MSc/PGDip/PGCert Humanitarian Practice

Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,700
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £29,900
• MSc (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £1,225 per 15 credits
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £2,493 per 15 credit
• PGDip (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £9,800
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £20,000
• PGDip (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £1,225 per 15 credits
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £2,493 per 15 credit
• PGCert (part-time distance learning)
  UK students (per annum): £1,225 per 15 credits
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £2,493 per 15 credit

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.

This course unit is a key element of the overall Humanitarian Practice programme. 

It is intended to cover main aspects of qualitative and quantitative research methods applicable to humanitarian health situations.  It complements the learning from ‘Critical approaches to evidence’ module

In this unit, students will learn how to develop an appropriate research question from a given problem, and develop appropriate tools such as questionnaires and the use of qualitative tools such as interviews or focus groups that can be used in basic field research or professional research to explore a situation and inform practice.  Students will also further develop their skills in how to undertake an appropriate literature review.  Students will be expected to explore problems or issues that are particularly pertinent to their own humanitarian practice. 

It is strongly recommended that the module ‘Critical approaches to evidence’ will be taken before this module.  However, if a student can demonstrate adequate knowledge and skills to learn effectively, either through prior learning or experience, they can take this as an independent module. 

Key aspects of the research process, including developing a research question from a given problem then taking that forward to develop an appropriate tool such as a questionnaire for a (qualitative or quantitative) research study

Sampling

Literature retrieval and review

Systematic reviews

Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods

Data management to include presentation of data

Hypothesis testing

Ethical and practical considerations for undertaking research and field work - especially with vulnerable groups
Qualitative research methodologies and techniques (e.g. interviews, focus groups, participatory and action research; qualitative data analysis; presenting qualitative data; trustworthiness and ethics).

Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods and processes.

Demonstrate critical understanding of the ethics associated with conducting research with vulnerable groups.

Formulate humanitarian or professional research questions and design a study to evaluate an identified problem.

Sampling – qualitative and quantitative

Data analysis – qualitative and quantitative

Assess and evaluate the health needs of a given population in humanitarian assistance situation.

Develop and use appropriate tools such as questionnaires, focus groups, individual and group interviews.

Research Report - 60%

Research Questionnaire - 30%

Contribution to Discussion Board - 10%

Written feedback after submission

The global health network website.  Available at: https://tghn.org/

Research for health in humanitarian crises (elrha) website.  Available at: http://www.elrha.org/r2hc/home/

Series of four papers in the Lancet (2017).  Blanchet K, Ramesh A, Frison S, et al. Evidence on public health interventions in humanitarian crises. The Lancet.