MSc Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning

Program Overview

About our foundation years

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Humanitarian Intervention by Distance Learning MSc

Overview

This ground-breaking MSc course offers online training for people working in humanitarian organisations, wherever they are in the world.

This MSc supports the priorities outlined in the new WHO 2025 Guidance on Mental Health Policy and Strategic Action Plans, which emphasize the urgent need for rights-based, person-centred, and recovery-oriented approaches to psychosocial support. The course equips practitioners to address the social and structural determinants of mental health — including conflict, displacement, poverty, and inequality — while working with diverse populations across humanitarian and post-conflict contexts.

Our distance learning course is aimed at people who are currently or hope to be, engaged in humanitarian work in any country and who want the skills and knowledge to offer psychosocial support.

This involves helping people to maintain their positive psychological development in the face of challenges - often traumatic - being posed by their social environment.

Once you have completed this course you will be able to support others within your organisation, whether or not you are part of an established human resources department.

As well as 'helping the helpers', you will be equipped to offer direct psychosocial guidance to people who have suffered, or who continue to suffer, from the effects of a natural or man-made catastrophe such as famine, flood, epidemic or war.

To support humanitarian and healthcare practitioners' mental well-being during the pandemic, the MSc Humanitarian Interventions Distance Learning course has put together a wellbeing portal bringing together a range of internal and external resources for support.

As part of the portal, the course is also putting together a webinar series with the participation of our current students and alumni, to offer live sessions on topics relating to mental wellbeing. These contributions to the webinars foster students' professional development and enhance their experience and competence in the field.

Course options

• MSc with distance learning
  • Start date: September 2025
  • Duration: 1 year (full-time), 2 years (part-time)

Entry Requirements

• Academic requirements
  • Bachelor's degree with minimum Second Class (2:2) or equivalent in any subject.
• International Qualifications
  • We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications.
• English Language requirements
  • Overall IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening (or recognised equivalent).
• Interview
  • An interview is required with a member of the academic teaching team.

Fees

• Home Applicant
  • Full-time: £12,900 per year
  • Part-time: £2,150 per 30 credit module
• International Applicant
  • Full-time: £12,900 per year
  • Part-time: £2,150 per 30 credit module

Funding

• Postgraduate Loans Scheme
  • £10,280 to fund your Masters Programme under the Postgraduate Loans (PGL) scheme
• Postgraduate Scholarship
  • Apply for a 50 per cent discount on your tuition fees
• Alumni Discount
  • Up to 15% fee waiver (exclusions apply)
• Early Payment Discount
  • 5% fee waiver
• Asylum Seekers scholarship
  • 100% fee waiver
• Civic Engagement
  • £1,000
• Hardship Bursary
  • Up to £2,000
• Sport Scholarships
  • Up to £6,000

Modules

• Psychological Aspects of Humanitarian Intervention (Core Module)
• Assessing, Planning and Intervening During and After Disaster and Conflict (Core Module)
• Research Methods 1 (Core Module)
• Research Methods 2 (Core Module)
• Individual Group and Organisational Support for IDPs and Refugees (Optional Module)
• Foundation Counselling Skills (Optional Module)
• Intercultural Counselling Practice and Processes (Optional Module)

What we're researching

At the University of East London we are working on the some of the big issues that will define our future; from sustainable architecture and ethical AI, to health inequality and breaking down barriers in the creative industries.

Your future career

This course offers very specific, applied training in humanitarian intervention. As the UK's only MSc in the subject, it will give you the opportunity to go on and study for a PhD.

We also offer intermediate awards. The PG Diploma requires you to pass the two conceptual core modules, plus two optional modules. The PG Certificate requires a pass in the two conceptual core modules, and the University Certificate asks for a pass in any module other than those relating to research methods and the dissertation.

Career pathways

This course is ideal for you whether you are working for a small organisation without a specialised psychosocial unit or you are already in HR doing general tasks but want to specialise in psychosocial support. Or you might be working in a medical department and want to add another element to your portfolio.

Job roles

On completion of the course, you may go on to build or further a career in a humanitarian aid agency in the UK or overseas, or within a public health or social services setting with a psychosocial focus.

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed.

Career Zone

Our dedicated and award-winning team provide you with careers and employability resources, including:

• Online jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work.
• Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts
• 1-2-1 career coaching services
• Careers workshops and employer events
• Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme which issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you’ve mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top

• Enterprise and entrepreneurship support
• Ranked 2nd for graduate start-ups (2023/24)
• Networking and visits to leading organisations
• Support in starting a new business, freelancing and self-employment
• London on our doorstep

How you'll learn

You will have support throughout the course from your contact with the course lecturers as well as your colleagues. Although the course is delivered by distance learning, you will still feel very much part of our community.

Student community

Almost all our students work in the field and you can stay in contact with each other through our online forum - an important means of sharing ideas and experiences.

Teaching

Learning materials such as readings, slides and recorded lectures will be uploaded, so you can listen or watch whenever you have time. Your two full-time lecturers are highly experienced in both the theory and practice of this subject. They are also flexible and generous with their time and available to students online.

How you'll be assessed

We will assess each module individually and, except for the last two research modules, it may be an essay, a reflective critique of a piece of consultation or a portfolio including methods and critiques of the ways students facilitate their own and others' wellbeing and resilience.

For the Research 1 module students will need to submit a research proposal and for Research 2, a draft journal article based on the research undertaken.

Campus and facilities

Online

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by the School of Childhood and Social Care

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

• Course leader
  • Dr Lucia Berdondini
  • Department of Social Work Counselling & Social Care, School of Childhood and Social Care

Related courses

This course is part of the Counselling and Wellbeing subject area.

• PGDip Counselling and Psychotherapy
• MSc Integrative Counselling and Coaching