Spring Online Humanitarian Training Courses

The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs offers 0 or 3-credit individual professional courses for practitioners around the world. Each professional course is designed to prepare current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to humanitarian crises and disasters.

Upcoming Spring 2027 courses include:

• Humanitarian Resource Management and Administration
• Humanitarian Advocacy
• Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations

Course dates: January 19, 2027 - May 17, 2027

Deadline: January 5, 2027

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

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

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

The non-credit option is offered for 0 credits for a discounted rate and does not qualify students for a graduate degree. Once the course is over in December, there will be no further commitment required of students. If you are interested in taking these courses toward a graduate degree, please visit our online MIHA or in-person MSHS. We accept rolling admissions for our graduate programs. 

HUST 5014 Humanitarian Resource Management and Administration (0 to 3 Credits) 

Professor Pierrette Quintiliani | Core course | Online | Available for 0 credit or 3 credits

This course provides an essential introduction to the management and administration of humanitarian responses, focusing on the operational realities of the sector. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how humanitarian organizations function, with an emphasis on: (i) Financial Management: Fundamentals of budget development, financial reporting, and accounting methods necessary for effective program oversight; (ii) Grant & Donor Relations: Skills for identifying funding opportunities, preparing successful proposals, and managing stakeholder expectations; (iii) Operational Planning: Tools for launching programs, establishing logistics/security, and planning for both headquarters and field-level implementation; and (iv) Human Resources: Staff management and addressing personnel challenges in emergency settings. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to apply these practical skills to navigate the complexities of humanitarian interventions effectively.

Attribute: GSSE

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

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HUST 5045 Humanitarian Advocacy (0 to 3 Credits) 

Professor Anne Edgerton I Core course | Online | Available for 0 credit or 3 credits

This course will prepare students for the task of advocacy in humanitarian environments, with a focus on identifying and working with invisible and vulnerable populations. Introducing the concepts of advocacy, humanitarian negotiation, and humanitarian advocacy campaign creation, students will conduct a series of projects which culminate in the creation of a humanitarian advocacy campaign. This course introduces students to the tools required to assess and analyze a humanitarian crisis (including SMART goals, interviewing and being interviewed, messaging and prioritizing). Then students research, practice, and present using the advocacy tools for real-world solutions to influence real-world stakeholders. Students will also undertake self- and peer-evaluation to raise soft skills awareness and be able to interact and ask questions of current industry professionals. Examinations of recent advocacy initiatives will help the student situate advocacy in the humanitarian delivery system in current crises today, while practice of advocacy campaign building allows students to experience how to design successful real-world campaigns.

Attributes: HUCB, PMMA.

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

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HUST 5082 Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations (0 to 3 Credits) 

Core course | Online | Available for 0 credit or 3 credits

This course will examine the values, principles, and ethical standards that humanitarian personnel must follow when engaged in humanitarian work. Adherence to these values, principles, and standards is critical in developing and maintaining beneficiary confidence, promoting a strong public image, cultivating an effective workforce, and nurturing accountability and transparency. At the end of this course, students will have a better understanding of the meaning of ethics in the context of humanitarian work; the standards of conduct applicable to humanitarian personnel; how to systematically approach ethical problem situations; key ethical and corruption risks pertaining to the humanitarian sector; how to report and deal with ethical breaches, including sexual and other interpersonal misconduct; how to make ethical decisions; and where to seek help.

Attributes: CETH, HUHR, PSIC, PSJH.