Decisions and guidelines

The Master Programme in International Humanitarian Action is given in cooperation with seven other European universities within the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA): Universidad de Deusto, Spain, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, Université Aix-Marseille, France, University College Dublin, Ireland, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands, and Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland, L-Università ta' Malta, Malta. NOHA partner universities outside Europe may also be involved.

The acronym NOHA is officially connected to the programme, which may also be referred to informally as "the NOHA programme". The programme is also given in cooperation with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO). The degree programme is based at the Department of Theology and is carried out in collaboration with other departments at Uppsala university that have relevant research and teaching capacities within the disciplines of law, peace and conflict, cultural anthropology, management and women's and children's health in relation to humanitarian action. The programme is multi-disciplinary.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Language requirements

All applicants need to verify English language proficiency that corresponds to English studies at upper secondary (high school) level in Sweden ("English 6"). This can be done in a number of ways, including through an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS, or through previous upper secondary (high school) or university studies.

The minimum test scores are:

• IELTS: an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5
• TOEFL: Paper-based: Score of 4.5 (scale 1–6) in written test and a total score of 575. Internet-based: Score of 20 (scale 0–30) in written test and a total score of 90
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE

Exemptions for students from certain countries.

Aims

The Master Programme in Humanitarian Action and Conflict aims to provide students the competences and skills needed to work in different areas of the humanitarian field. The programme focuses on how to make independent, critical and constructive contributions to humanitarian actions especially in conflict situations. The programme also aims to provide the student with both data and methodology relating to conflict situations and peace-building activities. A student who graduates from the programme can take on different professional roles such as project manager, conflict analyst or desk officer in NGO's and governmental organisations.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of the programme, the student is expected to have:

1. specialised knowledge and a critical methodological understanding of appropriate research methods and research design for the humanitarian field and for original research in humanitarian studies;

2. justified and applied methodology and scientific methods correctly in an original piece of humanitarian research;

3. studied a research topic in depth, and conducted and completed a medium-length research project largely self-directed;

4. a critical understanding of the humanitarian principles and standards and the problematic nature of the dilemmas involved;

5. demonstrated the ability to formulate adequate and ethically sound recommendations for humanitarian action grounded in the

humanitarian principles and values, translating these in innovative, practical terms to policies, strategies and programme management;

6. the ability to take responsibility for specifying clear ethical standards informed by the humanitarian principles, values and professional codes of conduct;

7. the ability to apply the humanitarian principles and standards to dilemmas in complex and insecure contexts in an innovative and strategically correct manner;

8. highly specialised knowledge and a critical understanding of humanitarian concepts and theories;

9. innovative expertise on a particular current theme in humanitarian action with an interdisciplinary understanding in terms of its political, legal, anthropological, public health and management aspects;

10. specialised skills to conceptualise, interpret and critically analyse complex humanitarian crises and interventions on the basis of a variety of sources, generating new interdisciplinary expertise to help solve complex humanitarian problems;

11. demonstrated the ability to position one's own research findings in the broader context of humanitarian action;

12. developed an open attitude towards acquiring new knowledge and understanding about professional and academic developments in humanitarian action;

13. a thorough understanding of personal security risks in humanitarian fieldwork and possible techniques and strategies to reduce the impact of external stressors;

14. specialised problem-solving skills to promote the best and safest response in humanitarian emergency contexts in terms of personal and social implications and foreseeable harm by humanitarian interventions;

15. the ability to act firmly and appropriately in insecure situations according to the security rules, taking into account advice from security sources and other stakeholders;

16. a critical understanding of opportunities and threats of current trends in the humanitarian sector;

17. demonstrated a range of coaching and management skills to carefully assess the relevant factors for decision making in terms of operative context, possible effects and risks and the best way for successful implementation of strategic decisions;

18. demonstrated the ability to act on decisions made;

19. adopted the reflective of practice analysing personal learning goals and ways to achieve them;

24. the ability to stimulate the involvement and development of team members and partners to achieve a successful humanitarian project;

20. a highly specialised knowledge of the diversity of actors and stakeholders, their interaction and competition, and a thorough understanding of the importance of coordination between different levels in the humanitarian system;

21. demonstrated the ability to listen to beneficiaries and stakeholders and taking into account their considerations, to communicate humanitarian expertise and research findings in a structured, intelligible way to specialists and non-specialists in a multi-cultural humanitarian setting;

22. the ability to cultivate relations of sensitive respect in terms of cultural and gender diversity and to cooperate in a quest for mutual benefit or compromise;

23. the ability to involve partners and team members in different levels of decision-making and to act in responsible and accountable manner concerning one's own decisions;

24. the ability to actively contribute to team-building, a balanced distribution of work, and the fostering of a good atmosphere and cohesion in group projects in an effort to achieve the common goal;

25. a highly specialised knowledge and critical understanding of the impact of various humanitarian action interventions on the needs and rights of crisis-affected people and their interaction with interests of relevant actors in a certain professional regional context;

26. specialised problem-solving skills combining interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of the range of needs and capabilities of crisis-affected people in a certain regional context toward relevant, evidence-based solutions for effective response;

27. the ability to learn from past experiences, identify opportunities to overcome humanitarian dilemmas and propose new work methods for increased efficiency, effectiveness and stakeholder accountability in complex and unpredictable humanitarian environments.

Layout of the programme

Layout of the Programme

Term 1

Introduction to Humanitarian Action, 5 credits

Anthropology and Intercultural Aspects of Humanitarian Action, 5 credits

Legal Dimensions of Humanitarian Action, 5 credits

World Politics and Humanitarian Action, 5 credits

Public Health in Humanitarian Action, 5 credits

Management, 5 credits

Term 2

Conflict and Peacebuilding, 15 credits

Thesis, 15 credits

In order to be admitted to Term 2, students must have earned at least 15 credits from the courses listed under Term 1.

Instruction

The methods of instruction on the programme vary according to teacher, course and specialisation. Lectures, seminars and supervision are common methods, but other types of instruction such as self-study and group work are also possible. Both written and oral examinations may be given. The thesis is written under the supervision of an appointed supervisor.

See relevant course syllabus for further information.

Degree

All students with a minimum first degree of three years of full-time study can after completion of 120 credits including a Master Thesis, apply for a Master of Arts in Theology, with main area of studies in International Humanitarian Action 120 credits, from Uppsala University.

Other directives

All courses will be taught in English.