This course is available through the following application route(s)
PLEASE NOTE: All applicants must follow the joint application procedure as established by the NOHA consortium. See Entry Requirements below for further details.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Programme in International Humanitarian Action is an inter-university multidisciplinary postgraduate programme that provides high quality academic education and professional competencies for those working or intending to work in the area of humanitarian action.
The programme is delivered by University College Dublin in collaboration with the Network for Humanitarian Action, an association of eight European universities that aims to enhance professionalism in humanitarian action through education, training and research.
The programme begins with a week-long Intensive Programme involving students registered for the programme across the eight participating universities. Students receive a solid grounding in key aspects of contemporary humanitarian action. They subsequently spend their first semester at University College Dublin or one of the other seven participating organisations of their choice whereby they engage in modules providing foundational knowledge of the disciplines of anthropology, public health, international law, management and world politics as they relate to humanitarian action. In the second semester students engage in mobility to one of the seven other participating European universities. In the third semester students choose to undertake a work placement or spend a semester at one of our 11 partner universities throughout the world. In the fourth and final semester students will complete a masters thesis.
Further details concerning the programme can be found on the NOHA website.
Collaboration is one of the most unique elements of the programme and is central to the NOHA experience. Students study at different universities and benefit from rich cultural interaction and exchange of ideas and languages. It is an integral part of the NOHA teaching-learning process. The partner universities have gradually integrated the joint training and research programme into their respective curricula, achieving a high degree of co-operation and integration, while preserving their speciality and traditions.NOHA students come from all over the world and register in the NOHA network. They are admitted following a highly competitive selection process agreed by the Network and can therefore enrol for courses jointly recognised by each of the participating universities, with the assurance of good communication links between them.
The following are the programme’s intended learning outcomes:
Demonstrate a sound understanding of the humanitarian principles, and the ethical, legal and emancipatory rationales for humanitarian action
Established competence in the theory, policy and discourse of humanitarian action as it relates to a range of related disciplines, including programme management, international law, geo-political science, public health and social anthropology
Demonstrate a sound understanding of the international humanitarian system, the main stakeholders that comprise this system, together with the main challenges faced by the system in addressing global humanitarian need
Apply research knowledge and analytical skills that support evidence-based humanitarian action
Critical analysis of humanitarian action to optimise local engagement and support ‘people-centred humanitarian action’
Demonstrate an understanding of and capacity to work in a humanitarian context Design and develop an appropriate research study to strengthen resilience in a humanitarian context
Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.
Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.
| Trimester | Credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40110 | Legal Dimensions of HA | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40120 | World Politics and HA | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40130 | Social Anthropology | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40140 | Public Health | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40150 | Management in HA | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 0 of: Year 1: Students will register to ALL of these modules |
HACT40160 | Intensive Programme | Autumn | 5 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40390 | Orientation Period - Aix | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40410 | Orientation Period - Deusto | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40420 | Orientation Period - Groningen | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40430 | Orientation Period - Bochum | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40440 | Orientation Period - Uppsala | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40660 | Orientation Period-Warsaw | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester, UCD home students will register to ONE of the these module. Modules may be updated on a students record once allocation of places by NOHA is confirmed. |
HACT40710 | Orientation Period- Malta | Spring | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - C) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester incoming mobility students register to ALL of the modules below. Registration to these modules will be undertaken by the UCD Programme Administrator. **These modules are for incoming mobility students only, they are not for UCD home students. ** |
HACT40010 | Evidence-based Community Resilience: Applied Research Design | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - C) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester incoming mobility students register to ALL of the modules below. Registration to these modules will be undertaken by the UCD Programme Administrator. **These modules are for incoming mobility students only, they are not for UCD home students. ** |
HACT40020 | Linking Localisation with Humanitarian Management | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - C) Min 0 of: Year 1: In the Spring trimester incoming mobility students register to ALL of the modules below. Registration to these modules will be undertaken by the UCD Programme Administrator. **These modules are for incoming mobility students only, they are not for UCD home students. ** |
HACT40100 | Addressing GBV in Emergencies | Spring | 10 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Year 2: UCD home students choose one of these modules. |
HACT40180 | Work Placement in HA | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of: Year 2: UCD home students choose one of these modules. |
HACT40190 | Regional Training in HA | 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) | 30 |
Stage 1 Options - E) Min 0 of: Year 2: UCD home students must choose the thesis module. |
HACT40210 | Minor Thesis in HA 30cr | 2 Trimester duration (Spr-Sum) | 30 |
Laura Vanoverbeek Crusells
"With a background in International Relations and Politics, I was drawn to NOHA because I didn’t want to study humanitarian action in theory alone, and the combination of its academic reputation, international mobility, and hands-on experience made it the perfect fit!
I started the programme at UCD, which gave me the foundation to understand the sector and bigger picture, all while being part of a welcoming and international student environment. You’ll love the campus, the professors are incredibly supportive, and Dublin is a vibrant and fun city to live in. For my second semester, I moved to Groningen to specialise in Humanitarian Analysis and Intervention Design. The classes were more targeted, and we had engaging guest lectures throughout the semester.
For the third semester I chose to do a work placement with the INGO INTERSOS, where I split my time between their HQ in Rome and deployed in their Amman mission. Being able to contextualise everything I had learnt was great, and even better is that I left with a job lined up even before graduation.
However, the best part of the programme is the people. My classmates came from all over the world, and every conversation was enriched by that diversity. Whether we were working on group projects or socialising after class, the sense of community was always there."
Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website.
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Opportunities:
The NOHA master’s programme has been proudly supported by the European Union for almost two decades. It was one of the first 19 Master programmes selected at the start of the Erasmus Mundus programme in 2004. In July 2025, the NOHA Master was once again selected as an Erasmus Mundus programme and will continue to offer Erasmus Mundus scholarships for the next 4 editions, starting with the 2025-2026 cohort.
How do I apply for the Erasmus+ Scholarship?
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship applicants must follow the joint application procedure as established by the NOHA consortium, submit a complete application and comply with all eligibility criteria. Only candidates who have graduated before the application deadline are eligible to apply for an EM scholarship. A completed application must have been received by the deadline indicated (15 December).
Candidates are chosen on the basis of the quality of their education and professional background, their experience in and concern for humanitarian issues, their multicultural sensitivity and their linguistic abilities.
Admission may be granted to applicants who meet the following entry requirements and common minimum eligibility criteria:
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes
Humanitarian action is regarded as a boundary discipline, occupying a space on the margins of several academic disciplines. This Masters in Humanitarian Action is an inter-disciplinary programme welcoming students from a diverse range of backrounds including management, politics, public health, international law, social anthropology, agriculture, science and engineering.
General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Humanitarian Action:
| ROWCLASS | Apply to |
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Currently, there are no forthcoming intakes for this course that are open for application |
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