Online and In-Person Humanitarian Training Courses

The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs offers credit/non-credit professional courses for practitioners around the world. Each professional course for Fall 2025 is designed to prepare current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to humanitarian crises and disasters.

Upcoming Fall 2025 courses include:

Course dates: August 27, 2025 - December 19, 2025

Deadline: Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Below you will find the descriptions and outlines for each course. 

You will also find FAQs and contact information regarding registration, fees, course materials and structures at the bottom of the page.

Applications for humanitarian training courses are open. All courses listed on this page are one semester long. 

Upon fulfilling the course requirements described in the syllabus, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University.

If you are interested in pursuing credit for any of the classes below, please email us at [email protected]. 

** PLEASE READ **

Important Information for International Students:

The program is self-funded. Covering tuition, fees, and living expenses in New York for 12 months is the sole responsibility of the incoming student. Scholarships and graduate assistantships are not available for this program. Attending this program does not qualify for a student visa; therefore, visa assistance is not provided by the university.

Payment:

Payment is due only after you have received your visa.

What the course fee covers:

Enrolling in any Humanitarian Training Course (HTC) will only cover the course content. None of these courses cover any form of accommodations or travel. Any personal costs will be the sole responsibility of the student.

Scholarship:

There is no funding available to support students for any of the upcoming Fall 2025 Humanitarian Training Courses. Whether you are enrolling as a certificate student (no academic credit) or a credit-bearing student, you will be fully responsible for paying your tuition fees.

Humanitarian Advocacy: Communicating the need and motivating the response (0 to 3 Credits) 

Online Synchronous I Fridays 5:30 pm - 7:20 pm ET 

Humanitarians work in hostile environments where people are struggling for survival in situations of armed conflict or natural disasters. In such environments, people may have been forced to flee their homes with few—if any—belongings and may have suffered or witnessed human rights violations. Their plight needs to be communicated to the world in a way that will motivate the deployment of the protection and aid they so desperately need. This course will prepare students for the task of advocacy in humanitarian environments. It will focus on the identification of the most vulnerable members of a large group of survivors and the communication of their needs. It will equip students with the skills required to effectively communicate with local authorities as well as the international donor community. Students will learn to write in a different way than the academic style expected in other courses, focusing on effective advocacy messaging. This course is recommended for students who may envision working directly in advocacy for responding to humanitarian needs. It is also recommended for humanitarian practitioners who wish to prepare for a role in advocacy or are already working in this area.

Upon fulfilling the course requirements described in the syllabus, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University.

Apply

Humanitarian Information Management (0 to 3 Credits) 

Online Synchronous I Wednesdays 5:30 pm - 7:20 pm ET

This course will introduce students to the principles and strategies behind the effective flow of information in a humanitarian setting. Gathering and managing information is crucial in order to understand the cause of the emergency, identify impacted populations, and determine crisis-afflicted geographical locations. The aim of this course is for students to understand the components of a successful information management network within a humanitarian intervention and identify how information can contribute to future preparedness.

Upon fulfilling the course requirements described in the syllabus, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University.

Apply

Fundamentals
of Humanitarian Action (0 to 3 Credits) 

Online Synchronous I Thursdays 5:30 pm-7:20 pm ET

This course will introduce students to the principles of humanitarian action through three modules on (1) Defining Humanitarian Assistance, (2) Management, and (3) Strategic Planning. The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the critical aspects of international humanitarian coordination from an organizational perspective.

Upon fulfilling the course requirements described in the syllabus, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University.

Apply

Mental Health in Complex Emergencies (0 to 3 Credits) 

*Online Asynchronous 

This is a training course for mental health professionals and program staff who wish to establish mental health or psychosocial programs in a humanitarian context within conflict and post conflict areas. The course is also open to Fordham graduate students in Humanitarian Studies or relevant disciplines. It will aim to provide a practical orientation and training, including how to conduct rapid assessments, designing and setting up mental health services or psychosocial programs (exploring the differences between them), clinical work and therapeutic approaches in non-western contexts. It will address the issues of cultural validity, conflict resolution and negotiation, taking care of oneself and dealing with burnout. The course will also introduce potential field workers to essentials such as personal security, logistics, and practical aspects of humanitarian work in the field.

*The MHCE course includes online weekly meetings.

Apply

Humanitarian Resource Management and Administration (0 to 3 credits)

Mondays from 5:30 pm-7:20 pm ET I In-person lecture at Lincoln Center campus

This course will introduce students to the operational aspects of humanitarian response and focus primarily on the role of human resources (HR) and financial management. In response to the continuing professionalization of the humanitarian sector, this course will provide students with a common understanding of hiring practices, budget management, and donor relations in a humanitarian intervention.

 Apply

HUST 5200 Human Rights Protections for Vulnerable Groups (0 to 3 credits)

Professor Elisabeth Wickeri | Elective course | In-Person | 3 Credits | Tuesdays, 5:30 pm - 7:15 pm | Lincoln Center

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to international frameworks and norms concerning the protection of vulnerable populations in humanitarian emergencies. In crisis settings, vulnerable persons and especially people with intersecting vulnerabilities are especially at risk of harm. In this course students will consider why protection for vulnerable persons remains such a challenge despite multiple international protection frameworks that have been widely adopted by States as well as humanitarian agencies and other groups. Through case studies emphasizing the perspectives of affected populations, we will examine protection standards and mechanisms, violations, and efforts at ensuring accountability. Students will gain an understanding of the primary concerns affecting vulnerable persons, the legal frameworks underpinning protection, and the landscape of organizations and entities involved, and will assess the efficacy and continued relevance of our methods of addressing protection for vulnerable persons. Throughout the course, we will identify challenges, as well as opportunities for strengthening standards and implementation methods in conflict and post-conflict settings.

Apply

Returning Fall 2025- Listen to Professor James Shepherd-Barron as he introduces his class, International Disaster Management.

Returning Fall 2025 - Listen to Lynne Jones, Professor of Mental Health in Complex Emergencies (MHCE), answer common questions about our most popular course. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • These semester-long courses can be taken for 3 academic credits or for a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University at a reduced cost.

    Cost with Academic Credit: View GSAS Tuition and Fees

    Cost for Certificate: $990

  • To apply to an Online or In-Person Humanitarian Training Course:

    • Create an application
    • Select Humanitarian Training Courses
    • Select Term: Spring 2025 
    • Select the course (s) you wish to apply to. Please note the modality of each course in the parentheses.

  • When taking the course for a Certificate of Completion, students must pay the fee listed under the course and fulfill the course requirements described in the syllabus. Upon completion of the requirements, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University.

  • Each course is taught in an asynchronous format where professors will upload weekly units on Monday. Each professor may propose a few live online sessions throughout the semester. However, if this is the case, they will work with students on scheduling the synchronous meetings, which will not be mandatory and will be recorded and made available to students who cannot attend.

  • Upon registering for each course, students are provided with access to Fordham's E-Learning system, Blackboard. Blackboard is the platform by which students will access all course materials, including the course lectures, readings, discussion boards, and other interfaces designed to enable students and professors to interact and engage throughout the course.

  • For all registration inquiries, please connect with Lucianny De Leon, IIHA Programs Officer, at [email protected] or call (or text on WhatsApp) (718) 817-5732.