MSc Humanitarianism, Aid & Conflict
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 2 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 14,270 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees: UK £14,270; Overseas £23,800. Part-time 2 years fees: UK £7,135/year; Overseas £11,900/year. Part-time 3 years fees: UK £4,710/year; Overseas £7,855/year
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or part-time
The MSc Humanitarianism, Aid & Conflict builds on the strength of existing expertise in violence, conflict and global development within the Department of Development Studies and SOAS in general.
The programme is designed to provide students with analytical training and an in-depth understanding of the challenges of contemporary humanitarian aid, its interaction with conflict and development and new directions in the field.
The programme presents students with comprehensive knowledge of the history of the architecture of aid in humanitarian contexts, key local, regional and international actors, and engages with theoretical, conceptual and policy debates relating to the political and logistical challenges of the global responses to conflict, natural disasters and complex emergencies, the diverse range of critiques that have been made of it, emerging innovations, context-specific challenges and agendas from the Global South.
In this unique programme is specifically designed to allow students to focus on and develop a wide-ranging knowledge of the field and the tools to critically engage with the pressing questions of power dynamics, politics, accountability, security and access that are facing the humanitarian organisations, academics and local communities today.
The core modules on the programme provide an in-depth and critical overview of the key issues and debates in the humanitarian studies and practice, while the optional modules enable you to shape your studies to your own needs and interests, in areas such as migration, gender, political economy, food insecurity, protracted conflict, labour and livelihoods, climate and the environment and urban development.
The programme links theory to practice through engagement with a wide range of materials, including academic literature, case studies, archival documents, policy reports, popular culture and media.
Each cohort will acquire critical thinking and analysis skills, data gathering, research and communication and presentation skills, and guidance on undertaking internships. Students will interact with a wide range of actors including academics, policymakers, practitioners and civil society activists.
What Makes the Programme Special?
Students studying Humanitarianism at SOAS will benefit from our critical and engaged tradition in development studies, the knowledge of our world-leading faculty and staff on global responses to complex crisis and our unique expertise on specialist regions. SOAS University of London is the leading Higher Education institution in Europe specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East.
Throughout the year our students will partake in a variety of activities which will support their academic development and knowledge of current debates in the Humanitarianism, Aid and Conflict. Termly Humanitarian Seminars will be held on current issues in the field. The seminars will allow students to engage in real-time with a wide variety of academics, government officials, aid workers, researchers and civil society advocates from the UK and around the world. In addition, students will be able to attend and benefit from the vibrant and engaged research community at SOAS and attend public lectures, workshops and special events organised by the Development Studies Department, and other Departments and Centres across the School.
A weekly Student-Centred Workshop will be given by faculty members focused on topics such as developing academic writing and presentation skills, learning innovative methodologies and strengthening analysis skills. In the second term, students will be able to use this space to invite speakers or organise special events.
This programme focuses on student-centred and engaged learning and critical thinking. Modules span a wide variety of topics allowing students to focus on special areas of interest and utilise innovative and cutting-edge pedagogies such as podcasts, visual presentations, learning diaries and field trips.
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Ideal Students
Who Should Do This Programme?
We welcome students with a strong background in the social sciences, management, humanities or social science of medicine in their first degree, and those who have worked in the area of humanitarian aid, development, or in a related field.
This course will provide a solid foundation and practical skills for students with an interest working in humanitarian aid, policymaking, global development, migration, civil society and advocacy, philanthropy, the NGO sector, or academia and research careers.
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Students must take 180 credits per year comprised of 120 taught credits (including core, compulsory and optional modules) and a 60 credit dissertation.
- Core modules: A core module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken and passed before you move on to the next year of your programme.
- Compulsory modules: A compulsory module is required for the degree programme, so must always be taken, and if necessary can be passed by re-taking it alongside the next year of your programme.
- Optional modules: These are designed to help students design their own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals.
Dissertation
- Dissertation in Development Studies
Taught Component
Core Modules
- Humanitarianism: Challenges & Critiques
Students also take one of the following:
- Political economy of violence, conflict and development
- Migration and Development
Guided Options
Choose module(s) from the List of Development Studies Options below to the value of 30 credits.
and
Choose module(s) to the total value of 30 credits from:
- Module(s) from the List of Development Studies Options below to the value of 30 credits.
- Module(s) from the List of Open Options to the value of 30 credits.
- Module from the List of Development Studies Options below to the value of 15 credits.
- Module from the List of Open Options to the value of 15 credits.
List of modules (subject to availability)
Development Studies
- Agrarian Development, Food Policy and Rural Poverty
- Aid and Development
- Battlefields of Method: Approaches to International Development Research
- Borders and Development
- Cities and Development
- Civil society, social movements and the development process
- Contemporary India: Issues, Methods and Approaches
- Critical Insights in Forced Migration
- Development Practice
- Environment, Governance and Development
- Energy Transition, Nature, and Development in a Time of Climate Change
- Famine and food security
- Feminist Political Economy and Global Development
- Fundamentals of research methods for Development Studies
- Gender and Development
- Global Approaches to Peace
- Global Commodity Chains, Production Networks and Informal Work
- Global Health and Development
- Human and Critical Security Studies
- Issues in Forced Migration
- Marxist Political Economy and Global Development
- Migration and Policy
- Natural resources, development and change: putting critical analysis into practice
- Neoliberalism, Democracy and Global Development
- Partnerships Beyond Borders: NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Transnational Development
- Problems of Development in the Middle East and North Africa
- Security
- The Politics of Gender and Feminism in Development
- The Working Poor and Development
- Labour, Activism and Global Development
- Understanding Violence, Conflict and Development
- Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Development Studies)
- Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Development Studies)
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
English Language Requirements
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