Curious about studying Global Humanitarian Studies - BSc (Hons)at UCL (University College London)? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
UCL (University College London) - Bloomsbury Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
3 Year
The BSc programme aims to educate and train future generations of humanitarian leaders in the theory and practice of humanitarian action. This multidisciplinary programme will equip you with the knowledge, critical, analytical and research skills and core competencies grounded in practice to anticipate evolving and emerging humanitarian threats and manage widening vulnerability and crisis response. Each year of the programme comprises 75 credits of compulsory modules (five 15 credit modules in years one and two or three 15 credit modules and one 30 credit module in year three) and 45 credits of optional modules.You will take a compulsory central core of humanitarian studies running through all three years. This core includes both researcher-led academic subjects and core competencies. You will cover a broad range of subject areas including understanding and analysis of humanitarian crises, conflict, disaster, migration, trapped populations and immobility natural hazards and climate risks, water security and sustainability, health and wellbeing impacts, gender and intersectionality, humanitarian policy, law and aid economics, emergency and crisis response, humanitarian technology, logistics, communication and negotiation, violence, intersectionality and marginalisation, geospatial data analysis, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and ethical, historical and political contexts.
This module introduces the concepts of hazards, vulnerability, marginalisation, risk, resilience, adaptation and disaster and how they integrate will be discussed. It will address strategies for reducing the impacts and the likelihood of disasters in fragile areas. It will help students to understand social, economic, ecological, institutional, cultural and physical impacts of climate change and natural hazards on vulnerable populations in different environment settings and conflict affected states around the world.
This module introduces international humanitarian history since the foundation of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement in 1863 through to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and the Rohingya Exodis. Lectures will examine key events and ideas that have shaped the system, including: the Geneva Conventions, humanitarian politics of the 1967 Biafran war, and the international system?s successes and failures in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Seminars and tutorials will be used for discussion groups and feedback sessions.
Since the Second World War the international community has evolved a complete system for responding to major humanitarian emergencies, coordinated by United Nations agencies. This module will explain the structure and dynamics of the relief system and the challenges it faces during crises and disasters. It will enable students to become familiar with the major issues and trends associated with modern humanitarianism and the methodologies used when responding to disasters. Examples will illustrate the principal challenges and achievements in the field. The module will combine practical, theoretical and ethical approaches to humanitarian action. Standards, norms and protocols will be discussed. So will the relationship between non-governmental organisations and government-sponsored aid. Relief appeals and the donor system will be covered in this module.
This module will help students to familiarise with a range of statistical techniques in order to understand and analyse data used in humanitarian studies. They will be able to apply the acquired skills through the analysis of both quantitative social survey data (collected through interviews and questionnaires) and spatial data (satellite images, and ordnance survey maps). At the end of the module, the students will be able to design and implement quantitative research, communicate statistical outcomes competently, link research questions and statistical techniques, and visualise results (maps, tables, and diagrams) from data analyses.
This module analyses historical and contemporary perspectives on forced migration and the range of theories on conflict and violence that causes these events. Lectures will examine key events and ideas that have contributed to forced migration, including: the Rohingya Exodus, the Syrian civil war, the conflict in South Sudan, and longer historical perspectives from the Second World War and the Partition of India. The issues of gender-based violence and human trafficking will be examined. Seminars and tutorials will be used for discussion groups and feedback sessions.
The challenge of humanitarian assistance is the physical deployment of goods and personnel. National and international disaster relief, as well as other forms of crisis management such as peacekeeping missions, have to assure the development and maintenance of their lifelines of supply. This module addresses these issues through scenario-based workshops supported by seminars focusing on disaster preparedness and response, but also introducing the role of sustainable logistics in the transition to recovery. Water, sanitation and hygiene issues will be addressed.
This module will provide students with an introduction to the global humanitarian policy making process. Each year the module will focus on one of the major global humanitarian frameworks (e.g. Sendai Framework for DRR; SDGs; World Humanitarian Grand Bargain; etc). Lectures, including guest speakers, and visits to organisations within the humanitarian sector which will provide students with a solid background to humanitarian policy. Students will interact directly with those who have been/are involved in global humanitarian policy development to get a ?behind the scenes? view of the process.
The module will introduce undergraduate students to qualitative methods for humanitarian research. It will provide an overview of different methodologies and techniques for designing, practising and analysing qualitative research of diverse kinds, as well as hands on experience of these using, for example, NVIVO qualitative analysis software and ?fieldwork?. Students will develop skills in working as part of a team to produce something more complex than they could on their own.
The module will advance students? understanding around gender responsiveness in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) by analyzing the structural causes of vulnerabilities. This module also aims to enhance students? knowledge and understanding on the links between gender, disaster and conflict. The module is divided into three parts. The first part will focus on theoretical debates around Gender, Disaster and Conflict. The second part will focus on policies and practices and the third part will focus on examining the real-life experiences of people living in conflict and disaster vulnerable countries and contexts.
This module addresses the key theories and debates in the broader fields of development and conflict economics and will move to an examination of the political economy of humanitarian aid. Students will have an increased ability to critically evaluate the economic policies of humanitarian actors and recommend alternative approaches and equip them with policy-relevant skills and expertise.
The independent research project culminates in a 5,000 word dissertation and poster presentation. Projects may be field, theory or modelling based and can be conducted in collaboration with external industry or NGO partners.
Undergraduate student in UCL self-catered halls £304 Per week
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