfolio.

For example, we had students in South Sudan, Nigeria and more. In fact, one of our students last year had to put off his dissertation because he had to work in his organisation as the Chief Psychological Support Officer for the Ebola crisis operation.

How you will be assessed

We will assess each module individually and, except for the last two research modules, it may be an essay, a reflective critique of a piece of consultation or a portfolio including methods and critiques of the ways students facilitate their own and others' wellbeing and resilience.

For the Research 1 module students will need to submit a research proposal and for Research 2, a draft journal article based on the research undertaken.

Campus and facilities

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by School of Childhood and Social Care

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.