Graduate Diploma of Humanitarianism and Development
2025 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2025 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Diploma of Humanitarianism and Development |
| Deakin course code | A656 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts and Education |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Online | Yes |
| Duration | 1 year full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | The course map for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025 will be available soon. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS course code | 114006B Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Other learning experiences
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Studying the Graduate Diploma of Humanitarianism and Development gives you an introduction to community development, international development and the humanitarian sector. Throughout this course, you will gain a broad overview of the causes, impacts, and solutions of human development to the many crises the world is facing.
Deakin has an exceptional reputation with over 40 years of teaching and research in international and community development, as well as pioneering the first graduate program in humanitarian assistance. The Graduate Diploma of Humanitarianism and Development is designed with industry consultation and taught by pioneering academics.
Do you want to find practical solutions to humanitarian crises?
This course explores immediate disaster, humanitarian relief and the longer-term issues associated with international and community development, as well as their practical connections and tensions. You’ll learn about the complexity of humanitarian contexts which requires an agile approach centred around local and community-led action, with global engagement where necessary. Your focus may be on community development theory and practice, or international development programming and policy.
This one-year full-time (or part-time equivalent) course is offered at Burwood (Melbourne) and online. Core units include Food and Water Security, Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery. You can customise your studies to your personal interests and choose from a wide variety of electives including Climate Change and Sustainability, Refugees and Forced Migration and more.
There are opportunities for work integrated learning experiences. Network with your peers and industry leaders, both academic and professional through innovative course delivery modes, including flexible, on campus and intensive mode options.
The Graduate Diploma is a guaranteed pathway to the Master of Humanitarianism and Development. Progressing to the master's level provides access to further research pathways, industry placement and international opportunities, as well as specialised study streams.
Career opportunities
Potential career opportunities include entry positions, or career progression within:
- Government
- International and local Non-Government Organisations, and not-for-profits
- Community development agencies
- Emergency management agencies
- Private sector
- Social enterprise
- International organisations
- Activism
- Program managers
- Policy development
For more information go to DeakinTALENT.
Participation requirements
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Engage in disciplinary research to evaluate the major theoretical, conceptual and policy issues in development, humanitarian action, and disaster response / management, both locally and internationally, framed within the context of climate crisis. Apply knowledge in engagement with communities and community-led responses to the world’s crises, including, food insecurity, conflict and disasters, inequality and injustice, racism and exclusion. |
| Communication | Use oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills to analyse and generate solutions to complex multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral issues for improving social, environmental, and economic outcomes including global justice, peace, sovereignty, community resilience, and transformations of power to a wide range of specialist and non-specialist audiences. |
| Digital literacy | Source, evaluate and summarise complex data and information on contemporary issues in international and community development, global justice, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action. Apply evidenced methods and technologies across professional, organisation and interpersonal contexts, utilising arrange of digital sources, to design, monitor and evaluate creative solutions to contemporary issues. |
| Critical thinking | Conduct scholarly and practice-based review, analysis, and synthesis of relevant and representative information to make independent judgement on existing understandings and practice across local and global issues such as global justice, disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action and opportunities, and generate alternative options, in the context of historical and contemporary development and humanitarian discourse. |
| Problem solving | Apply skills in research, comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of theory, critique and proposed innovative responses to complex situations or “wicked” problems encountered in a range of community, development, humanitarian, and disaster contexts, with creativity, innovation, and respect. |
| Self-management | Plan, organise and manage competing demands on time, to work mindfully in a personal and professional capacity, whilst committing to ongoing learning, and performing as an practitioner and learner, capable of operating effectively in the context of developing community-led solutions to the world’s crises. |
| Teamwork | Work collaboratively as an active, engaged, and reflective team member in considering solutions to the world’s problems by contributing to mutual goals, tasks and outcomes, demonstrating active and constructive participation and contributions to resolving impasses and conflict. |
| Global citizenship | Question, engage, and provoke, on an interrelated range of social justice, environmental, development and humanitarian issues taking into consideration cross-cultural, indigenous, local and global knowledges, contexts, and perspectives that can inform the development of creative solutions for the world crises. |
Approved at Faculty Board 2023
Course rules
To complete the Graduate Diploma of Humanitarianism and Development students must pass 8 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
- 2 credit points of core units
- 6 credit points of course electives
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.
Course structure
Core Units
| ADH712 | Food and Water Security |
| AHA724 | Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Led Recovery |
Course Electives
| ADH717 | Climate Change and Sustainability |
| ADS704 | Community From Participation to Activism |
| ADS720 | Culture, Arts and Sports as Community Development |
| ADS723 | Monitoring and Evaluation |
| AHA716 | Refugees and Forced Migration |
| AHA721 | Humanitarian Knowledge and Principles |
| AHA722 | Program Design |
| AIP773 | Governance and Accountability in Turbulent Times |
| AIR726 | Human Rights in World Politics |
| HSH701 | Principles and Practice of Public Health |
| HSH703 | Health Promotion |
Work experience
Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.
Course duration
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central
Other learning experiences
There are options for WIL and study tours across many of the SHSS courses.
Research and research-related study
Independent research components are embedded across a number of units.
Fees and charges
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, and their study discipline or your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.