Program Overview

University Microcredential in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation

Presentation

The Rey Juan Carlos University presents this course for the training of professionals in the water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) sectors in humanitarian aid and development cooperation. The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation remains the leading cause of death globally, and this training plays a critical role for society, for achieving a fundamental human right, and for achieving the development goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Objectives

• Understand the specific challenges and needs related to water, sanitation, and hygiene in vulnerable settings and emergency situations, and their relationship with other sectors such as public health, livelihoods, and protection.
• Acquire solid technical knowledge of the principles and practices of water exploration, collection, purification, and treatment in international cooperation and humanitarian aid.
• Acquire solid technical knowledge of the principles and practices of monitoring the microbiological and physicochemical quality of water using laboratory and field methods.
• Learn methodologies to facilitate community participation and promote gender equity in the planning and implementation of WASH interventions.
• Integrate disaster risk management and emergency preparedness into water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.
• Understand and apply human rights-based and sustainability approaches to the implementation of WASH programs and the roles of different stakeholders, duty bearers, and responsibilities.
• Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness and impact of WASH interventions in vulnerable communities.
• Promote awareness and education on hygiene and healthy practices in the context of cooperation and humanitarian aid.

Programme

The course is divided into several modules:

• Module I – Introduction: Introduction to humanitarian action, fundamentals of WASH, and its contribution to improving the lives of populations.
• Module 2 – Prospecting and Supply Technologies: Geological-structural and geophysical techniques for water exploration, surface and groundwater harvesting technologies, hydraulic storage infrastructure, and distribution networks.
• Module 3 – Water quality monitoring: Physicochemical and microbiological water quality indicators, sampling programs, laboratory and field analysis techniques.
• Module 4 – Drinking Water Technologies: Physical treatment operations, chemical treatment operations, treatment at the point of consumption.
• Module 5 – Wastewater treatment technologies: Physicochemical operations, biological processes, nutrient removal, sludge treatment.
• Module 6 – WASH Projects: Water resource management as a social catalyst, impact of hygiene, planning, design, and evaluation of WASH projects, coordination and localization, influence and awareness, sustainability and scaling.
• Module 7 – Practical Cases: Practical case studies presented by humanitarian action experts, contextualizing the practical application of the technical content taught in the training.

Recipients

This training is aimed at students and professionals in the sector, whether or not they have a university degree. No prior MECES level qualification or other entry requirements are required, though a MECU level 4 is recommended. The selection criteria, in case of excess applications, include:

• 30% Professional Career
• 30% Years of experience
• 20% Motivation letter
• 20% Languages

Academic Management and Faculty

The academic direction is led by Javier Marugán Aguado and Natalia Pichel Mira from the Rey Juan Carlos University. The faculty includes experts from the university and humanitarian organizations such as Action Against Hunger and the Spanish Red Cross.

Duration and Development

• Modality: Online
• Number of credits: 6
• Synchronous hours: 24
• Place of delivery: Virtual, with synchronous sessions on the Microsoft Teams platform and asynchronous activities in the URJC Virtual Classroom.
• Start and end date: October 6 to November 28, 2025
• Schedule: Monday to Thursday (asynchronous training) + Friday (synchronous session 16:00 PM to 19:00 PM)

Reservation of Place and Enrollment

• Pre-registration period: July 10 to September 30, 2025
• Enrollment deadline: September 30, 2025
• Title price: €500
• The start of the course is subject to the minimum number (10) of enrolled students.

Documentation to Attach, Forms, and Place of Delivery

Applicants must submit scanned documentation, including:

• National Identity Document or equivalent
• University degree (if applicable)
• Curriculum vitae
• Responsible declaration of veracity of the data provided in digital format
• Any other document required by the Academic Department of Continuing Education for acceptance.

For students with foreign qualifications, additional documentation such as a passport or residence card, foreign Higher Education Degree, and others may be required. Microcredentials are intended for students with or without a previous official university degree, allowing for the certification of learning results linked to short-term training activities.