As armed conflicts persist and natural disasters are intensified by climate change, addressing the needs and challenges of vulnerable, displaced people in complex emergencies is a global priority. Gain the practical humanitarian skills and operational expertise you need to improve health in fragile and crisis-affected communities.

Study Heath in Humanitarian Crises to develop your current role or get ready for new positions in this vital field. Ours is one of the few distance learning courses available in this field.

What you will learn

Explore the humanitarian project cycle, including ethical considerations, policy issues, and global response architecture

Develop strong evidence-based decision-making skills for effective crisis response

Build on your critical analysis and evaluation skills to confidently gather critical information, assess and prioritise needs, design programmes and monitor intervention effectiveness

Apply a decolonial lens to understand how historical roots impact humanitarian ethics, political economy, and current barriers

Strengthen professional skills in problem-solving, time management, and written and verbal communication

Choose elective topics to complement the core course, that matter most to you and your career, from global mental health to medical anthropology

The aims and learning outcomes are detailed in the programme specification.

This online degree allows you to learn from anywhere in the world, at a time that suits you. Whether you have family commitments or you’re working in the field with limited internet access, you can work at your own pace. Later on, there is the opportunity of applying for blended learning in person if you want to include some face-to-face intensive modules.

The course has been developed by academics and field experts from the likes of Medecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children and the World Health Organization. You’ll benefit from a real diversity of expertise and unique insights from teaching staff and guest lecturers.

Who’s it for?

You might be a policy maker or researcher looking to deepen your understanding of humanitarian issues. Perhaps you’re already delivering health projects within a crisis-affected community, wanting to progress to a global leadership role. Or maybe you’re a graduate who is passionate about working in a humanitarian setting.

Diversity is important in a humanitarian response. Our course and our student body reflects that. Study alongside peers from a range of backgrounds and choose to complete either a Certificate, Diploma or MSc.

We created this course to give you the skills to hit the ground running in humanitarian response as well as to progress to leadership positions at an organisational or national level. The MSc qualification also provides a strong foundation for pursuing a PhD or Doctorate in public health.