Humanitarian Studies (M.S.)
The Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies degree is a 30-credit program constituted by five core courses, four elective courses to be taken across three thematic areas, an internship or independent study, and a master’s thesis.
Curriculum
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HUST 5013 | Fundamentals of Humanitarian Action | 3 |
| HUST 5012 | Contemporary Issues in Humanitarian Action | 3 |
| HUST 5015 | Information Management | 3 |
| HUST 5014 | Humanitarian Resource Management and Administration | 3 |
| HUST 5016 | Monitoring and Evaluation in Humanitarian Response | 3 |
| Four elective courses across the following thematic areas: | 12 | |
Human Rights | ||
Communities and Capacity Building | ||
Livelihoods and Institutions | ||
| HUST 5801 | Humanitarian Internship | 1 |
| or HUST 8999 | Independent Study | |
| HUST 5992 | MSHS Thesis | 2 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
More information about the Internship courses can be seen below.
- 2
You will complete a master’s thesis under the supervision of a faculty member on a topic related to the three thematic areas listed above.
Internship
Our New York City location enables students to pursue internships and exposure to various United Nations agencies, diplomatic missions, international nongovernmental organizations, and prominent research and think-tank institutions.
Independent Study
Students have the choice of doing a one-credit independent study instead of an internship.
Human Rights Area
Courses in this area examine the preservation of human rights in humanitarian activities. A clear understanding of these rights and privileges is critical to those working within the humanitarian sector, and students concentrating in this area will emerge with skills and critical thinking in how to preserve those rights and privileges in those who are at risk.
Courses in this group have the HUHR attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CEED 5050 | Ethics and Society: Cross Disciplinary Perspectives | 3 |
| CEED 6322 | Natural Law: The Nature, Foundations and Content of Justice | 3 |
| HIST 6726 | The United States and Human Rights: An International History | 4 |
| HUST 5035 | Forced Migration: The Humanitarian Challenge of the Decade | 0-3 |
| HUST 5082 | Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations | 0-3 |
| HUST 5200 | Protection for Vulnerable Populations | 3 |
| HUST 5205 | Children in Armed Conflict | 3 |
| HUST 5210 | Access to Education During Crisis and Conflict | 3 |
| HUST 5215 | Accountability for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Settings | 3 |
| PMMA 5207 | Mapping Injustice | 3 |
| PMMA 6104 | Alternative and Advocacy Journalism | 3 |
| PSYC 6030 | Trauma and Family Violence | 3 |
Communities and Capacity Building Area
Courses in this area examine humanitarian response at the subnational level, including how processes are created, relationships are founded, skills are shared, and institutions are built, strengthened, and stabilized. Students concentrating in this area will work through practical skills to mitigate and respond to complex emergencies at a local level.
Courses in this group have the HUCB attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CISC 6880 | Blockchain Technology | 3 |
| ECON 5015 | Economic Development Policy | 3 |
| ECON 5260 | Epidemics and Development Policy | 3 |
| ECON 5450 | Crises, Adjustment and Poverty | 3 |
| ECON 5771 | Project Assessment | 3 |
| HUST 5025 | Cash, Commodities, and Services in a Humanitarian Response | 0-3 |
| HUST 5045 | Humanitarian Advocacy: Communicating the Need and Motivating the Response | 0-3 |
| HUST 5400 | Disaster Risk Reduction | 3 |
| HUST 5410 | Gender Integration in Humanitarian Action | 3 |
| HUST 5500 | Mental Health in Complex Emergencies | 0-3 |
| IPED 6740 | Project Accounting | 1 |
| PMMA 6206 | Persuasion and Public Opinion | 3 |
| PMMA 6207 | International Communication | 3 |
| PSYC 6310 | Culture, Ethnicity, and Race | 3 |
| PSYC 6390 | Global Mental Health | 3 |
| URST 5900 | Global Cities | 3 |
Livelihoods and Institutions Area
Courses in this area examine humanitarian response through a macro-structural lens, incorporating global processes and a critical exploration of how international actors can support and enrich national and local societies in times of crisis. Students concentrating in this area will focus on causality and larger response mechanisms.
Courses in this group have the HULI attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 5020 | African Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 5415 | Gender & Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 5808 | Microfinance & Migration | 3 |
| ECON 6460 | Agriculture and Development | 3 |
| ECON 6480 | Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 6490 | Foreign Aid and Development | 3 |
| HUST 5061 | Disaster Management | 0-3 |
| HUST 5075 | Leadership and Management in Humanitarian Assistance | 0-3 |
| HUST 5085 | Security Management: Delivering Aid in Potentially Dangerous Situations | 0-3 |
| HUST 5300 | International Responses to Migration | 3 |
| HUST 5310 | Urban Humanitarian Operations | 0-3 |
| HUST 5350 | Climate Change in the West African Sahel: Impact on Water and Migration | 3 |
| POSC 6530 | Political Economy of Development | 3 |
| SOCI 5808 | Migration & Microfinance | 3 |
| THEO 6732 | Ethics and Economics | 3 |
| THEO 6735 | Ecological Ethics | 3 |
| URST 5000 | Issues in Urban Studies | 3 |