MA Humanitarianism and Conflict Response

This programme is for those who want to better understand humanitarian crises and conflict situations, from prevention to recovery. Whether you are beginning your career or have professional experience, this programme will deepen your expertise and expand your impact.

From hybrid wars to forced displacement, from pandemics to famines, the world faces an escalating landscape of complex and entangled crises. Organisations across civil society, national and local authorities, and the private sector, urgently need professionals who can analyse these challenges, design effective responses, and build lasting resilience.

Throughout the programme, you will explore fundamental questions that shape the field:

• How does the Triple Nexus – humanitarianism, development, and peace – operate
• How do humanitarian crises and conflicts unfold and what is their longer history?
• How do structural inequalities and vulnerabilities (around race, gender, class, etc.) shape how affected communities are affected by and respond to crises?
• How is a wide range of actors, from grassroots to international organisations, involved in prevention, response, and recovery?
• How can we improve decision-making and communication during crises?
• How can affected communities be meaningfully and ethically included in programming?
• What alternatives and innovations are possible for humanitarian and conflict response?

The curriculum is designed around what the UN calls the ‘triple nexus’ - humanitarian response, development and peace – but also integrates disaster management and global health. It aims to provide the skills that are necessary to thrive in these fast-changing fields.

You will engage with the frameworks that guide national and international policies, such as the Grand Bargain: Agenda for Humanity or the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while developing the analytical skills to critique and improve upon them.

Gain an in-depth understanding of issues related to humanitarian crises and conflicts, from armed groups to gender-based violence. You will be able to analyse local, national, and international responses, identifying what works, what fails, and why.

Think Critically Across Disciplines

Draw on insights from diverse disciplines, from anthropology to global health, to understand how humanitarian crises and conflicts unfold and how responses can be improved. This interdisciplinary approach enables you to see connections that specialists miss.

Evaluate Evidence and Policy

Critically assess the academic literature and policy documents that shape humanitarian and conflict response. You will learn to interrogate assumptions, weigh evidence, and construct well-reasoned arguments that can reach both experts and the general public.

Apply Knowledge to Real Contexts

Understand how prevention, response, and recovery operate in a wide range of geographical, cultural, and historical contexts — and develop the judgement to adapt approaches accordingly.

Build Professional Capabilities

Strengthen your skills in analysis, communication and teamwork through independent and collaborative projects.

Conduct Original Research

Complete a dissertation on a topic of your choice, developing the expertise to design, execute, and present rigorous academic research with real-world relevance.

This MA in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response allows you to:

Learn from Active Researchers

Your lecturers are not just teachers — they are researchers whose work directly informs policy and practice. You will engage with cutting-edge scholarship on topics ranging from non-state armed groups to forced displacement, from health emergencies to conflict recovery.

Connect with Practitioners

HCRI maintains close relationships with non-governmental organisations and local and national authorities. Throughout the year, visiting practitioners share frontline insights through guest lectures and seminars, giving you direct access to the people, projects and organisations that shape humanitarian, global health, conflict response around the world.

Join a Global Community

You will study alongside students from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, many of whom bring professional experience from the humanitarian, development, healthcare, and public sector. This peer network is a professional asset.

Engage Beyond the Classroom

HCRI offers opportunities to participate in workshops, simulations, and public events that extend your learning. Attend conferences, contribute to research projects, and connect with HCRI's wider community of alumni and associates.

Be Part of a Research-Intensive Environment

As part of a Russell Group university, you will have access to exceptional library resources, research support, and academic infrastructure — everything you need to produce work of the highest standard.

Graduation requires completion of 180 credits. A total of 120 credits of coursework are required for students to progress to the 10,000-word dissertation (60 credits).
Each course has two assessments to prepare you for future employment:

• Contingency plans
• Essays
• Group presentations
• Knowledge translation projects
• Policy reports
• Risk analysis
• Primary source analysis
• And more!

You will be assessed through a variety of methods, depending on the units you take. These may include written assignments, oral presentations and thematic maps.

You can read blog posts by and profiles of HCRI students on the Manchester Calling blog.

Graduates pursue careers across a wide spectrum of organisations tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges. The combination of critical thinking, practical skills, and interdisciplinary perspective you develop here is precisely what employers in this field are seeking.

Where our Graduates Work

• Humanitarian Organisations Médecins Sans Frontières, Mines Advisory Group, British Red Cross, Save the Children, and the Refugee Council
• Government and Public Sector Local and central government such as the UK Health Security Agency or the Manchester City Council
• Health Services In the UK and internationally
• Security and Defence Intelligence Fusion and defence forces
• Private sector Consultancy

Read more about our graduate career destinations .

Find out more on the careers and employability page and see where some of our graduates are now working on the alumni page.

Career Support

Throughout your studies, you will have access to the University of Manchester Careers Service , which also supports you 2 years after graduation.

You will have access to personalised advise and training on writing your CV, interviews, job searching, and professional development. The skills you develop — research, analysis, communication, and cross-cultural collaboration — are highly transferable. Check what Manchester can offer you as opportunities to boost your employability .