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).

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• 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.

The provision of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance to populations in need is a complex and fascinating area, constantly evolving and challenged in different ways with each location and crisis. With a multitude of factors impacting upon the size, scale and form of the response, this module will explore the core elements of a response and consider how to respond to some of the challenges.

Drawing on contributions from experts in the field, both academic and practitioner, this unit will delve into the intricacies and practicalities of providing humanitarian aid, and consider some of the political, cultural, economic, social and ethical challenges which exist and need to be navigated.

The unit aims to:

• Give students a critical insight into the diversity of political, economic, social and health factors that can influence the provision of emergency assistance

• Help develop a holistic understanding of the complex range of issues that require assistance in emergencies

• Give an understanding of the possibilities and limitations of providing emergency humanitarian assistance

• Provide the insight to be able to critically analyse approaches to the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance

On completion of the module, students will have an appreciation of the preparation and mitigations available to manage an international disaster to reduce the scale of a potential crisis.

Students will understand the “natural history” of mounting an international humanitarian response to a sudden onset disaster, recognising the importance of scaling the demand, responding to the full breadth of the humanitarian needs of the disrupted population and dive into some of the specific areas that are most currently in focus, such as the specific needs of women and children and the mental health challenges arising for both those affected and those responding in a crisis.

The aim is for a practitioner to be able to describe how an emergency humanitarian response is mounted, coordinated and led so that they are aware of their individual potential role in what is typically a  complex and multi-disciplinary international humanitarian response lasting for a prolonged period.
 

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

Disaster Cycles and Needs Assessment

Coordination systems & Financing a response

Security and logistics

Food & Nutrition / WASH

Health care systems and Outbreak management

Ethics and Scaling a response

Care needs for Women and Children

Mental Health and Psychological First Aid
 

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. 

Summative Assessment:

Essay - 90%

Discussion Board Contributions - 10%

Summative written feedback provided within 15 day working days

Bollettino, V. (2008). ‘Understanding the security management practices of humanitarian organizations’ Disasters, 32 (2), pp. 263-279.

Bradt, D. A. & Drummond, C. M. (2002). ‘Rapid epidemiological assessment of health status in displaced populations—an evolution toward standardized minimum essential data sets’ Prehospital and disaster medicine, 17 (4), pp. 178-185.

Buchanan-Smith, M. & Scriven, K. (2011). Leadership in action: Leading effectively in humanitarian operations. Available at: https://www.alnap.org/system/files/content/resource/files/main/leadership-in-action-alnap-study.pdf.

Hick, J. L., et al. (2014). ‘Surge capacity principles: Care of the critically ill and injured during pandemics and disasters: Chest consensus statement’ Chest, 146 (4), pp. e1S-e16S.

Mollica, R. F., et al. (2004). ‘Mental health in complex emergencies’ The Lancet, 364 (9450), pp. 2058-2067.

Nolz, P. C., Doerner, K. F. & Hartl, R. F. (2010). ‘Water distribution in disaster relief’ International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 40 (8/9), pp. 693-708.

Nour, N. N. (2011). ‘Maternal health considerations during disaster relief’ Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 4 (1), p. 22.

SPHERE_Project (2018). Sphere handbook. Available at: https://spherestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Sphere-Handbook-2018-EN.pdf.

UNHCR (1997). Wfp/unhcr guidelines for estimating: Food and nutritional needs in emergencies. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/publications/operations/3b9c

WHO (2013). Classification and minimum standards for foreign medical teams (blue book). Available at: http://www.who.int/hac/global_health_cluster/fmt_guidelines_september2013.pdf?ua=1