Introduction 

The M.A. in Humanitarian Action provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to critically analyse humanitarian action, and work effectively in the humanitarian and development fields. The multidisciplinary Master’s degree combines theoretical and analytical knowledge and skills with a more hands-on approach. Courses are taught by a combination of in-house experts and experienced guest lecturers.

In an interdependent world, a humanitarian crisis in one area of the globe often has consequences in neighbouring countries as well as further afield, including increased refugee flows, heightened insecurity and trans-border problems, foreign intervention etc. With global warming and the increasing fragility of a number of states across the world—to name but a couple of factors—the incidence of humanitarian crises has grown in the last decades. The trend is not likely to change in the years ahead: if anything, the number of humanitarian crises is set to increase further. As a consequence, humanitarian assistance—both assistance provided by governments and multilateral institutions and aid offered by private organisations and initiatives—has grown in importance over the last decades and will likely continue to do so.

The M.A. programme in Humanitarian Action is intended for individuals working in, or aspiring to work in, humanitarian agencies, multilateral aid institutions, NGOs and private foundations, government agencies, large corporations with in-house development/outreach work, and think tanks and research centres focusing on humanitarian and development cooperation.

Download our M.A. Humanitarian Action brochure

More Information

Interested in individual course pertaining on a specific aspect of humanitarian action as part of your professional development?  See the Department’s Continuous Professional Development Courses (more info available soon).

Objectives

The Masters programme approaches humanitarian and development action from both a practical and an analytical perspective. Students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to critically analyse humanitarian action, and work effectively in the humanitarian and development field. Candidates for the M.A. in Humanitarian Action will gain a comprehensive understanding of:

• The variety of humanitarian and more long-term responses to crises across the globe
• How such responses are shaped and what consequences they have
• The institutional and legal framework for humanitarian action
• Medical and public health aspects of humanitarian action
• Media and humanitarian action
• Governance and humanitarian action
• Problems and challenges with contemporary humanitarian action
• In-depth knowledge of several sub-fields of humanitarian and development cooperation (depending on the student’s choice of specialisation)

The M.A. also offers the possibility of placements for those students who wish to gain hands-on experience of what working in the humanitarian and development fields entails.

The programme is intended for individuals working in, or aspiring to work in, humanitarian agencies, multilateral aid institutions, NGOs and private foundations, government agencies, large corporations with in-house development/outreach work, and think tanks and research centres focusing on humanitarian and development cooperation.

The M.A. enables students to develop a range of skills, including:

Given the multidisciplinary character of humanitarian work, students are expected to hold a first degree second class or equivalent, in any subject considered to be relevant by the Admissions Committee.

Applicants who have not studied in Malta are required to present an internationally recognised English Language Proficiency Certificate at the required level.  Further information about English Language Requirements is available online.

For further details, see By-Laws of 2009 in terms of the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008 for the Degree of Master of Arts under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts.