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 Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, Université Aix-Marseille, France, University College Dublin, Ireland, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands, and Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland. 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 Master”.

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.

The structure of the programme was agreed on 2009-01-28 by the board of the Faculty of Theology in compliance with the guidelines of the International NOHA Association.

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 93
• Cambridge: CAE, CPE

Knowledge of other languages and practical experience in the area of humanitarian action are recommended.

Aims

The Master Programme in International Humanitarian Action aims to provide students the competences and skills needed to work in different areas of the humanitarian field. The programme has a special focus on how to make independent, critical and constructive contributions to both humanitarian policies and the implementation of humanitarian activities. It also aims to provide the student with empirical data, methods and theoretical perspectives based on contemporary research relevant for the humanitarian field. A student who graduates from the programme can take on different professional roles such as project manager, policy analyst or desk officer in NGOs and governmental organisations.

Learning outcomes

• A broad understanding of the humanitarian action field.
• A good knowledge of ethical standards and principles relevant for humanitarian relief work.
• A deep understanding of specific perspectives on humanitarian phenomena including: anthropological, geopolitical, legal, public health, managerial and ethical perspectives.
• An ability to systematically analyse and assess a complex humanitarian crisis with the help of several relevant perspectives.
• An ability to understand and apply methods relevant for the humanitarian field.
• A capacity to present information and analysis orally and in writing.
• An ability to relate general models, theories or concepts to specific cases and situations.
• A capacity to make realistic self-evaluations in relation to current competences and different tasks.
• A capacity to learn from relevant feedback from others.
• An ability to work as a productive member of a multicultural team and adapt to different environments (including during exchange studies).

Layout of the programme

The programme consists of the following courses:

First semester 30 HP/30 ECTS

• THE INTENSIVE PROGRAMME, 5 hp/5 ECTS

• INTERNATIONAL LAW IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, 5 hp/5 ECTS

• GEOPOLITICS, 5 hp/5 ECTS

• ANTHROPOLOGY IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION, 5 hp/ 5 ECTS

• PUBLIC HEALTH IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION, 5 hp/5 ECTS

• MANAGEMENT, 5 hp/5 ECTS

Second semester 30 HP/30 ECTS

Uppsala students must go on mobility during the second semester to another NOHA member university and take 30 hp/30 ECTS of studies in Humanitarian Action there.

In turn, the following courses are offered to incoming exchange students from other NOHA universities, and are not available to Uppsala students of this Master’s programme:

CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING, 15 hp/15 ECTS

RELIGION AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION, 5 hp/5 ECTS

ADVANCED MANAGEMENT, 5 hp/5 ECTS

METHODOLOGY, 5 hp/5 ECTS

Third semester 30 hp /30 ECTS

• INTERNSHIP IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION, 15 hp/15 ECTS

plus one of the following three options:

• LITERATURE COURSE IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION I / II, 15 HP/15 ECTS (2 x 7.5)

• NOHA RESEARCH TRACK, 15 HP/15 ECTS (selection of students from the NOHA unversities for a limited number of positions)

• OTHER RELEVANT COURSE(S) FROM A UNIVERSITY, MAX 15 HP/15 ECTS

Fourth semester 30 HP/30 ECTS

• MASTER’S THESIS, 30 hp/30 ECTS)

Degree

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