MA Humanitarianism and Conflict Response

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MA (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £15,400
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,200

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

• Learn more about - student finance options for UK students.
• Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
• Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

Public health as an approach has an affirmative obligation to protect and promote the health of people and reduce the social disparities and inequities within populations. This module explores the principles of ethics and human rights in relation to public health policies, programmes and practice, and humanitarian interventions, through a focus on issues such as conflict and displacement, reproductive and sexual health, HIV/AIDS and food insecurity. The 8 individual sessions and associated discussions provide students the opportunity to re-think the ethical and moral foundations of their every-day public health practice.

Upon completion of this course, students can expect to have developed a strong knowledge and understanding of the complex and contested principles of health care ethics and human rights, along with their profound impact on public health policies, programs, and practice. They will be equipped with analytical tools and critical perspectives that enable them to identify and evaluate ethical dilemmas related to various factors such as gender, sexuality, displacement, power dynamics, and foreign-led health care delivery in conflict areas. Furthermore, students will have the ability to reflect on their own values and beliefs, fostering self-awareness, and engage in collaborative problem-solving to develop ethical solutions to public health issues. They will also gain proficiency in applying ethical frameworks to diverse contexts and cultures, allowing them to effectively communicate complex ethical concepts to audiences from different backgrounds. Overall, the course will empower students to navigate the intricate landscape of health care ethics and human rights, equipping them with valuable skills and insights for their future endeavours in the field of public health.

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

Human Rights & Public Health: An Introduction  
Understanding Ethical Approaches 
Conflict, Displacement and Health 
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 
Communicable Diseases, Human Rights and Public Health 
Healthcare to prisoners: Ethical and Human Rights dilemmas 
Food Security, Ethics and Human Rights  
Public Health and Ethics 
Ethical dilemmas of foreign-led health care delivery 
Conclusion and going forward
 

This module will be delivered through an asynchronous distance learning methodology within the University Canvas system. It will consist of presented written and pre-recorded video material each week with associated core reading provided through the library reading list system and access to supplementary reference material.

Students will engage in formative asynchronous discussion board conversation with peers and the course leadership on a weekly basis. A core trigger question for discussion is presented and ideas and concepts developed from this over the week being taught and the following week before being closed to further submission but remaining available for reference. This ensures that the whole cohort moves through the material together.
 

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the contested principles of health care ethics and human rights and their impact on health policy, program, and practice.
   
• Understand the ethical frameworks used in foreign-led health care delivery in conflict areas and their implications for public health practice.
   
• Analyse and synthesize diverse perspectives on the moral foundations of public health practice, including the assertion of health as a human right.

• Analyse the principles of ethics and human rights as they relate to public health policies, programs, and practice.
   
• Evaluate the intersection of human rights, ethics, and public health practice with specific focus on complex humanitarian settings.
   
• Synthesize various ethical perspectives to re-think the moral foundations of everyday public health practice.

• Apply ethical principles to public health policies and programs in a variety of settings.
   
• Identify ethical dilemmas related to gender, sexuality, displacement, power, and foreign-led health care delivery in conflict areas.
   
• Develop strategies to address ethical dilemmas in public health practice.

• Communicate complex ethical concepts to diverse audiences through oral and written formats.
   
• Reflect on personal values and beliefs in relation to public health ethics and human rights.
   
• Adapt ethical frameworks to different contexts and cultures.

Assessment Task	Formative or Summative
Discussion Board Contributions	Formative or Summative
Essay Plan	Formative
Essay	Summative

 Summative assessment:

2000 word Essay - 90%

Discussion Board Contributions - 10%

Feedback Method	Formative or Summative
Weekly discussion board engagement	Formative and Summative
Essay Plan feedback	Formative
Written feedback on Essay	Summative

 Summative assessment written feedback provided within 15 working days

Dan Biswas, B.T. (2012) Access to health care for undocumented migrants from a human rights perspective: A comparative study of Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Health and Human Rights. [Online] 14 (2).

London, L. (2008) What Is a Human-Rights Based Approach to Health and Does It Matter? Health and Human Rights,10(1), 65-80.

Hawkes, S. & Buse, K. (2016) Searching for the Right to Health in the Sustainable Development Agenda Comment on “Rights Language in the Sustainable Development Agenda: Has Right to Health Discourse and Norms Shaped Health Goals?” International Journal of Health Policy and Management. [Online] 5 (5), 337–339.

Thomas, S.L. (2004) ‘Displacement and health’, British Medical Bulletin. [Online] 69 (1), 115–127.

Silove, D., Steel, Z. & Mollica, R.F. (2001) Detention of asylum seekers: assault on health, human rights, and social development. The Lancet. [Online] 357 (9266), 1436–1437.

Wilder-Smith, A. and Freedman, D.O., 2020. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Journal of travel medicine.

20 hours of course content

10 hours of active discussion board engagement

120 hours of self-study