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What is international disaster management and humanitarian response?

International disaster management and humanitarian response looks at the intersection between development, disaster risk management, and peace and conflict studies. It combines the natural and social sciences, medicine and the arts.

Demand is growing for a global response to the risks and shocks that come from natural and human-created hazards. It’s more important than ever to to understand how these translate into disasters or conflicts.

Why you should study International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø

BSc International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response is for anyone with an interest in understanding how these aspects work together in a real-world context.

Our partner links with organisations like the United Nations, and humanitarian NGOs like UK Med, provide fantastic opportunities for those seeking a career in the humanitarian sector.

As part of this course, you’ll:

• Gain a critical insight into the key issues around disaster risk reduction, destabilising events and humanitarian responses, and explore these challenges through a theoretical lens from both a global and more local perspective.
  
• Improve your knowledge around relevant ethical issues, like international actions taken in response to natural and human-made disasters by governments, inter-governmental departments and NGOs.
  
• Develop strategic research techniques, including data gathering, collation, analysis, and the sharing of results in disaster risk management and humanitarian action contexts.
  
• Put your knowledge of disaster management and humanitarian response to use in the context of real-life hazards and vulnerabilities.
  
• Study in the field, either here in the UK or overseas, and gain valuable professional experience via work placements with humanitarian organisations.
  

• Take optional course units in Geography, Politics, Theology, Languages and Anthropology.

• You can alternatively study for a joint honours degree combining Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish.
  

• Provide a critical insight into destabilising events and develop an understanding and appreciation of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of key issues which inform the debates on disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response.
• Develop practical expertise in risk and vulnerability analyses, disaster preparedness and response and the integration of development and humanitarian action.
• Foster an informed attitude on ethical issues related to humanitarianism, including international actions taken by governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations in response to disasters of both natural and human origins.
• Develop strategic research methodologies and techniques, including data gathering, collation, analysis and dissemination of results in disaster risk management and humanitarian action contexts.

Insight from the field

As an International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response student, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake field study – either here in the UK or overseas.

You’ll learn how your knowledge of disaster management and humanitarian response might be applied in the context of real-life hazards and vulnerabilities.

Work placements

Work placements with humanitarian organisations will allow you to gain valuable professional experience.

Research dissertation

Your third-year dissertation allows you to make the focus of your final year at University truly your own and relevant to your personal interests and prospective career.

You’ll be taught through a mix of:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Tutorials where you’ll engage in group discussions and activities

Some of the skills you’ll develop:

• Research
• Critical thinking
• Planning
• Public speaking
• Audio-visual communication
• GIS skills
  

You’ll also have access to our E-Learning platform, Canvas, that contains digital learning resources and interactive student discussion boards.

We’ll encourage you to undertake independent research at every level of the course. You’ll also explore lecture themes in more detail through both individual and group readings, and presentations.

Assessments vary from unit to unit - these assessments come in a variety of formats, including:

• Essays
• Project work
• Tasks such as policy briefs and field work reports that mirror humanitarian professionals’ work

Helpful and detailed feedback will be given for all written and oral work.

• As well as the cultural assets and study facilities based right on campus, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø has one of the largest university libraries in the country. The - a permanent home for collections connected to humanitarianism - is also based here.
• is another amazing resource based at Deansgate - it holds one of the finest collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives in the world.
• based at the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Central Library is a specialist open-access library and archive, focusing on the study of race, migration and thinking about race, anti-racist activism and the fight for social justice.

This course is well suited to anyone wanting to pursue a career in:

• Business and commerce
• Law
• Journalism
• Tourism management
• Teaching
  

Our links to organisations such as the United Nations, and humanitarian NGOs like UK Med, create excellent opportunities to go into the type of career you want to pursue.

Our graduates have gone on to achieve careers such as:

• Serious Violence Manager at London Boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth
• UK Media Officer at the ONE Campaign
• Programme Officer at the HALO Trust
  

84% of graduates are in employment or further study 15 months after completing the course (Discover Uni).

The University has its own dedicated that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability.